Nea Stira is a small coastal town located in the southeast side of Evia, opposite the Attica prefecture. You can arrive here from Attica within the 40 minutes it takes to get by boat from the harbour of Agia Marina to the harbour of Nea Stira. In fact there are two towns, Nea (new) Stira and Palia (old) Stira. Between the two towns there is the archaeological site of the ancient town of Stira, a place that is mentioned in the second rhapsody of Homer’s Iliad. The surrounding area is one of great archaeological significance and when you visit it you will have the opportunity to see the famous “Drakospita” (meaning “Dragon Houses” in Greek). Drakospita are monuments, estimated to be more than 4500 years old that were constructed from monoliths (one-piece stones of great dimensions). Those monuments resemble the famous buildings on Philippines and Stone Hedge in England. The most impressive of all is the one located on the top of Mount Ohi, above Karystos’ settlement, approximately in an altitude of 1400 meters. The three Drakospita that can be seen near Stira are maintained in a very good condition until this very day, despite the centuries that have gone by. Excavations that took place in the spot revealed some interesting findings like vases and shells with an unknown form of ancient alphabet written on them. Those objects came enforce speculations indicating that the establishments used to be operating temples. Today, the visitors are able to take a close look on those findings in the archaeological museum in Karystos.