The southern town of Nea Styra is the island’s most celebrated resort, boasting a fine port and seaside promenade bustling with taverns where visitors gather in the evening to take in the sea breeze and a glass of ouzo. Over one, you can decide whether to head for the fertile valleys, mountains and olive groves of the inland, the coves and beaches of the coast or take one of the regular ferries from here to the other side of the island. Whichever way you turn in Evia, you will skip past picturesque villages, some with important archaeological and historical sites and nearly all with the sort of sun-drenched, lazy charm that is truly Grecian.

To the north of Nea Styra, are the quieter, sandier stretches of beach, relatively untouched by tourism. The northern part of the island is also where the island’s natural thermal spas can be found. The grandest is the Thermae Sylla Spa in Aedipsos, probably the most state-of-the-art spa in Europe. Re-opened in 1998, mud-therapy, massage and Jacuzzi are just some of the treatments that are drawn from the location’s 20,000-year-old waters gushing from over 80 sources.

Evia’s inland is extremely lush and varied. Forget the arid ravines of many Greek Islands and think orchards, waterfalls and forests broken by clusters of whitewashed houses. There are also a handful of mountains; the most famous is Kandhili, a short distance from Limni (also in the north) a pretty town rich in neo-classical architecture. The ancient Byzantine convent of Agiou Nikolaou Galataki, stands breathtakingly tall, watching guard over the Evian Gulf.

Amarynthos, Karystos, Rovies….Evia’s coastline is scattered with quaint towns filled with curio shops, taverns serving up local specialties such as dried octopus and offering a unique glimpse into the comings and goings of Grecian village life. In contrast, Halkida, the capital of the island, is a relatively modern city. Day-trippers arrive here by the dozen via a nifty 40-metre swing bridge that connects the island with the mainland. Boffins will be amused by the unique tidal phenomenon that occurs here in the Evripos Straits: the sea currents change direction from north to south and vice-versa every six hours; an unexplainable phenomenon that frustrated Aristotle to the point that he threw himself into the sea. Nearby Eretria is where the most noteworthy archaeological sites are to be found, including an outdoor theatre and the oldest gate to be found in Greece and there is an Archaeological and Folklore Museum in Halkida itself.