CHIOS

Chios; island of mastic and medieval villages. Chios is complete different according to the other islands on this website. On this island there is no mass tourism, so you can fully enjoy this island. Beneath you will find an extensive photo report with a clear description, so that you will have the feeling that you are in the middle of it. Of all photos you can see an enlargement and it is absolutely worth mentioning to sit down and have a look. If you ask me where to stay, here are a few tips:

Karfas is situated at 6 km. from Chios city. This is a true holiday village, with the usual bustle. Karfas has a nice beach with several inns, moped- and car rental companies and a few souvenir shops.

We were in Agia Ermioni, a small village at 3 km. from Karfas. After 10 minutes walk, you arrive in Megas Limionas with a small beach and some very good taverns. Go to Steki; delicious and not expensive.

Another nice place to stay is Agia Fotia with three taverns and a nice beach. Most of the apartments are situated close to the beach.

The village Komi, close to Emporio has a beautiful beach witch is ideal for people with children. The beach goes slowly over into the sea. Here too are several souvenir shops and taverns.

For those who are really looking for a place to rest, go to Kambos. This is an area just behind Chios-city. There are a lot of huge villas on plantations surrounded by walls,(most of the houses have a water wheel on their territory). They mainly cultivate citrus fruit. Not many tourists are coming here and somehow that is a shame, because this area is so unique; you will find it nowhere in Greece.

Beneath some photos of Chios-city. This city is almost completely destroyed after an earthquake in 1881, so there is not much left from old times. Nevertheless, it is really interesting to pay a visit to this city. You will find many sidewalk-cafés, shops, Banks etc. close to the beach. Just behind the beach are the shops for the inhabitants.In the morning you can see the Greek on parade and shopping. There was a castle close to the center, but hardly nothing is left. There are also a few museums and there is a nice quiet park, where you can sit and rest, away from the hustle.

The south part of Chios consists namely of mastics shrubs and the resin from these shrubs is unique for Greece. This resin is only found in the south part of Chios and nowhere else. It is used for liquor and toothpaste and sold as chewing gum; you can possibly imagine the taste! To us it was the once in a lifetime and never again!

The most beautiful part of Chios is the south with the mastic villages. They are medieval with an exceptional beauty. These villages are surrounded by a wall of different houses to keep the pirates outside. A very beautiful mastic village is Pyrgi; most of the houses are treated with carved traditional motifs. The best kept medieval village with a lot of restored houses and narrow streets is Mesta; it is a must for your holiday there. ( In most villages you will find those streets. It is like a labyrinth and during the summer it is lovely cool.) Try to visit most of these villages, but most of all Pyrgi, Mesta, Olympi and Vessa. It is so beautiful here, that you feel like being in the middle ages!

Now that you are in Chios, it is a must to go to the black beach of Mavros Gialos, you find this beach at the litle harbour of Emporio. This beach with its black, round pebbles originate from a not longer working vulcano. Towards Mavros Gialos we pass the village of Kalamoti. This is a medieval village where you can have a stroll.

When you drive down Chios-city, you will enter almost immediately Central Chios. This is a considerable green area with few villages and the beautiful monastery of Nea Moni . The origin of this monastery goes back at least a 1000 years. When you drive down the road you will enter Avgoyma, a small medieval village, where, of course, you will find something to eat and drink. If you follow the road you will arrive in Anavatos. Almost at the end of the road, you will see this village that is being restored now. It is situated at the top of a mountain in the woods. In the early days inaccessible, but nowadays you can reach it via hairpin roads. This village, with its almost deserted houses, is a small ghost town, worth paying a visit by its history and its location.

When you want to visit the north-west of Chios right out of Chios-city, you better do it by car, because it will take you 120 km. to drive. So leave early and see the most of it. When you leave Chios-city, you go to Volissos by a totally bare plain. You are here considerably high, so you can see the coast of Turkey. The nature and the west coast are wonderful to drive through. It is absolutely worth the effort to have some stops here and to enjoy the views. Our goal was Agios Galas. At the entrance of the grotto, you find Panagia i Agiogalousena, a small Byzantium church from the 13th century. Right above is the village of Agios Galas. When we were there, an old lady from the village accompanied us. You better take water with you, because it goes steeply down and so you have to climb to the top back again. Two villages further on the road you will find a tavern; you better take a rest here, otherwise you have to drive a 30 km. further. It is a good advise to negotiate about the price of a meal, because we had to pay three times more then in Chios! Later on you can ride to Potamia and via Volissos to Chios-city.

You have to see the east coast of Chios, there are a lot of villages. This coast is very beautiful, with many coves, inlets,bays and a wonderful nature. From Chios-city you can go to Vrontados, this is a suburb from Chios-city with many huge villas. It is a nice city with beaches, but not attractive for tourists.Up north, you will find a monastery, where you can stop to look around. Further on you will find several villages. It is absolutely worth the effort to stop in some villages, have a drink, enjoy the surrounding and watch the Greek go by. In a very green valley lies Lagada, a nice village with a beautiful harbor. Up north you will find Nagos with a small, but beautiful beach and two taverns with a lot of culinary fish specialities. From here you go back to Kardamyla and from there to Pitnous. This region is bare and rough; it gives you a very special feeling, just as if you are alone on this island. Now go to Chios-city and remember the lovely day you have had.

Here at the right you see the small harbour of Lagada.

The beach of Nagos is enjoying

The rough inland of Chios

Here grows nothing, but is very beautiful

Here you see a few of the churches you will find everywhere in Greece. These are obviously on Chios. At the last photo you see a small memorial house. These small houses you can find everywhere in Greece at critical points along the road. Here always a dear relative died in a car accident. So, this is Greece too and I hope that it brings drivers to think about these dangers and reduce their speed. When you stop at these places, you will see that there is always a photo and a burning oil lamp.But above all, enjoy Chios and if you want to know more, you can always send me an e-mail or sign my guest book.