Yes, we wanted to go to the sea for spearfishing … but the weather was prohibitive to go out with the boat … The idea then was: eastern Evia. By car.

On the other hand of course I had missed a sweet spring ride by car. And here we were ascending the slopes above Styra village that beautiful sunny Saturday. Shortly after Easter that year…

We passed Kapsala village and got high on the ridge, where the route offers a tremendous view, a superb panorama of the southern Evia. I was reading the map and some 15 km from Styra we turned left. The serpentine asphalt road brought us to the village of Stoupei.

If you go there you may see the name of the village written in two “p”: Stouppei is the right name and I is written so since 1940. It is a small village divided in two by a verdant ravine (on the east side is the school and the church – on the west side homes). The picture of the village is pretty and the houses are surrounded by blooming lilacs that fit very nicely with the yellow daffodils. The wonderful nature was just covering up the ugliness of modern houses built with cement (traditional architecture in most of Evia is unfortunately destroyed…).

 

 

We entered the dirt road just outside the village. It was smooth, relatively comfortable and downward. On the left we saw small plateaus with lush green fields separated by dry stone walls and a few olive trees and oaks were shining in the sun. Everything was very chirpy and we had good mood. Varelei village is the last settlement before the sea. There were few deserted stone houses, many lilacs, oaks, olive trees and almond trees and a fountain covered with plane trees with freezing water.

 

 

 

When we saw the beach from the top of Varelei village we stayed speechless… It is one of those moments when you think you see a dream. We came down and laughed by surprise. But are there still deserted beaches in touristic Greece? The answer is yes. They do exist…

 

 The fine white pebbles were dazzling in the midday light. The water was crystal clear and as if  the sea was saying to us “Eeehh… rush, come here to dive …”. Everything was screaming “summer…” The rocks, clean and polished from the winter rains, smelled from the seaweeds and dropped a cool shade on the white sand.

 

 

 

 

Everything was spring. Everything was announcing the coming summer.

All except water…

The surface temperature of the water was 15 degrees! Freezing cold…

 In the evening we wore winter caps on the ferry.

Apparently summer had not come yet…

 

 

 

Where am I?
 
Varelei village and this beach are located in the southeastern Evia. The quickest way to get there is by ferry boat (either by the ferry route Agia Marina – Nea Styra, either by ferry route Rafina -Marmari) and then drive away. The dirt road is quite passable (though it is better to have an off road vehicle).