The Municipality of Skiathos includes the islets of Tsougria, Tsougriaki, Maragos, Arkos, Troulonisi and Aspronisi.

In 480 BC, the fleet of the Persian King Xerxes was hit by a storm and was badly damaged on the rocks off the Skiathos coast.

Following this the Greek fleet blockaded the adjacent seas to prevent the Persians from invading the mainland and supplying provisions to the army facing the 300 Spartans defending the pass at Thermopylae.

But the Bourtzi was ineffective in protecting the population and in the mid-14th century the inhabitants moved the capital from the ancient site that lay where modern Skiathos Town is to Kastro (the Greek word for castle), located on a high rock, overlooking a steep cliff above the sea at the northernmost part of the island.

During the 19th century Skiathos became an important shipbuilding centre[13] in the Aegean due to the abundance of pine forests on the island.

The boats are operated mainly by Hellenic Seaways using its high-speed Flying Cat vessels as well as conventional ferries.

As of summer 2011, Skiathos Airport is served by Olympic Air flights from both Athens and Thessaloniki, while foreign airlines provide charter flights from a range of airports in European countries such as the United Kingdom, France, Austria, the Netherlands, Italy, Cyprus and Scandinavian countries.

During the winter 2013/14, work began to expand the airport, with a runway extension and increased hard standing for parked aircraft.

The core route is from the main town to the popular golden beaches of Vassilias, Achladies, Asenlinos, and Agia Eleni.

This route operates a fleet of five coaches as frequently as five times an hour during the summer peak season throughout the day, but is significantly reduced during the winter.