PINT-sized Skiathos, the smallest of the verdant Sporades group, is the perfect antidote for those who like their beach experiences Caribbean green – instead of the more austere Cycladic template.

In fact, the Beatles so adored stylish Skiathos’ dramatic pine forests and sweeps of golden sand, they reportedly tried to buy one of its most idyllic islets (Tsourgria) for a recording studio. Their ardour is still shared by the well-heeled Brits and Italians who form a sizeable slice of Skiathos’ cosmopolitan clientele and who give the island its classy tilt.

Most impressive is the island’s inventory of sixty-odd beaches. The most famous - Koukounaries - boasts one kilometre of soft white sand set against a luscious green belt; while Lalaria on the island’s north-east, with its ghostly white rock formations and translucent waters, is a castaway’s dream. Quaint Skiathos old port with its brightly-coloured street cushions and hip drinking dens, is a stronghold for the Hello! Magazine crowd - once they’ve tired of Mykonos.