The island of Evia is one of the closest to Athens and yet it is one of the most unknown. That is because Evia is so large that there is much to know about it. Second in size to Crete, it stretches from the tip of the Pelion Peninsula all the way south to the coast of Attika. It’s southern tip is just a short distance from the Cycladic islands of Andros and Kea though unfortunately there is no ferry connection. If there were, more tourists would come here. As it is, because it is so close to the mainland that you can drive to it, Evia has been and remains a popular summer holiday destination for Greeks and Greek-Americans, Canadians, Australians and others whose families originally came from the island.
Evia, has a rich history and more ancient sites than just about any island other than Crete. It has been settled by Greeks, Turks and Albanians and some villages you will hear a dialect so strong you won’t even understand what they are saying, even if you speak Greek.

The topography of the island is as varied as anywhere in Greece, with sparkling Aegean beaches and coves on its east coast, a mountainous interior with rivers, streams and forests, a west coast that is a mix of beaches, the city of Halkida, large towns, industry, agriculture, beaches and wetlands. And in the northwest the town of Edipsos is the most popular spa in Greece, with hot water gushing from rocks and crevices into the sea and pools of the many hotels and healing centers.

There are several ways to reach Evia from Athens. Which way you choose depends on where in Evia you want to go, because as I said; Evia is a very large island and a very long one. How large and long? From one tip to the other could take you four or five hours by car. You could drive almost to Thessaloniki from Athens in that time. Of course much of the journey will be on narrow winding roads where there is a good possibility that you will be stuck behind a big slow moving truck with nowhere to pass for at least part of the journey. And most likely you will stop to wade in the cool waters of the Kirea river that runs alongside the road that goes north from the modern city of Halkida to the fishing village of Limni, the spas of Edipsos and the beautiful beaches of the northern coast.