Summer may be out of the calendar, the number of visitors to the islands may gradually decrease, and ferries may not run as often.

However, there is a small passenger ship that also sails in winter – and often in bad weather – to the islands of the “barren line”. The Financial Times recently paid tribute to the story of the legendary “Express Skopelos“, which is of great interest to the “hero” of the Lesser Cyclades.

Those who have traveled on this ship know that speed is not its forte (the “Express” nickname was added when its predecessor was retired). But riding this old-fashioned ferry is a rite of passage for island jumpers or locals taking a break from the catamarans that dominate the Greek seas.

Small Cyclades Lines has been run since 1956 by three generations of the Skopelitis family. This is a shipping company that owns only one ship. With a capacity of 340 passengers and less than 12 cars in the garage, Express Skopelites serves a group of small islands between Naxos and Amorgos: Heraclius, Schinus, Koufonisia and Donussa.

The landscapes of the island are an archetype of barren beauty: bare streams and low hills, between which whitewashed settlements seem to crowd. Cars are rarely seen: most people walk or travel by boat. There are no sun loungers, housing, banks (ATMs very often run out of cash) and (except for Koufonisia), pharmacies.

The Scopelites Express runs between these islands six days a week, 11 months a year. During the month, the ship undergoes maintenance. Medicines, bread and other essential goods are transported free of charge. Residents travel for free. Skopelitis is their only means, their ambulance, their only lifeline when the tourists are gone. “During the winter, we do our best to make sure the islanders have everything they need,” captain and owner Dimitris Skopelitis, 35, tells the FT. “Weather conditions are challenging and port infrastructure is virtually non-existent, further complicating our work.”

Like other routes connecting the most remote and sparsely populated Greek islands, this is also the goal of Skopelitis Express. These routes are government subsidized as they are not commercially viable. The recent rise in fuel prices has pushed ferry prices up, with most fares up 25-30% from the previous year, making island holidays financially challenging for many.

But on Skopelitis, a return ticket from Naxos to Irakli (1.5 one way) costs only 13.60 euros.
Despite the difficulties faced by the owners, abandoning the ship is out of the question.

Skopelitis Express rarely cancels a trip. “If we don’t show up, the islanders will mutiny,” explains Captain Yannis Fostieris, who has been on the ship since 1990.

The 10 members of the ship are constantly boarding and disembarking the ship. “We are more flexible than big ships that drop people on deck and drop them off when they arrive in port. If someone is detained in court or at the doctor’s, we will wait for him,” says Fostieris.

According to the Financial Times