The waterfront promenade along the Chalkis side of the strait is the city's social spine. In the early evening — the volta hour — it fills up with families walking and groups of teenagers loitering against the railings. Tavernas line the inland side for most of its length.
Walk south from the old bridge and the cafés thin out into a residential strip; walk north past the fish market into the more workaday port quarter. The lit-up Eretria and Karababa hills on the mainland side make a striking backdrop after sundown.