Why you need to visit where Mamma Mia was filmed
Ah, Mamma Mia: the film that had people either joyfully singing or joylessly sighing. It’s one of the most confusing productions ever conjured by the human mind and has had rather mixed reviews. It has Abba songs not sung by Abba, a wedding that turns into someone else’s wedding, an illegitimate child and a reunion of surprisingly civil ex boyfriends, all set on an island in Greece. It’s like someone taped a bunch of magazines to a dartboard and wrote down whatever words they managed to hit. But, despite that, it still managed to be an incredible hit on Broadway and managed to produce a film that was either loved or considered ‘okay’. However, there is definitely one feature that most people can agree on: the setting is gorgeous. If you’re not a fan of the songs you can still have a great time watching it by just muting the sound and looking at the fantastic scenery.
The island of Skopelos has been swarmed with tourists ever since the film’s release and it’s easy to see why.
The scenery
If you look scenic walks, long expanses of glistening blue ocean, grassy hillsides and rocky coastlines then you’ll fall in love with Skopelos in an instant. The only way to access the island is by boat, so grab a front seat on the ferry when you arrive to soak in the beautiful scenery. It’s one of the highlights of the island. Dotted around the island are more than a few hillside monasteries for you to explore that are rich in culture and history. Although, looking at that precarious church on the mountainside, you might need an e111 renewal before you go. That is one heck of a drop. Still, you can take some long, soothing walks to the different sides of the island and bask in the sunshine and the view of ferries weaving around the harbour.
The town and villas
The town is a quaint and rural place that seems to have yet been dominated by the tourists that have invaded it. It isn’t overrun with novelty shops or ‘Mamma Mia’ themed attractions yet, it seems. Instead you’re given classic Greek architecture, winding alleyways and backstreets, and easy going places to drop in and grab a cold drink.
The people
Although certain areas attract crowds of tourists – mostly the areas included in ‘Mama mia’ – there are still a lot of places that have retained their innocence. The further you take your explorations away from the typical tourist areas, the nicer the people you find will be. You’ll also find smaller and more secretive attractions and family-run restaurants and cafes. If you want to get a better look at the real Skopelos then you’re going to have to stray from the usual path.
One thing to keep in mind if you visit Skopelos is that Hollywood magic takes some liberties. It’s not going to be exactly like it is in the film. People will complain that things are smaller or bigger than they looked in the film – maybe that tree was a few inches to the left when Amanda Seyfried sat under it - but discovering that things aren’t what you expected them to be is not necessarily a bad thing. Surprises are good. You might find that, after you step out from behind the lens of the camera, Skopelos is actually a lot more charming than you had expected.
