Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
himself into the waters in despair at his inability to understand what was
happening; there is still no entirely satisfactory explanation for the capricious
currents.
An impressive
fortress
, floodlit at night, protects Halkídha from the mainland side.
Across the bridge, Odhós Kótsou heads directly uphill towards the centre through
the old
Kástro
district, where a few relics of an older city survive. Chief of these is a
handsome fifteenth-century
mosque
(locked), now a warehouse of Byzantine
artefacts, with an exceptionally ornate carved
Ottoman fountain
out front. Off to the
right further up Kótsou you'll find the
Folklore Museum
(Wed 10am-1pm & 6-8pm,
Thurs-Sun 10am-1pm; €3). Housed in the old jail, it has a jumbled collection of
costumes, furniture and local traditions in a series of reconstructed rooms. Higher up
still, then left on the main street, the
archeological museum
at Venizélou 13
(Tues-Sun 8.30am-3pm; €2) offers a pleasant escape from the raucous surrounds; a
tortoise roams the statuary in the shady garden, while inside there's a good display of
finds from across the island.
10
ARRIVAL AND DEPARTURE
HALKÍDHA
By train
The train station is very close to the bridge on the
mainland side, with at least sixteen services to and from
Athens daily (6am-11pm; 1hr 25min).
By bus
The KTEL bus station is almost 2km from the centre
at Stíron 1, on the ring road at the east edge of town; local
buses will take you in to the market area, but it's much
easier to use a taxi (about €5). Very frequent departures to
Athens (every 30min 5am-10pm; 1hr 15min), less often
along all the island's main routes including to Erétria (18
daily; 30min); Kárystos (2 daily; 3hr); Kými (8 daily; 2hr);
Límni (3-4 daily; 2hr); Loutrá Edhipsoú (3-4 daily; 2hr
30min).
ACCOMMODATION
Kentrikon
Angéli Govíou 5
T
22210 22375,
W
hotel
-kentrikon.com.
Rather forbidding nineteenth-century
mansion, just up from the bridge, which conceals
unexpectedly modern a/c
roo
ms, with wi-fi and satellite
TV. No real views, though.
€55
Kymata
Liáska 1
T
22210 74724,
W
kimata.com.gr.
Simple, minimally furnished rooms above a busy main
road overlooking the port; modern double glazing and
a/c
keep out most of the noise, and it's very good value.
€45
Lucy
Voudoúri 10
T
22210 23831,
W
lucy-hotel.gr.
Big, high-rise Best Western hotel with luxurious rooms,
many with g
reat
views across the water; all with wi-fi
and cable TV.
€75
EATING AND DRINKING
A long line of cafés and restaurants extends along the
waterfront to the north of the bridge; there are plenty of
fancy seafood restaurants and elegant café-bars (most
with wi-fi) but also a number of simpler places. Prices are
lower inland towards the centre, though.
Apanemo
Ethníkis Symfilíosis 78, Fanári
T
22210
22614.
Very popular, decent-value seafood restaurant with
tables on the sand; it's a good half-hour walk from the
centre, just before the lighthouse at the far north end of the
shoreline, so you may want to book, and/or take a taxi.
Daily lunch & dinner.
Paralia
Voudoúri 10
T
22210 87932.
Long-established,
old-fashioned, waterfront
psistariá
, serving up large
portions of grilled meat at very reasonable prices; salads
and oven-baked dishes too.
Daily lunch & dinner.
Tsaf
Papanastasíou 3
T
694 81 80 857.
An imposing
stone building, off Platía Agorás near the top of Kótsou,
houses this bustling ouzerí, with good fish and
mezédhes. It's busiest late in the evening.
Daily,
evenings only.
Central Évvia
he
coast road
southeast of Halkídha heads through industrial suburbs to a
coastline of second homes, small hotels and beaches which make popular escapes
from the city. At
Lépoura
it forks, to the right for the south of the island, left to curl
around towards the east coast and
Kými
. Beyond Kými you can cut back across the
mountainous heart of the island via
Metóhi
and
Stení
, a spectacular road with a
short unpaved section.
