This Christmas, in between the turkey and mince pies, I escaped to the gorgeous Greek island of Skopelos, by watching the recently released DVD of Mama Mia. The film is a frothy musical fantasy, with those catchy Abba tunes set against the idyllic Greek island setting. Of course this is the Greece we dream of, before the days of the tacky souvenir shops and the all-day English breakfast.

Agnontas, Skopelos

At least the white, pine clad cliffs, sandy beaches and the gaily painted boats bobbing in the harbour were real. Apart from Meryl and Piers, the star of the show had to be that picturesque chapel of Agios Ioannis Prodromos, built on top of a rocky outcrop jutting out into the sea. This is where Donna (Meryl Streep) sings her heart out to her lost love Sam (Pierce Brosnan), among the wild thyme with the waves crashing on the rocks below. Who wouldn’t want to be taken up the winding path with 105 steps on a donkey to be married here, although sadly it’s only open once a year on the feast day of St John the Baptist in June.

Aggios Ioannis Chapel

One of the reasons Skopelos retains its unspoilt Greek charm is because it does not have its own airport but you can catch the hydrofoil from the neighbouring island of Skiathos, which can be reached by a flight from Athens and other European cities. Happy dreaming of your next holiday in the sun. For more information, visit the Skopelos website.

Thanks to rgtmum and Jan Leversund for their photos on Flickr