At A Glance
Euboea, also known as Evia, is a gorgeous seahorse-shaped island just off of the Greek mainland. This island, like many in Greece, has had many names meaning different things, but the current name of Euboea roughly translates to “the land of well-fed oxen.” This curious etymology stems from the island’s contribution to a fruitful Greek economy. The island is connected to the mainland by two bridges running through one of the most historically important cities in Euboea, Chalcis. This island presents a tremendous amount of opportunity for both city sight-seeing, natural escapes, historical exploration, and beach days. Euboea is a popular tourist destination for all of these reasons and its close proximity to the mainland and Athens in particular.
Εύβοια
Seahorse Island
Attractions
- Bridge of Khalkis
- Karababa Castle
- The Healing Thermal Springs of Edipsos
- Kalamos Beach
- Waterfall of Drimona
History
Euboea has been inhabited since pre-historic times. Its most important early settlement became what is today the city of Chalkida, the city closest to the mainland with natural sources of copper, making the city a trading center of great importance. Chalkida, has been the capital city of Euboea since antiquity.
The topography of the island is as varied as anywhere in Greece, with sparkling Aegean beaches and coves on its east coast, a mountainous interior with rivers, streams and forests, a west coast that is a mix of beaches, large towns, industry, agriculture, and wetlands. And in the northwest the town of Edipsos is the most popular spa in Greece, with hot water gushing from rocks and crevices into the sea and pools of the many hotels and healing centers.
Euboea was responsible for opening new trade routes to the Greeks and made significant contributions the development of the Greek economy. The island continued to be a major part of Greece until the famous battles of Thermopylae and Artemisium, after which Persian forces sacked Athens and took Euboea. As wars were raged around it, Euboea remained out of major conflicts during the Middle Ages. In 1830, following the Greek War of Independence, Euboea became part of the newly established independent Greek kingdom.
