Madro Travel

Skopelos | Greece

Our island, Our future

In an age of greater awareness of the negative impact pollution has on our planet, tourism is one of the main culprits: transportation, over-development and depletion of natural resources help to make sure it is not an environmentally-friendly industry. Skopelos relies on tourism and is faced with these issues -- while attempting to maintain its own cultural heritage and a clean living environment. Madro Travel has a policy of raising the awareness of holiday makers to things they can do here on Skopelos which can make a ‘real’, and positive, difference to the destination and the people living here. As an agency, we wish to actively encourage discussion on and participation in sustainable activities on Skopelos. Madro Travel aims to promote "sustainable tourism." (nature and wildlife activities), ecotourism (promoting yet protecting natural areas from mass-tourism and development), and agrotourism (educational holidays in agriculture and culture to sustain rural population). In these ways, tour operators, local businesses and visitors alike can genuinely appreciate and respect the culture and natural landscape of our island. A holiday spent exploring the countryside and villages, learning about the production of local cuisine and crafts can be a refreshing and rewarding break from city life. The informed traveller can also be directly contributing to the sustainable tourism effort by supporting the communities working to preserve their local traditions. Remember, if we all work together, our message will reach more people, change more minds, and touch more hearts.

Brakata Museum

This museum is set in an old and substantial family house , donated to the municipality of Skopelos in 1995 by the Bakratos family. The members of the family were of the professional classes and the daughters, together with the great -grandmother of George Drossos of Madro Travel, were the first women to study at the university of Athens at the beginning of the 19th century. Cultured and well-travelled, the family created a home bursting with artifacts gathered from around the world. The museum today houses only those things preserved by the family and is positively bulging with treasures, presenting a comprehensive picture of a nineteenth century home in Greece. There is also a large and very important private collection of family icons, coveted by the icon museum of Athens, but retained here on Skopelos according to the wishes of the family.

The house and all its contents have been restored purely by volunteers, in a programme begun in October 2008. There is a small entrance fee.

The museum is situated up the steep hill beside the Ambrosia sweet shop on the paralea.