We decided to go to Euboea literally at the last minute and, as if that was not enough, during peak season, the second week of August! It turned out to be the best choice. This so far ‘off the tourist radar’ island has endless beaches with sapphire-blue water and plenty of space to enjoy wild camping. Although we had planned to explore the entire island, we managed to check out only the south and a part of the center. There are good reasons to return!
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Although Euboea is an island, in fact the second largest in Greece after Crete, it is linked to the central Greece by bridge since antiquity. Looking at the map it seems that this seahorse-shaped strip of land was attached to the mainland in the past and have been separated from it by earth-quakes. This is the most probable scenario; what is for sure is that the 150 km-long island with its high mountains protected the east-central part of Greece from pirate invasions and soften the climate.
Can a bridge (actually two bridges, the ‘traditional’ Old one and the New which is suspended) change the mentality and transform an island into a mainland ‘annex’? Depends on where you are looking at. If we are talking about Chalkida, it is true. The island’s capital, built at the point where the channel known as Euripus strait narrows to a width of only 40 meters, is considered a mainland town. For many Athenians a ride to Chalkida and the nearby Nea Lampsakos, famous both for their ouzeri, (bar-taverna serving ouzo and seafood) used to be a favorite ‘pre-economic-crise” destination for their weekend excursions, considered part of the greater Athens area. Most of the rest of the island retains its insular identity.
This time we planned to start our Euboea tour from the south. As we were coming from Athens, we thought that it would be a good idea to take the ferry from the port of Rafina to Marmari, a sea-side resort town in southern Euboea. We changed our mind when we saw the prices: the (one-way) fare for two people and a small (5 meters) camper were 50 euros! We preferred the overland route, in total 150 km, thinking that it was more likely to see something interesting on our way. We already knew that the journey Athens-Chalkida is dull; we hoped that the the section Chalkida- Karystos would be better but is was not. If we want to be sincere, after Dystos the landscape is significantly more appealing. We arrived in Karystos [38.0131,24.42048] around midday.
Karistos is a nice, calm and old-fashioned sea-side town, but we were hoping to find a more secluded spot for our first overnight stay so we continued further south. After a few kilometers we got to the beach Bouros (see photo below) [37.96613,24.47776] which is not bad at all. As it was early evening we decided not to stay. The paved road ended and we kept going on a dirt road, apparently not in a very good condition. Needless to say that it didn’t stop us from continuing our journey. The view was incredibly beautiful!
We continue with the hope that the road will be in better condition, instead it gets worse and worse, forcing us to drive at ‘walking pace’ speed. An hour later we realize that we have moved only five kilometers and that the dirt road at several points is nothing but bare rock… We can’t decide whether it is worse, to continue or turn back on the same road. In one word: despair. According to our completely unreliable map (this road was noted as ‘good”!!!!) there is a village ahead named Agioi. There is nothing at all. We pass by a very nice and deserted beach where a camper with Dutch plates was parked [37.96880,24.53002] that makes us believe that we are close to a residential or at least inhabited area. It is getting dark but now we are more optimist. After one more difficult kilometer (maybe the worst of the whole dirt road…) we arrive at this wonderful beach where we see two camper with Italian plates. We are exhausted but relieved!
After we heard the expected compliments for our superb unconsciousness (they watched us struggling on the road…), we discovered that we are in Kastri [37.97411,24.53658], which is not a village but rather a bunch of houses and sheepfolds. Anyway this place is like a hidden paradise… The good news are that there is a much better way to get there, from Platanistos. We spent a very pleasant evening with our new friends having dinner together and chatting until late.
The sea in Kastri beach (see the photos above and below) is excellent, the water is crystal clear and incredibly warm. I notice that there are some spots where one can find black and I suppose (judging by the smell) sulfur mud. After our breakfast, we decided to go to Potami. This beach is quite popular among campers. We studied the map and we discovered that we have to choose between another 4 kilometers of dirt road or 30 kilometers of paved road following the direction to Plataniskos. Although the last night we’ve vowed that we would never put ourselves (and our vehicle) in a similar situation, the choice was very simple. We fully recognize that there is nothing to save us from us recklessness so we enjoyed a little more our ‘paradise’ and then we hit the road…
The dirt road to Potami was as we expected it to be, in some parts good, in some others instead a nightmare. At the end it took us one hour to cover this 4 kilometers… I’m pretty sure that if we walked it would take us less than 40 minutes! Thankfully, the beach seemed to deserve its fame.
We entered the riverbed (Potami means river in Greek) and parked in the shade [37.98878,24.55623] close to one of the two taverns. There were a couple other campers and many tents scattered around. The parking area is not right next to the sea, but the shade is definitely convenient. Potami with its big and gorgeous beach is a nice place to stay. It’s definitely recommended.
Behind this interesting signs that advertise menus and prices of one of the two taverns, is hidden a tap with fresh drinking water; you can take a shower, if you stand the cold water, and fill your tank.
Below the beach of Potami.
On our way back to Karistos, following the paved road this time (!), we made a stop at the bridge of the Lovers [38.02494,24.50979], for a refreshing walk along the river.
The beach Kochili (it means Shell) at the east entrance of Karistos is the most popular [38.01006,24.40269] but it doesn’t excites us; too many people… In addition it is quite difficult to park and the traffic is rather heavy so we decided to go to the other beach at the opposite end of the town, Ostria. As you see from the photo below, it is definitely less crowded.
We start looking for a place to spend the night and we get lost in this maze of streets; what looks like a series of hieroglyphs, it is the urban layout of a village not yet completed. At the end we spot a beautiful beach [37.97632,24.39436] where it would be possible to stop, but the wind is annoying. It is no coincidence that this place seems to be very popular with surfers.
So we decided to go back and stop at a beach [37.9974,24.38751], closer to the city where we had seen another camper, Italian too. It was an excellent choice. We had dinner by the light of the full moon and then we spent one pleasant hour chatting with a nice couple of ‘veterans’ of Greece.
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