There is no airport on the island of Schinoussa and so you can only get there by ferry. Roughly said there is a ferry each day going somewhere (direction Amorgos or Naxos - Piraeus). Some of the ferries arrive at Schinoussa at a late time in which case it is wise to make reservations on the island so you will be picked up in the port. In the Chora of Schinoussa there is a small village shop that sells ferry tickets just before the ferries depart.
The Lilliputian port of Mirsini is the island’s gateway. The principal village, Chora, is only 15 minutes’ walk away. The one main street in the village is home to the usual mix of tavernas (four at the last count), cafes, mini-markets and residential dwellings. From here, various donkey tracks lead to umpteen beaches that vary in consistency from pebble to gritty sand. The nearest of the dozen or so beaches that are worth frequenting is Tsigouri taking about 10 minutes down and 20 minutes back up to Chora, depending on the number of breathers you take!
Walkers will relish the paucity of motorised transport on Schinoussa, taking to the tracks and venturing further afield to beaches such as Psili Ammos, Fikio & Bazeou, but be sure to take food and water with you as there are no tavernas in these areas.
Schinoussa Beaches
Compared to other islands and in comparisson to the size of the island Schinoussa is blessed with a wide choice in sandbeaches that are scattered all around the island and reachable by foot. Alltogether there are some 15 beaches, the best ones being Psili Amos, Tsigouri, Livadi, Aligaria, Lioliou and Almiros. Most of these beaches offer shade in the shape of trees. Some of the other beaches can suffer from seaweeds or it's possible that they are less clean because they are in the wind. Below are a couple of the beaches of Schinoussa.
Tsigouri Beach
The closest beach to Chora is Tsigouri Beach which is a little south of the capital. You have to go to the right where the village begins. The walk is about 10 minutes. It's a nice sandy beach, with a nearby restaurant and some accommodation (Grispos Villas - see below).
Livadi Beach
Further to the south there is a beach called Livadi. You can reach this beach after a 15 minutes walk. It's a sandy beach with capes on both sides to protect it. You can find some shadow underneath the trees.
Aligaria Beach
Next beach to the south is Aligaria, which actually consists of three small coves with sand. You have to walk about 30 minutes to reach the beaches of Aligaria.
Lioliou and Bazeou Beach
To the south-east in a small bay you find Lioliou beach and some hundred metres to the north Bazeou beach. It consists of two small coves mostly with sand and with rocks between. Of season these beaches are very quiet. On main-season there may be more visitors to the beaches thanks to a nearby tavern that is opened then.
Almiros and Foudana Beach
Almiros beach to the east is a sandy beach with tamarisk that provides with some shadow. There is a settlement nearby. A twenty minutes walk from Chora. A little north of Almiris you can find Foudana Beach.
Psili Amos and Fikio Beach
Maybe the most beautiful beach is Psili Ammos north-east of Chora. The beach has nice sand and is well protected since it's situated in a small bay. You can't find much shadow on this beach, but some tamarisks have been planted. To reach the beach you are heading north to the little village Messariá. There you find a signpost to the east. It's little less then half an hour's walk. There is also a small beach called Fikio north of the village of
Messaria Beach
You can’t find any shadow on this beach and unfortunately the beach have a lot of seaweed.
Gerolimnionas Beach
In the north-west there is a beach called Gerolimionas, at least the bay has that name. The beach is nice situated in the bay which is rather deep. But there is a garbage and oil on the beach so it is not a particularly pleasant experience. I don't think this beach is much visited, so it's no problem to be naked if you like.
Schinoussa's main feature is its beautiful views wherever you turn. You can see Santorini and Ios from here, for example. In Chora there is a folklore museum. The rest is just sea and the occasional church.
Schinoussa has two villages, the Chora and Messaria. The village of Chora is built on a hill in the interior of the island is 1.2 km from the port. In the past, the island has suffered many raids from the pirates, thus, the residents built the village of Chora that they are calling it Panagia (from the name of the church of the Virgin Mary) on a hill in order to have visibility into the sea. The houses are built with the typical architecture of the Cyclades islands .
The second settlement of the island Mesaria has a wonderful Church and is located about a mile from the town. The people involved in agriculture, livestock, fisheries and tourism.
