What’s left of the once forested Eden of North Evia after the apocalyptic wildfires of 2021? An island of slow, serene, and simple pleasures that is our second home, we share the family attractions that remain to be enjoyed.
Last updated 6 June 2023
The 2021 inferno that engulfed North Evia was the biggest Greece has ever seen. Once a lush mountainscape of pine, oak, fir, and olive trees, 51,000 hectares of primary forest went up in flames in eight days. Along with the livelihoods of resin collectors, bee keepers, olive oil producers, and other agribusinesses.
Ours was a farm of almond trees. So heavy with fruit their branches touched the ground. After seven years of waiting for them to reach maturity, they were ready to return their first yield. But rather than the bountiful harvest anticipated, we walked through scorched rows of skeletons scavenging for nut hulls that looked salvageable.
We planned to take the girls for their first forest walk through Drymonas and its waterfalls at the start of the summer. But all changed within a week. There is little left of its magic for this generation to enjoy. Some analysts say that 40,000 hectares of Evian land will not return to its previous state.
WHY NORTH EVIA?
Various reasons may continue to bring you to North Evia: It’s still a gateway to the Sporades (Skiathos, Skopelos and Alonissos) from Mantoudi’s port, the road to which was untouched by the fires. Or perhaps you are on a healing pilgrimage to Prokopi, also unharmed after a freak rainfall event occurred uncannily after believers gathered at its famous church to intercede for a miracle. Agia Anna may have lost its trees, but its endless sea views are still a scene of beauty. And then there’s Edipsos – with its thermal springs and a renowned spa hotel – which escaped unscathed.
FIRST STOP: CHALKIDA
Gateway to Evia, Chalkida is scenic and petite. Just sizable enough to support basic city conveniences, like one Zara outlet and a Gymboree, but still small enough to maintain an intimate village vibe.
Built around the Gulf of Evia, a waterside promenade lined with cafes-bars and restaurants is perfect for family strolls and kiddie scoots. Continue towards the old bridge that connects the mainland with the island, and you will find Asteria. An expansive outdoor waterfront bar and restaurant that caters to little ones, its family attractions include a fenced playground positioned within clear view of a section of dining tables. If we needed accommodation in Chalkida, we’d look between this part of the promenade and the center, or one of the seafront Airbnbs in Alykes.
Alykes is Chalkida’s summer highlight for us – a child-friendly beach only the locals seem to know about. With clear blue waters that lap over soft golden sand, it’s impressive for these parts (Evia’s beaches, for me, are generally not to shout about, and usually of the darker variety). Furnished with a trendy assembly of beach cafe-bars, Daluz at the far right corner (as you face the sea) is our favourite with sunbeds more spaciously spread out, good music, and a gently sloping seabed clear of rocks. There’s also a mini playground with bouncy castles and trampolines that operates on weekends.
THE ROAD TO MANTOUDI – GATEWAY TO THE SPORADES
After exiting Chalkida, the drive north twists through leafy highlands. 40 minutes of dizzying turns later, the road straightens out and rewards with a forest fairytale-like drive alongside Kireas river running parallel.
Prokopi is the first village of interest you will meet, where many visit for the hope of healing at the church of one of Eastern Orthodoxy’s great saints, John the Russian. Tourist-geared shops stocked with Evian pine honey and other “traditional products” border its square, anchored by the church. If you happen to have scooters in your trunk, you can watch the kids zip around from Xrisavgi cafe right opposite.
Continue towards Mantoudi and along the way, keep an eye out for a coffee stand with orange signage reading “Alexiou’s loukoumades”. It might be in the middle of nowhere, but what lies behind are the atmospheric grounds of a willow tree dappled estate crossed with mini bridges and a duck pond. Our special place when we’re in the village, the grounds of this café-tavern provides hours of entertainment for little ones. Famed for their loukoumades, these doughnut-like balls of bliss are a mandatory part of the experience. Fluffy on the inside, with a thin golden crisp on the outside, a thick drizzle of home-harvested honey (or chocolate, or both) completes the salivating decadence.
Mantoudi’s village center is a 10-minute drive from here. Once a proud regional center, magnesite mining factories used to drive the local economy. Now, like many Greek villages, it continually diminishes in size and feels somewhat forlorn for the lack of upgrades. While not quite for sightseeing, it still harbours some exceptional stops: Stamatis – a first-class ouzerie serving mezze plates of fresh shellfish (also try the shrimp pane and fried peppers) in the corner of the main square, and an exceptional Souvlaki shop owned by the butcher next to it. On the village’s edge you will also find Legola-nd where the girls take trips into the forests and fields of Mantoudi on horseback with owner Thanassis.
Kimasi beach and port, a five-minute drive from its center, is where you can catch summer ferries to the Sporades. A high-speed ferry service whisks tourists to exotic Alonissos marine park in an impressive 40 minutes. They’ve even included new routes to Thessaloniki and Crete.
