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Evia Island
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Evia, also
known as Euboea, is the second largest of the Greek Islands, after Crete.
It is separated from the very close mainland of Greece by the Gulf of Euboea
and the Evripos Straits. It is long and narrow and seahorse shaped. If
you are viewing Evia on a map, you may not realize that it is actually
an island, you may, instead think that it is part of the mainland. Evia
is connected to Mainland Greece via an iron bridge, there are also ferries,
buses, and a railway for transports.
Evia
is believed to have once been part of the mainland, and separated from
it by an earthquake. Due to the fact that it lies in close proximity to
a fault line, this belief has been deemed probable.
A main highway
and ferries from many terminals provide transportation to the island, which
is the center of attraction for tourists seeking natural beauty. Evia
offers many towns alive with tourism or peaceful smaller villages that
have maintained their ancient culture and traditions. Mountain climbers
are amazed at the wooded mountainsides ripe for climbing. Other visitors
simply lounge around on one of the many beautiful and peaceful beaches.
Halkida
is Evia Island’s capital, and is the perfect starting place to explore
the island in entirety. The roadway from Halkida to Eretria takes
you past the Malakonta beach which is a tourist favorite, and then passes
through the Vassiliko village which boasts a distinctive local color and
a beautiful Venetian tower. The shoreline settlements of defiant and Kambos
lies very close to this spot.
Heading south
from here will take you to Karistos, which is overgrown with pinewoods
and where fossils of prehistoric species have been found. Heading north
from Halkida will land you in Steni Dirfios, which has maintained its traditional
character and offers a wonderful starting point for a climb to the alpine
rest hut.
Also located
in Evia is Limni, a very charming township that is rumored to be the site
of ancient Elimnion, where the wedding of Zeus to Hera was performed. The
ancient temple, however, was destroyed long ago by an earthquake. Sights
to be seen include the early Christian Church’s mosaics, the chapel of
Zoodochos Pighi, and the Galataki convent, which was built over the site
of an ancient temple of Poseidon, and is now occupied by nuns. The monastery
of Osiou David geronta contains frescoes from the 17th century.
Artemision
is a cape that looks across the straits to Mt. Pelion. Ancient history
has linked it to the goddess Artemis who is believed to have gone there
hunting. The remains of a temple found there are dedicated to Artemis.
You will also find the churches of Agio Paraskevi and Agios Georgios here.
Pefki is north
of Artemision, and is situated in a pine forest, offset by a beautiful
serene beach. Just a bit from here will take you to Istiea, where legend
says the sacred bulls of the goddess Hera grazed. Its port, Orei, offers
a Frankish fortress which separates Istiea into two separate parts. On
the west side, castle ruins can be seen. There is also a Byzantine church.
In Chalcis
the bays are so confined that they have been said to give credentials to
the legend of Agamemnon’s fleet having been detained there by high winds.
Where the strait is at its most narrow in Chalcis, it is called the Euripus.
The highly unique changing of the tides in this area have been notably
recorded since the ancient ages. At one moment the current may run like
a river in a single direction, and the next moment sees it running with
the same force in the other direction. In the twenty first year of the
Peloponnesian War, 410 BC, a bridge was constructed across this passage. |
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