The Skyros Centre, home of the Writer’s Lab and the Life Choices programme, nestles on the hillside at the edge of Skyros village. Built high up to evade the clutches of Mediterranean pirates, the village is accessible only by foot through narrow, cobblestoned streets. The long, sandy beach is a pleasant ten minute walk away. The Centre’s courtyard, shaded by fig and pomegranate trees, has a panoramic view of the valley and the Aegean.

In this delightful environment people can engage in meaningful activities and relax in the company of new friends. Stepping back from the everyday routines, they can also reconnect with the source of their creativity and reach new insights. As one participant wrote, ‘Skyros is sunshine for the soul’. 

The courses, held in the mornings, develop over eight days punctuated by a day’s break in-between. Subject to space, participants can, if they wish, move to the other course programme for the second half of the holiday.

In the late afternoon, the Music & Arts programme is open to all without pre-booking – when the Skyros Centre programme is run in Atsitsa, participants have the choice from a wide range of additional courses. In the evenings people usually meet for dinner in the village. Whether one goes for stuffed tomatoes or grilled fish at a taverna by the sea, dinner is almost a spiritual experience. With the night always young, there may well be dancing until late or walking in the moonlight through the magical landscape. 

‘The most wonderful legacy is the memory of having laughed more in two weeks that I can remember since childhood.’ Woman Magazine

 ‘I have had one life-changing holiday - on the Greek island of Skyros... I had just given up my job with Shell. I wasn't quite sure what to do with my life, so I enrolled on a creative-writing course and learnt how to do massage, in the hope that something would occur to me. People kept saying that I was really funny, and ought to be a comedian, so I thought I'd give it a go.’ ‘The most wonderful legacy is the memory of having laughed more in two weeks that I can remember since childhood.’ Jimmy Carr, The Sunday Times