Where to Stay in Evia

Chalkida (also spelled Halkida or Chalcis) is Evia's capital and the easiest base for visitors travelling from Athens. Connected to the mainland by road bridge, it sits on the Euripus Strait — a narrow channel famous for its unexplained tidal reversals that puzzled Aristotle himself. The city has a lively seafront promenade, strong café and restaurant culture, good transport links to the rest of the island, and a growing selection of modern hotels. It works best as a base for day trips across the island or as a first-night stop before heading further afield. Hotels here cater to both business travellers and weekenders from Athens.

Edipsos (Loutra Edipsou) in the far northwest is one of the most famous spa towns in Greece, with thermal springs that have attracted visitors since antiquity — Aristotle, Sulla and later celebrities all reportedly took the waters here. Today it is a well-developed resort town with dozens of hotels offering thermal pool access, hydrotherapy treatments and sea-view terraces. The pace is unhurried, the landscape lush, and the ferry connection to the mainland port of Arkitsa makes it easily reachable without crossing Chalkida. It is the right choice for travellers seeking wellness, rest and therapeutic stays.

Limni is a small, traditionally beautiful harbour village on the northwest coast, about 80 kilometres from Chalkida. It has retained its original character far better than most Aegean destinations of comparable reputation — whitewashed houses, fishing boats, a compact seafront square and a handful of carefully run guesthouses and small hotels. The area around Limni also includes the remarkable Byzantine monastery of Galataki, built into the cliffs above the sea. It suits independent travellers who want scenic calm rather than organised resort facilities, and those who enjoy walking, cycling or exploring the surrounding pine-covered coastline.

Eretria, on the southwest coast facing the mainland, is one of the most convenient resort areas on the island — reachable by short ferry crossing from Skala Oropou near Athens in under 30 minutes. It has a long beach, a lively summer atmosphere, family-friendly hotels and a genuine archaeological site: the ancient city of Eretria, once one of the most powerful cities in the ancient Greek world, with a museum, mosaics and preserved ruins visible throughout the modern town. It works well for families, first-time visitors to Evia and those combining a beach stay with a little history.

Karystos sits at the southern tip of Evia beneath the slopes of Mount Ochi, and it remains one of the island's most underrated destinations. It has a dramatic Neo-Classical seafront, a Venetian castle (Bourtzi) standing directly in the harbour, and direct ferry links to Rafina port near Athens. The surrounding area — known as South Evia — is characterised by wide, often uncrowded beaches, stone-built villages and one of the best maintained ancient towers in Greece (the Drakospita, or Dragon Houses, on the high slopes of Ochi). Hotels and accommodation here are simple and genuine, and the pace of life remains exactly what slow-travel visitors are looking for.