Arocaria

Apart from the beach at the bottom of Arocaria's garden, there are a few others to try nearby, including Mouse Beach, Gerani and Amarynthos.

Of great cultural and historical interest is the nearby archaeological site of Eretria, which is home to the remains of a 5th-century BC theatre, a temple and other treasures. The town's archaeological museum is also worth a visit.

Evia, Greece's second largest island after Crete, sits snuggly against the east coast of the Greek mainland (the narrowest point of the Straits of Chalcis is just 40m wide), and a stay at Arocaria could easily incorporate a day trip to Athens (a 1hr40 drive or a 20-minute crossing from Eretria to Oropos plus a 55-minute drive). At 180km in length from north to south, Evia offers a great deal to explore, and there is plenty to see and do all over the island

Evia is a mountainous island with peaks reaching over 1,700m, so trekking in the unspoilt hinterland is an option for keen walkers. At 1,394m, Mount Ochi is the biggest challenge, but their are plenty of other trails to explore, precariously perched remote churches and monasteries to discover, and jaw-dropping vistas to marvel at.

Evia's capital, Chalcis, better known by some by its Venetian name, Negroponte, is a 45-minute drive away. Apart from its bridges over to the mainland, there's a Roman aqueduct, an archaeological museum, and a mid-13th-century Venetian church dedicated to Saint Paraskevi. It's also worth experiencing the strange natural phenomenon of the water in the Straits of Chalcis, which stops moving as the tide changes direction from north to south (or vice versa).