They call them the “Seychelles of Greece” and it is a cluster of seven islands on the northwest side of Evia, between the Malia and North Evia gulfs.
(Report by GRtimes)
We travel to Lihadonisia, northwest of Eviaon the extension of the ancient cape Kinaio and opposite the village of Kavos, at a distance of 26 km from the Baths of Edipsos.
We board the boat and discover the popular islands that every summer welcome crowds of people to swim in their crystal clear waters. Seven islets, Monolia, long and narrow with a small bay that serves as a natural harbor and an organized popular beach, Megali Strogyli, the southernmost of the cluster, overgrown which took its name from its round shape, Mikri Strogyli, the Strait, Vagia, Voria, Limani, as well as other smaller Skopelos called Pontikonisia, is the complex of Lichades that belongs to the Municipality of Istiaea – Edipsos.
Video from Happy Traveler – Eutychi Bletsa
The History
The island complex is the creation of volcanic energy and is a single volcanic formation. Before the tectonic subsidence of Maliakou, Lihadonisia was united with the Lichada peninsula. Large parts of the islands were submerged by a great earthquake in 426 BC.
According to mythology, Lichadonisia was formed from the body of Licha. Diianeira, wife of Hercules, thinking that he was cheating on her, sent him a medicinal tunic with Licha. When Heracles put on the tunic he began to suffer from horrible pains and in a rage he grabbed Licha and threw him into the sea. The Lihadonisia were formed from the members of his body. The Great Round is also said to be his head. In fact, their name comes from Lihada, the settlement located at the end of northwestern Evia and on the side of mainland Greece opposite Kammena Vourla.
Seals and shipwrecks
Seals frequent the Lichadonesian complex Munich Munich, which as captain Anestis informed us during our access to the islets, appeared in the area in the last 10-15 years, when at some point a couple left the marine park of Alonissos, came here and gave birth. Now they have become a family, 5-6 seals and in the evenings they also go out to the islands, where the black rocks are the perfect camouflage for them.
Regarding the wrecks, to the west of the island of Monolia we pass over a wreck which was a Greek ship, 45 meters long, made of cement. Crashed into a series of drydocks, holed, took on water and sank. The wreck is 5-6 meters from the surface of the sea and 10-11 meters from the surface to the bottom.
During the Second World War there were about 30 such ships which had the name Slep. They were the transport ships and the specific one carrying lime started from the Chalkida factory bound for Volos.
In Monolia
It is the largest of the seven Lichadonisian clusters. Until 1960 – 1964 three families stayed, then they left the island as well as the rest because they had no water, electricity and their children had to go to school. The Lymberis family, three generations where they were born there, grew up but at some point were forced to leave the island, for more than 25 years, since 1994, 4th and 5th generation now, lives and works for a large part of the time on the islet.
In Monolia, daily boats come and go from Kavo Lihadas, but also from Kamena Vourla, and take people to the organized beach, where sunbeds, umbrellas are available and there is a canteen that serves food (sobs, sausages, potatoes, saganaki cheese, salads, sandwiches, ice creams, etc.) and a bar for coffee, beers, cocktails.
Behind the canteen a path between olive trees leads to the abandoned buildings that remain on the island as well as to the small church of Agios Georgios. As we learned, it celebrates on July 25, because according to the sayings of the old, it was the last day it was built. Weddings and baptisms take place in the chapel.
Itineraries
Routes run daily, from Kavo Lihada, every half hour from 10am to 6pm. The duration of the route is about 5 minutes, however, the journey also includes a small guided tour of the Lichadonisian complex. The ticket costs 8 euros per person, return and 15 euros with departure from Kamena Vourla (tel. 6972 508181, 6979 709346).
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