Kymi: a strike-beating island escape

If you’re among the many whose island travel plans have been dashed by the ferry strike this holiday weekend, why not try somewhere closer to Athens that’s accessible by car? Kymi, on the island of Evia -- which is separated from mainland Greece by the narrow Evripos Strait and linked by the Evripos bridge -- is just 150 kilometers from the capital, brimming with greenery, surrounded by pretty villages and oozing with tradition during Greek Orthodox Easter. Built on the eastern slope of the Dirfys range at an altitude of 200 meters and some 4 kilometers from the sea, this central Evia town is known as the “balcony of the Aegean” for its beautiful views. In ancient times it was home to a mighty naval force and had two colonies: one in Asia Minor and one in southern Italy, which was the first of its kind in the West. Known as Cumaeam Urbem by Virgil, Kymi was responsible for propagating the Chalcidian alphabet through Italy, which later evolved into the Latin alphabet. From that time and until 411 BC, little is known of the town because it was a member of the Euboean Koinon, linking its fate to other parts of the island. During the Venetian occupation, Evia was split into three parts, with Kymi in the center, meaning that it acquired mighty fortifications, many of which still survive today. Kymi got back on the map in the 19th century as a commercial town, known best for its silk and wine. Evidence of this flourishing lies in the neoclassical and stone mansions that continue to exist today, and which are reminiscent of the stately residences of Macedonia, as they were often built by the same masons. Despite its numerous beauties, Evia was never really developed as a tourist destination, meaning that there are many parts that are if not untouched, at least authentic -- for better and for worse. In the 1980s, the beaches of Hiliadou and Achladeri became popular with free campers and weekend travelers, and remain so today. Kymi, however, is slightly more developed because cars have to pass through the town to get to the port where ferries leave for Skyros, meaning that there are always some visitors, if only passing through. Some, however, stick around because Kymi is close to two wonderful beaches, to forests of pine and fir and to a river, and it has great wine and baklava to die for. From/ekathimerini