Eretria

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Eretria in Evia

A coastal tourist town of South Evia, it is connected by ferry to the port of Oropos. Ruins of ancient Eretria are found throughout the city of Eretria. On the beautiful seaside pedestrian street there are bars, cafes, taverns and ouzo that are very crowded, especially in summer. The beautiful beaches and resorts just outside the city, the beautiful Island of Dreams linked by a narrow strip of land, the very important exhibits of the archaeological museum and its archaeological monuments make Eretria an attractive destination all year round.

Ancient Theatre of Eretria

The ancient theater of Eretria, in central Evia, is currently the most impressive of the monuments of ancient Eretria. Remarkable and surprising, is that the construction is not an existing hillside was used, but built on an artificial hill. The theater, in his heyday, could accommodate 6,300 spectators. It was first sometime in the 5th century BC, probably after the passing of the Persians and the destruction of the city. The stage and the orchestra was at the same level. The biggest edge of the saw in the 4th century BC .. Then had eleven rows with ten scales each while the orchestra enters three meters deeper than the level of the stage. The height difference created between the stage and the orchestra covered by building domed underground passage, from which he derived the center of the orchestra. In the construction of the theater was used for the foundation of local limestone and limestone for the lanes. The lanes were inclined towards the orchestra in order to reduce the height of the hollow of the theater. After the destruction of the theater by the Romans in 198 BC, rebuilt with more cheap materials. The Ionic columns that were in the front were replaced with Doric type. Today the visitor can admire the remains of the stage and above the vaulted underground passage leading to the center of the orchestra. Unfortunately, a large part of the rows of seats has been stolen by looters. The monument was excavated by the American School of Archaeology and Local Antiquities is making substantial efforts to restoration.

What to see

The capital of Evia, Chalkida, has been the capital since antiquity. It is a modern town today, with many shops, banks, bars, restaurants and so on. This is also where the bridge and ferryboats to and from the mainland are. Here, you can visit an interesting archaeological museum and see the ruins of ancient temples, as well as a 15th century fortress. The second largest town is Eretria, and this was also an important financial and cultural center in ancient Greece. It also has an archaeological museum, and you can see ancient ruins of a theatre, houses and temples here. Kimi is situated high above the sea, and here you can visit a folklore museum, as well as ancient ruins and a Byzantine monastery.

What to do

Apart from exploring this amazing island, there are also several places for water sports like kitesurfing , scubadiving, wakeboarding in Chalkida, Eretria, Lefkadi, Nea Stira and around Kimi. You can also go on organized cycling, trekking or mountaineering tours. You can also enjoy spas and hot, healing baths in several places in the North of Evia in the town of Aidipsos. The North of Evia Also hosts one of Greece’s best and most organized campsites in the town of Agia Anna . You can go on cycling tours and trekking tours starting at the campsite. You can also visit Evia in the winter for alpine skiing, climbing mount Dirfis with snow, trekking tours, and experience the wild and untouched scenery of some of the worlds' most ancient alpine forests all over the island of Evia.

Evia Beaches

There are beaches all around the island. You can find beaches that may stretch up to 5-10 km, or even ones than cannot even be seen on a map. Be a modern explorer by land or by sea and visit about 800 km of shoreline and stunning beaches that just kiss the mountains and pine trees. Just to mention a few: Artaki, Nea Stira, Heliadou, Kimi, Angali, Agiokambos, Thapsa (the greek “The Beach” from the Di Caprio movie), Mourteri, Vythouri, Petali, Almyrihi, Agios Dimitrios (a stream flows all year long) and Agios Georgis.

Nightlife

For a wide variety of bar and clubs, Chalkida is the best place for you since it is the biggest town on Evia. In the summer you can party all day long at the beach of Alykes with more than 10 super wow beach bars with mostly people visiting from Athens at this beautiful beach.

Food

Evia is very much a traditional island, and you'll find that almost every village has at least one speciality. You can usually walk into the kitchen to see what is available since few places have menus in English.

Shopping

In Chalkida and Eretria you'll find everything you need, and in the villages around Evia you'll find many nice shops with traditional things. It is a very good idea to ask what is specific for the village and get that as a souvenir.