The 55-page Joint Ministerial Decision, which was signed on the last day of 2020, describes in detail all the changes to come on Skorpios.The once near-mythical paradise and playground of the world’s elite from the 1960s to the 1980s are poised to enter a new, and perhaps more prosaic, era. Even though the Ionian Sea island now belongs to Ekaterina Rybolovleva, daughter of Russian magnate Dmitry Rybolovlev, Greeks still call Skorpios “the island of Onassis.”
History of Skorpios
The irregularly-shaped island is next to Lefkada in the Ionian Sea. It spans 83.2 hectares (205 acres) and has two main axes of about 1,500 meters and 1,000 meters. Skorpios, which was purchased by the Greek shipping magnate in 1963, is believed to have cost him the equivalent of about $11,000 in today’s money. It is heavily forested from south to north and features over 200 varieties of trees imported to the once nearly-barren island by Aristotle Onassis himself. It has sandy beaches, most notably East Beach, which was created by the magnate.In order to achieve that, sand was brought from Salamis Island for that express purpose. Onassis also built harbor facilities in the bay on the north side for his huge yacht.
All the fresh water on Skorpios comes from the side of a mountain on a nearby island. Numerous high-profile guests stayed on the island during the time of Onassis. State leaders, politicians, actors, and artists enjoyed the host’s hospitality and the natural beauties of Skorpios.
Tags: Skorpios, Aristotle Onassis‘ private island, Ionian Sea
