Diagram by Greece Trips. Free to reuse with credit - CC BY 4.0.
The current
The strait does something odd. The water runs through it fast, and then, several times a day, it stops and reverses. The change is quick and visible from the bridge: the surface goes slack, then starts moving the other way, at times fast enough to look like a river.
The behaviour has been recorded since antiquity. Aristotle wrote about it, and a persistent story has him drowning himself in frustration at failing to explain it, which is almost certainly a later invention. The tidal mechanics are broadly understood now; the details of the irregular cycle are still studied.
Watching it turn is genuinely the thing to do in Chalkida, and the bars along the waterfront exist largely for that.
The town
A working city rather than a resort: a long waterfront of cafes on both sides of the strait, a fortress, Karababa, on the mainland hill above with a good view down onto the channel, and an archaeological museum.
The old quarter keeps a mosque, an aqueduct fragment and a synagogue: Chalkida had one of the oldest Jewish communities in Europe, Romaniote rather than Sephardi, and the synagogue is still there.
What it opens up
Chalkida is the gateway to Evia, which is a very large island and much less visited than its size suggests:
- Edipsos and its thermal springs, north.
- Karystos and Mount Ochi, south.
- The wild central and eastern coasts, with beaches most visitors never reach.
Getting there and how long
About an hour from Athens by road or train, which makes it one of the easiest day trips from the capital.
One night, or a stop on the way into Evia.
Last checked August 2026. Current timings vary daily - see our editorial policy.
Common questions
Why does the current at Chalkida reverse?
The Euripus strait has a tidal regime that makes the flow stop and change direction several times a day. The broad mechanics are understood; the irregular cycle is still studied.
Did Aristotle drown himself over the Euripus?
That story is almost certainly a later invention, though he did write about the strait.
Where do you watch the current?
From the bridge and the waterfront bars either side of it, which exist largely for that purpose.
What is Chalkida the gateway to?
Evia, the large and under-visited island, including Edipsos in the north and Karystos in the south.
How far is Chalkida from Athens?
About an hour by road or train, which makes it a straightforward day trip.