Evvia Page 3

Rovies, to the northwest of Limni, boasts a medieval tower, and the route north along the coast to Loutra Edipsou is very scenic. The distance from Halkidha to Loutra Edipsou is 119 km (about 74 miles), but slow going, what with the terrain. Loutra are mineral springs and/or spas with such springs, and that is what you will find here, as people have since ancient times. Such notables as Aristotle, Plutarch, Strabo and Plinius praised these therapeutic springs. Though said to cure many ills, the waters are noted especially to help with rheumatic, arthritic and gynecological problems. There are many rooms at the spa, and the entry fee to the baths is very low: 1 euro for a twenty-minute soak. There is a hydrotherapy-physiotherapy center there as well. This is the 4th most effacious spa in Europe.

There are also hot springs at Yialtra 15km to the west, with hot water bubbling up on the beach. If you took the road east from Limni, back to the fork at Strophilia, you will have seen Ayia Anna where the older women still wear traditional costumes. To the east 5km is Angali Beach, which is one of the best in the area. The nicest spot along the northern tip is at Ellinika, below the village of the same name by about 2000 feet. The sea is cleaner here than at the other beaches to the south and there is an islet to swim to with a church on it. The resort of Pefki (which means pine trees) a little further on is a Greek tourist resort, visited by hordes of Greeks from the mainland in summer and the campsite oriented more towards caravans than towards tents. Hydrofoils leave from here for the Sporades once a day in summer. The fishing village of Orei has a statue of a bull from Hellenistic times, pulled out of the sea in 1965. Ayiokambos serves as a port for ferries crossing over to Glyfa on the mainland, at this northernmost point of Evia. It has a small beach, some rooms and tavernas.

Central Evia

This is the widest part of this long island, There is a bus route going to the northeast from Halkidha to the village of Steni (which means narrow) at the foot of Mt. Dhirfys (1743 meters/5700 feet). The village is sizeable (population 1300) and very pretty, with springs and plane trees. There are beaches to hike to as well as to the peak of Mt. Dhirfys and Xirovouni. Hiking guide-books essential.

It is also possible to reach Steni from Kymi (which is to the east, and in turn reachable by an alternate bus route) but only via dirt-road requiring a four-wheel drive vehicle. Kymi has a population of 3850, and is built on the edge of a cliff 250 meters(820 feet) above the sea. Below it 4km down, is the only harbor on the rugged east coast, with ferry connections to Skyros. Kymi is not a touristic place. It has an upper and lower town, and in the latter you can visit the Folklore Museum with its large collection of local memorabilia: household and agricultural implements, costumes, photos of local personalities. (Open 5pm-7:30pm Wed and Sat,10am-1pm Sun; free). On the bus route to Kymi from Halkidha, one heads eastward for the most part, passing at first through an industrial zone.

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