One of the draws of the Euboean Gulf (separating Evia from mainland Greece) is that the sea on this side of the island is mostly flat, which explains the name of our next holiday destination in North Evia. Limni (just south of Aidipsos) means lake in Greek and, unsurprisingly, has a long naval tradition that you can learn all about at the Folklore and Historical Museum (also housing local archaeological finds) in the Angelis Flokos mansion in town.
Strolling along the waterfront, you’ll enjoy flower-filled courtyards and a noble air as well as fish tavernas, squares with plane trees and tavernas specialising in meze and tsipouro / ouzo and filled with welcoming locals that give it an island feel.
Traditions runs deep in and around Limni, with fabrics still woven on foot-powered looms and the summer Elymnia Festival hosting cultural events between 1-15 August. At the festival, you’ll learn how the legendary Argonauts passed through these parts and there are no fewer than 32 chapels in and around Limni. Meanwhile, the best beaches in the vicinity are Kochyli (next door) and the nearby settlement of Rovies (see below).
Limni Evias is located 80 km NW of Chalkida.
Sightseeing
- The church of Genisis of Theotokou (Virgin Mary’s Heavenly Birth) in the entrance of the town. It is a three-aisled basilica built in 1837 with a remarkable marble belfry built in 1879 by Mastroloukas, a sculptor from Tinos island.
- The church of Zoodoxos Pigi (Life giving font of Virgin Mary) and the ruins of a basilica dating back to the Early Christian period and built on Roman spas.
- The Historical Archive (including documents from 1732) housed in the Town Hall.
- The buildings of the Police Station and Public Financial Service, designed by Chiler.
- The manor house of Angelis Flokos housing the Folklore and History Museum, where among other things local archaeological findings are also exposed.
- The hermitage of Aghios Christodoulos (12th century) at the west end of the settlement near the beach.
- The historic female monastery of Aghios Nikolaos (7th – 8th century), commonly known as Moni Galataki, located 10 km SE. It is known as the Galataki Monastery. On the SE side is the ascetic shelter of Aghios Andreas. It is a small single-room arched building, built in a natural cave.
- The Museum of Hydrobiology, on the road to the Monastery, including fossilized exhibits coming from the seabed, shells and fish from Greek and foreign seas.
Events
- “Elymnia”: cultural events organized in Limni and the surrounding villages from mid-July until August 15th.
- Festivities and treasure hunting during the Carnival
- Fair of Panaghia Limnia on September 7th – 8th.