Evia attractions include Edipsos spas, Eretria Archeological Museum, Karystos Venetian fortress, Kymi, as well as a day trip to Skyros island.
Edipsos spas are one of the most famous in Europe, and historically, several high-profile personalities have enjoyed spa services here, including…
- ancient Roman emperors Hadrian, Septimus Severus, and Marcus Aurilius, as well as
- more modern names such as Winston Churchill, Greta Garbo, and Omar Sharif.
The village has more than 80 individual thermal springs, which are said to improve a wide range of different diseases.
Among the thermal springs, there are also some rarities, such as hot springs that gush from the sea bed, a rare phenomenon not much seen in the rest of the world.
The most famous spa in the region is the stunning, five-star Thermae Sylla Spa & Wellness Hotel (www.thermaesyllaspa-hotel.com), classified by Conde Nast Traveller magazine as one of the top 10 best resort hotels in the world.
Of Evia attractions, Eretria’s Archeological Museum, meanwhile, is one of Greece’s most important museums, and includes objects that have been found in archaeological excavations from Xeropolis, Skoumbri, andPalaia Perivolia…
…with some of the findings also on display at the Louvre Museum inParis.
The museum collection features, for example:
- historic bronze pots,
- votive offerings left to the temple of Apollo, as well as
- gold jewelry.
Individual highlights in the collection include…
- a terracotta Gorgon (en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gorgon) head, which was found from a 2th century BC Macedonian villa,
- Lefkand’s centaur-figurine, and
- Mycenaen three-handle alabastron vase, from around 10th century BC.
Venetian fortress of Karystos, today consisting mostly of the the ruins of Castello Rosso, was built by the Byzantines in 1030, located about 4 km (2.4 miles) from the center of the village.
The fortress was rebuilt into a significant defensive castle by the Venetians from 1209-1216, from a mandate by Baron Ravanus Dalecarcher.
When you tour the area, you should also take a look at the second fortress from the Venetian period, located just outside the village.
That two-story, hexagon shaped building, the Bourtzi fortress, is from 1350, and it has been restored to a fine current condition.
Top Evia attractions also include the idyllic village of Kymi, located on the eastern coast, built into a dramatic location on top of the hill, overlooking the natural harbor below.
The village is, in fact, an excellent opportunity to explore the traditional way of life in Evia, as the culture and the buildings of the village and the buildings have remained largely unchanged over time.
In this regard, you should also visit the folklore museum in the village, one of the best regional folklore museums in entire Greece, with exhibitions that include…
- paintings,
- stone carvings,
- embroidery, and
- traditional local costumes.
Kymi’s port is the most popular departure point for day cruises to theisland of Skyros, where, according to the ancient Greek mythologies,Theseus, the legendary king and founder of Athens, died, and Neoptolemus, the Trojan War hero Achilles‘ son, was born.
Attractions within the island of Skyros feature:
- a Venetian fortress,
- Byzantine monastery of St. George, as well as
- the region’s own species of pony, Skyrian ponies.
Cruises between Kymi-Skyros (Linaria port) are available from Skyros Shipping Company (www.sne.gr).
The company’s ferry “Achilleas” travels a route that takes about 1 hour 40 minutes, and, especially during the summer period, there are several daily departures in both directions.