Walking on the Island of Evia (June 2007)

Evia is the second largest of the Greek Islands and is a long thin island to the east of the mainland. From Athens airport it is a 4 hour drive to Karystos, where the holiday was based, or a couple of 15 minute coach trips each side of a pleasant one hour ferry ride. Exodus arranged a late night flight and the long drive for our outward journey and the ferry route for the return. At least we had forgotten that awful outward journey after a great holiday.
Just 7 of us in the group and we gelled straight away, maybe helped a lot by the American breaking down some British reserve. Despite a very basic hotel and the noisy dredging of the harbour, that made it almost impossible to relax on the balcony, the holiday was excellent.
The walks, particularly down the breathtaking Dimosaris Gorge were all enjoyable and all ended on a beach, usually secluded and invariably beautiful. Potami was the pick of the beaches and some of us revisited it. The sea was gloriously clean and welcoming.
The weather was classic Greek - wall to wall blue skies, no cloud and temperatures in the high 20’s.
The food was perhaps the best I have had on a Greek holiday.
Even on our ‘rest’ day the group stayed together and had a lovely cruise on the fishing boat ‘Melissa’, visiting a small island off the coast and yet another wonderful beach.
All of this happened the way it did because Roger, our guide, knew just about everything we wanted to know about this part of Evia. So, we did the best walks, ended on the best beaches, met in the best tavernas and had great service and food from them.
Largely it is an island for the Greeks - the development is to provide holiday homes and accommodation for Athenians. However it is certainly worth exploring - you get all the good things Greece has to offer without having to put up with the Brits on holiday!

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