The second largest island of Greece after Crete, Euboea, or Evia, is an essentially Greek travel destination with varied landscapes ranging from snow-capped mountains to sandy beaches and from olive groves to vineyards and forests. A seahorse-shaped island tucked close to the Greek mainland, Evia stretches about 150 km (90 miles) north to south and is best explored starting from its southernmost village of Karystos.
Every other hill in Evia is capped with a Byzantine or Venetian fort and charming Karystos is no exception. Its Castel Rosso crowns the citadel above Karystos and was home to consecutive generations of Byzantines, Venetians, Ottomans and Greeks. Broutos is a long sandy beach nearby. Up the west coast popular holiday resort are Marmari and Nea Styra while Kymi is the gateway to the Sporades Islands.
Chalkis, or Chalkida, is the capital of Euboea, a bustling city with a glamorous promenade. One of its main attractions is the Evripos channel whose strong currents inexplicably change direction every 6 hours. North of Chalkis, Mount Dirfis is Euboea’s highest peak, an area ideal for hiking and mountaineering, with some 14 traditional villages and the famous “dragon houses”, built around the 6th century BC. At the north of Euboea, the Loutra Edipsou, is a popular spa, renowned for its sulphurous springs.
