Agios Dimitrios: A perfect swim at a unique beach in Evia

Evia is one of the many diamonds we have yet to discover. It is worth exploring due to its beautiful villages, excellent walking paths, and amazing beaches.

One of them is the beach of Agios Dimitrios, known to the locals as Schinodavlia. You will need time to get there, not because there are many kilometres from the Greek capital or elsewhere but because the road has many turns and goes up and down mountains.

From the centre of Athens it is about 206 km, i.e. 4 hours. Yes, it is not a day trip, you will need to spend the night in Evia. You can also take the boat from Rafina and go to Marmari – an hour’s journey – and drive about 45 minutes to reach the beach.

The road is paved, except for a small section just before the beach, which, however, with care, any conventional car can pass.

What is unique about the beach? The fantastic waters of the Aegean are crystal clear. The culmination of an enchanting green canyon gives it a wildly stunning beauty.

High rocks stand out to the right and left of the beach, forming smaller and larger caves inside and outside the water. In some places, impressive stalagmite formations created by running water falling from above can be seen.

In fact, at one end of it flows the Porphyra River, which crosses the gorge. Depending on the season, this river forms a small lake with frogs before continuing and pouring its waters into the sea.

The beach here can be a place to relax and unwind. It’s no coincidence that campers love it.

Here, it is worth getting up early in the morning to enjoy the sunrise in complete silence while imagining yourself as an explorer and discovering the area’s beauties.

The caves and rocks around are the perfect places to snorkel, while the canyon at the back invites you to explore. The sea is clearly wilder here, and when the wind blows from the north, it creates waves. Generally, it deepens quickly.

For those who are more adventurous and want to enjoy the whole experience, the hiking route through the canyon ends at the beach. The starting point is from the square of the village of Agios Dimitrios.

The path leads to the river bed and initially moves close to it, but later, it climbs higher. It is part of a route used several years ago by the shepherds who had their flocks in the caves of the canyon rocks.

On your way, you will be accompanied by the running water of the Porphyra River, rich nature, small waterfalls, and natural pools on the water-carved rocks. The route is approximately 7 km long and is of moderate difficulty.

Note that just before you reach the beach on a bend, where you will see a small iron bridge, you will find a canteen where you can get what you need. However, there is another canteen further down, next to the beach, which also has all the essentials.

Voula Akrivaki is a columnist for Travel. Translated by Paul Antonopoulos.

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