AGIA ANNA – A FAMILY-FRIENDLY COASTAL RETREAT
Our preferred swimming beach in North Evia is where yiayia (Grandma) is from. A 20-minute drive from Mantoudi, Agia Anna is home to Evia’s longest beach. A dark and brooding type beauty, it’s pebbly on the “organised” end (i.e. with sunbeds and food service) with cafes and taverns that line a boardwalk, and sandy on the wilder end where four-star Thalatta and two camping sites call home. A relative tourist hotspot compared with other villages in the area, it’s still serene and unadulterated by development.
While Agia Anna was not spared from the fires, its seaside developments narrowly escaped total devastation. We’re always at Remetzo, a Mulberry tree shaded cafe-bar with zen-inducing sea views. It’s the oasis we seek shade under for lattes and homemade banoffee in summer. And in winter, a cozy hideout and one of the few establishments left open in the seaside village. There’s also a renovated patch of playground a few doors down in the village square.
Agia Anna has given us some of our most relaxed family dining experiences ever. The girls self-entertain for hours weaving in between tables and trees, playing with cats, and leaving us to dine languorously. The best taverna is Trata for seafood, where Christos hauls in your meals on his fishing boat. Maistrali is another preferred hangout with a prime beachfront position. Some menu tips: when in these parts, order thrapsalo instead of fried calamari – distinctly more tender and tasty. And forget lobster. Instead, try crayfish – unusually sweet and delicately succulent. The region is also famous for its specialty shellfish like gialisteres, chténia scallops, and razor clams.
Stylish-sleek Thalatta hotel brought a surprise bit of ritz when it first arrived on the sleepy village scene. A seaside destination in itself, they are fitted out with family-sized rooms (just be careful of stairs with toddlers), airy restaurants, and a rave-worthy kids club. Spared from the blaze, it re-opened for business this summer. It’s surrounding forests, however, were not. Ranch-Eros, an animal welfare association that also offers horse riding services, has been left to rebuild. Look up their website to contribute to the effort.
COASTAL DRIVES, SEASIDE TOWNS & THERMAL SPRINGS
A once especially scenic seaside road runs from Limni to Rovies and Edipsos in the northeast. And while the fires consumed Limni and Rovies, it self-extinguished in Ilia before reaching the thermal spring spa town and port of Edipsos.
Sleepy Limni is a quaint and quiet, with a quintessential Greek island feel and a scenic waterfront for family walks. Burnt all the way down to the village’s edge, look towards the sea and you won’t notice its blackened perimeter. Our usual haunt is Giannaros by the water for homemade sweets. The sea is still (Limni means “lake” in Greek), clear, and alive with fish below, ducks on the surface, and seagulls overhead.
A two-minute drive away and you will find Kochyli where we head to for swims when Agia Anna is too wavy for an enjoyable time with tots. Calm and washed over by crystalline waters, the seabed, however, gets steep quickly. Of the three beach bars on this pebbly stretch, we gravitate towards Kochyli‘s super-sized umbrellas. Easily providing shade for a family of four, watch kids dive-bombing off a mini-pier as you settle under and in the surrounds of atmospheric tunes.
If you’re looking for somewhere you can combine a swim with lunch or dinner plans, drop your google map pin at Paralia one beach down in Rovies. Complete with a beach bar, umbrellas, sunbeds, and a great seaside taverna with excellent bifteki (beef patties to please the fussiest of kids), there’s even a little playground next to it (albeit one that’s a bit run-down). And if you’re considering staying in these parts, boutique resorts Elimnion and Eleonas are on its hillside. Eleonas is a 35-hectare organic farm and guest house set in the midst of 100 year old olive groves. Here, you can participate in harvests, pick herbs, gather wildflowers, hike, cycle, or just be still. While their trees were ravaged by the fires, they hope for rebirth. You can still visit the hotel and its garden rounds which escaped the epic barbeque.
A 30-minute drive from Rovies is North Evia’s most famous draw. The thermal springs of Edipsos drew all from Aristotle and Marcus Aurelius to Winston Churchill by the curative powers of its rich mineral content. A stately 19th century Thermae Sylla Wellness Hotel dominates the small spa town. Natural wells fill its pools daily with enriching waters saturated with metals and chemicals. While its indoor pool is only for guests over 15, infants and young children can enjoy it’s outdoor pool with sea water mixed into its spring waters. If you’re not a hotel guest, you can still enjoy the area’s therapeutic waters in the beach fronting the hotel where spring waters spill into the sea.
FROM EDIPSOS, TO OMPHALOS
Also a small port, from Edipsos you can cross over by ferry (which also transports cars) to the mainland port of Arkitsa in 45 minutes. Why? Because in another hour and a half by car you can find your way to omphalos – the center of the ancient world. Kings, warriors and other supplicants similarly journeyed here seeking guidance from the oracle of Delphi at the Temple of Apollo. Carved into the towering rocks of Mount Parnassus (also a winter ski destination), the temple ruins continue to elicit wonderment. Best visited with a guide, walk its expansive grounds in the cooler months of spring and autumn.
GETTING THERE
Connected to the mainland by bridge, Evia is easy to get to. Chalkida (it’s capital) is a good day trip destination from Athens in under an hour’s drive. It’s also served by small ferry ports in Mantoudi, Edipsos, Agiokampos in the north, Kymi in central Evia, and Marmari and Nea Stira down south. There is no airport on the island.
