Day 3: Evdilos and Seychelles Beach

Tuesday 19th May 2026

After yesterday’s beautiful beaches and sunset at Nas, my expectations of Ikaria were rising. Today’s itinerary included two places I was especially curious about: Evdilos, one of the island’s main harbour towns, and Seychelles Beach, often presented as Ikaria’s unmissable coastal highlight. Neither would leave quite the impression I expected.

A Cloudy Breakfast

I woke with a sense of deja-vu: another restless night, courtesy of the noisy fridge and incessant mosquito buzz. The only saving grace was getting to sleep in, knowing breakfast wasn’t available until 9 am.

Breakfast itself was a similar story, though the bread seemed fresher and my expectations had adjusted so it wasn’t such a disappointment. The weather, however, might prove to be. It was pretty overcast and several degrees cooler than the day before – enough that I felt a slight chill as I ate. I checked the forecast on my phone and was encouraged to see it improving throughout the day.

Evdilos

Driving through Evdilos’ narrow streets was slightly stressful, although a large free car park beside the port made things easier once I arrived. The harbour itself was pleasant, with cafés and shops arranged around the waterfront, but the quiet morning and overcast weather did not show it at its liveliest.

I had included Evdilos in my itinerary without identifying any particular sights, and after a brief walk I realised there was not much I specifically wanted to see. A coffee and chocolate croissant improved the visit, but my overall impression remained mixed. Its central location may make it a practical base, although Armenistis immediately felt more appealing to me as a visitor.

Seychelles Beach…Almost

The drive across the island to the south coast took about 35 minutes on some quite winding and narrow roads, but traffic was almost non-existent so it wasn’t particularly challenging. I arrived at a parking area north of the beach, which is the closest you can get with a vehicle – access to the beach is via a walking trail. It took about 10-15 minutes to navigate. The path is rocky and includes a few awkward drops, but most of the descent is manageable with sensible footwear.

When I arrived at the coastline, there were a couple of other people there but it was pretty quiet. The final ledge was only a short distance, but it was narrow, exposed and high enough above the water to make me stop. With a camera bag over my shoulder and no rope to hold, I could already feel myself becoming less confident. After standing there for a minute and watching another visitor cross, I decided the footage was not worth the risk. In the summer, it looks like there are metal hooks along the ledge which would support a rope or steel cable that visitors could use as a handrail, but there wasn’t a rope there during my visit.

Unable to complete the final section, I found a safe place to launch the drone instead. The aerial view revealed the cove far better than I could see from the path—and also confirmed just how small the beach really was.

Seychelles is visually striking, particularly from above, but it would not be my first choice for a relaxing beach day. The shore is small and covered in coarse shingle, while the difficult access means the effort-to-reward ratio did not feel especially favourable to me. Travellers who enjoy secluded coves, snorkelling and a slightly adventurous approach may feel differently.

Lunch Detour Gone Wrong

In hindsight, I’d timed my visit to Seychelles poorly. Hungry by the time I returned to the car, I drove ten minutes west to Magganitis, where Google Maps showed several tavernas. The first was closed, so I continued through increasingly narrow streets and down a steep road towards the harbour. Unfortunately, the remaining tavernas were closed too.

The detour at least gave me a brief look at a village I would otherwise have missed, but it also confirmed that finding lunch outside the main season could require more planning than expected. For the second day running, finding a straightforward lunch had become an unexpected challenge. The lack of open businesses contributed to Ikaria’s quiet, uncommercial atmosphere, but it was also beginning to feel like a genuine drawback of travelling in May.

Lunch in Evdilos

I made the best of the detour by taking a few photos and video clips of somewhere I wouldn’t otherwise have visited, then hopped back in the car and retraced my steps past Seychelles Beach and back to Evdilos. Fortunately, the coastal road out of Magganitis was much more straightforward.

By the time I got back to Evdilos, it was about 3 pm and quite cloudy. I was glad to have done some filming earlier when it was more sunny. I had a few options for a late lunch, and chose a place called Koralli around the far side of the marina.

I’d seen a couple of items on the menu that sounded good, but when it came to ordering I was told they weren’t available so I had to settle for a very un-Greek burger and chips! It was not the Greek lunch I had imagined, but by 3 pm I was far too hungry to complain.

Having already seen Evdilos earlier, I had a brief walk around again then headed back to the car and set off west towards Armenistis.

Downtime and Dinner

After a quiet couple of hours back at the accommodation, I walked down towards Armenistis harbour for dinner. Several tavernas looked appealing, but Paschalia was the busiest, which seemed an encouraging sign.

After the afternoon’s burger and chips, I was determined to end the day with something properly Greek. I skipped a starter and went straight for the moussaka – this time a traybake, which I usually find to be less tasty than ones made in individual bowls. However, it was surprisingly moist and had a nice, rich flavour. Sadly, they didn’t sell house wine by the carafe, so I settled for a Mythos beer.

Expectations Versus Reality

Today was all about exploring Ikaria, and I’d certainly ticked off some key destinations. Seychelles Beach was a bit disappointing given its reputation – the lack of easy access, small size and shingle composition means it just doesn’t compare favourably with Livadi or Mesatki Beaches in my opinion. Give me wide open sandy bays any day.

Evdilos was a more complex problem. I suspect in the evenings during the height of summer, the harbour area comes alive and gives the village more energy, but based on my own observations I found it just a bit less welcoming than Armenistis.