We chose Alilea because we needed somewhere reasonably close to Athens Airport. Before we went I read a book by Sarah Wheeler which describes Evia as "Greece's Undiscovered Island". This was a bit of a worry, exacerbated by the urban sprawl which spread from the airport to within a few miles of Politika. The villas are 200 yards from the beach, and quite a few new houses are being built nearby; weekend houses for Athenians. The villas are beautifully constructed and really comfortable and well equipped. Each has a lawn, which is irrigated and lush green. Beyond is bare earth between the olive trees. We ate all our meals outside on the shaded verandah. There are some spectacular insects (which leave you alone) and some lovely birds.
Do take up Myrto's offer of breakfast on the first morning - it kept us going for 2 days. Myrto comes round every day, usually bringing a little present, such as olives, capers or shellfish. She's really committed to ensuring that you have a good time. Her English is really good. The beach is pebbly; there's no sand. Myrto clears a path through the pebbles so that you can get in and out easily. You're swimming in the North Evian Gulf. When there's no wind it's like a millpond, and even to a wimp like me, it felt warm at the end of May. There are lots of fishes to look at. Excellent swimming and snorkelling - but do take beach shoes to protect you from sea urchins.
The people in Politika are just... nice. They aren't used to foreigners - we didn't meet a single non-Greek in 12 days - and they're keen to help. In tavernas in the village and on Politika beach, two courses with wine works out at about £10 a head. The food, and the wines, especially the whites, are really good. Fish in tavernas is much pricier. Two oddities - telling you what they've got rather than giving you a menu, and the food arriving in any order as it's cooked. The taverna next to the butcher's in Nerotrivia is particularly good.
A mile out of Politika you start to see what a beautiful island Evia is. It's mountainous, and covered in lush green shrubs and trees. There's often a smell of pine, sometimes of thyme. In late May we'd missed most of the flowers, but not all. We particularly enjoyed our visits to Dafni (nice taverna, pronounced Aya) and Sarakiniko on the Aegean coast, where we had a long sandy beach to ourselves.
Take Jungle Formula as there are a few mozzies.
Alilea is a great place for a quiet, interesting holiday.