Plane-spotters may have found the perfect spot to relax and enjoy their hobby on a Greek island where aircrafts soars in to land metres above the heads of tourists.
The pretty island of Skiathos in the northwest Aegean Sea has made somewhat of a name for itself – and it’s not just for its stunning beaches and its buzzing nightlife. Aside from sun-kissed resorts it has an unusual quirk.
Due to the location of its international runway, beachgoers on the island can expect to witness commercial jets flying just metres above their heads.
In recent years Skiathos International Airport Alexandros Papadiamantis has become infamous for videos taken from its beaches not far from the runway. They appear to show rather close calls as planes descend from above.
One such video went viral in August 2022, depicting the “substantially shallow approach” of a Wizzair airbus.
The footage captures a group of stunned onlookers watching as the plane swoops over them in extremely close proximity.
YouTube account GreatFlyer posted the video, captioning it: “Yet another spectacular landing at Skiathos Airport.” It said: “Watch this A321 just fly just a few feet over plane spotters’ heads for a prompt landing on the runway.
“Enjoy the beautiful sight of this A321 flying low over the airport beach, as the jetblast of its engines blasts the spotters and dirt below!
Viewers were shocked, with one saying, “Incredible capture. That was extremely low!” Another commented: “That’s crazy would love to visit the island just so I can spend the day watching the planes.”
For some this is a reality, with many visitors to the island coming purely to watch these hair-raising landings.
There is even a specific Skiathos Plane-Spotting observation deck located nearby for this reason.
If you are going to Skiathos for the beaches though, there are two that might also offer impressive, albeit scary, sights of the planes: Paralia Psarochoma and Xanemos Beach.
But if you want to distance yourself entirely from the jets there are plenty of other beautiful beaches and things to see on the island.
Greeka.com says: “Skiathos Greece is the most popular island to visit in the Sporades island group. Despite its small size, it attracts thousands of visitors every year.
“Thanks to its intense nightlife, it is popular among young people and its picturesque town is known for its romantic atmosphere.
“Skiathos is covered with vegetation and it has over 60 beaches in total.”