The authentic Greek island with local prices, quiet coves and thermal springs

The views from the peaks surrounding the mountain village of Steni are stunning. Across forests and Alpine-style meadows I can just see the distant coastal plain, beyond which a channel separates this landmass from the mainland. To reach the lookout, I’ve hiked up from the village of Steni, on trails flanked by wildflowers, watching my every step to avoid tripping over wild tortoises.

With a spring breeze sighing through the pines, this feels like a scene worth remembering. What it does not feel like, however, is a typical Greek island. But then this place is anything but ordinary.

I’m in Evia, which is curiously both Greece’s second-biggest island (after Crete) and one of its most undiscovered. Connected by a bridge that’s only 90 minutes’ drive from the capital, Evia is popular with weekending Athenians, as well as hikers and sailors. Back in the day, its fans included opera legend Maria Callas, who was partial to the luxurious thermal spas in the north of the island.

Today, Evia is almost entirely overlooked by overseas visitors. Although this means that it lacks some of the finesse found on more familiar islands, the advantage is that it’s super-authentic. Consequently, everything is priced for Greek holidaymakers, so costs are cheaper than in touristy parts.

My post-hike lunch is a case in point. Having walked back to Steni, I order a vast spread of meze, Greek salad and grilled meats at a taverna. The bill comes to barely £20pp, a fraction of what you’d pay in Mykonos.

The lush landscape of Evia (Photo: James Litson)

Being off the tourist trail doesn’t just keep things affordable; it also means that Evia has very few branded hotels. A rare example is Brown Beach, a four-star all-inclusive at the bottom of the mountain in Eritrea, where I’m staying for the first part of my trip. With candy-striped daybeds shaded by olive trees in the seafront garden, it’s perfect for post-lunch naps; and the location makes it a handy base for exploring this central part of Evia.

Venturing further afield requires making a choice. Evia is too big to explore entirely in a single visit. Stretching for 180km, it would take five hours to drive end-to-end. To keep things unhurried, I’m forgoing northern Evia’s hot springs and instead head south.

Even so, it’s still nearly a two-hour drive from Eretria. I pause midway for lunch in Panagia, a seaside village at the head of a bay. With a handful of tavernas and translucent sapphire bay, it’s the first suggestion that Evia may yet harbour quintessential Greek island outlooks.

Evia is better value for travellers (Photo: James Liston)

That sense only gets stronger once I reach Karystos, Evia’s southern-most town. As I’m checking into Politia Villas – a collection of eight cottages in the shadow of Castello Rosso, a fortress in the foothills of Mount Ochi – the owner Evi recommends places to visit nearby.

“Southern Evia is known for beaches,” she tells me, “but the best experience depends on the wind. Check conditions with a local first.”

Next morning, with the breeze from the north, I follow her advice and seek out sheltered shores, taking a mountain road that leads to Potami, a wild stretch of pebbles and sand bookended by wave-bashed cliffs. There’s just one pretty taverna whose tables command uninterrupted views of the full length of the beach.

Later, I loop back towards Karystos on the unsealed coastal road. The bumpy track takes me past more empty beaches – dune-backed Livadi, pretty-as-a-picture Kastri – before it eventually rejoins the road. I stop for a swim at sandy Alykes.

Some of Evia’s wilder residents (Photo: James Litston)

Back at Politia Villas, I discuss plans for the following day while sampling Evi’s Agrelidi olive oil beside the orchard from where it was harvested. She recommends the invitingly empty bays and coves on the other side of town, particularly turquoise-toned Agia Paraskevi.

“It’s my favourite beach,” she confides. “Otherwise, I know a guide who can take you on a canyon hike; or perhaps you’d prefer to go diving?” That’s already too many choices to keep my final few days relaxed, I tell her. But like those thermal spas at the top of the island, it’s good to leave something for next time.

How to get there and around 

Drive (around two hours) or take the ferry to Evia. Ferries operate from Rafina (around 20 minutes from Athens airport) to Marmari on the south-west coast of the island, as well as Skala Oropou to Eretria, Agia Maria to Nea Styra and Agios Konstantinos Loutra Edipsos in the north. 

Where to stay 

Olympic Holidays offers four nights at Brown Beach Evia Island (including flights and breakfast) from £618pp, olympicholidays.com.  

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