Volissos is the stone showpiece of western Chios, a village of restored houses climbing an amphitheatre of hillside beneath a Byzantine castle, above the emptiest and most beautiful coast on the island. The largest settlement of the north-west, it is linked by an old tradition to Homer, guards a collection devoted to the legendary Ariousios wine of antiquity, and looks down on a port and a string of long, undeveloped sandy beaches. Remote and quiet, it is the reward for the long drive across the island’s mountainous spine.
This guide covers Volissos in full: its amphitheatrical stone village and the castle above it, the Homer tradition and the Ariousios wine collection, the port of Limnia and the west-coast beaches, and where the village is and how to visit. Read it beside the guide to the villages of Chios and the full Chios travel guide.
What is Volissos, Chios?
Volissos is the largest village of north-west Chios, about 42 kilometres from Chios Town, built in an amphitheatre of stone houses on a hillside beneath a medieval castle. Remote and atmospheric, it is famous for its restored houses, its Homer tradition and the empty beaches of the west coast below.
Volissos is the capital of the north-west. The main village of the remote Amani region, it stands on the slopes of a hill in the mountainous, arid country of the island’s far corner, about 42 kilometres from Chios Town, and it is the natural base for exploring the west coast.
It is a village of stone climbing to a castle. The houses rise in tiers up the hillside in an amphitheatrical arrangement, crowned at the summit by the walls and towers of a Byzantine castle, and many of the traditional stone houses have been beautifully restored, making Volissos one of the most atmospheric villages on the island.
Its remoteness is its charm. Reached only by a long drive across the island’s spine, Volissos sees few visitors and keeps a quiet, unspoilt character, and it rewards those who make the journey with its stone lanes, its castle views and the empty coast below, as the guide to the villages of Chios describes.
What is the castle of Volissos?
The castle of Volissos is a Byzantine fortress crowning the hill above the village, most likely built in the eleventh century and restored by the Genoese in the fifteenth. Set at about 230 metres, it has a trapezoidal plan with six circular towers, and its walls give a magical view over the Aegean.
The castle dates from the Byzantine period. Tradition ascribes it to the sixth-century general Belisarios, but research places its construction most probably in the eleventh century, during a general reorganisation of the island’s defences, and in the mid-fifteenth century it was restored by the Genoese who then ruled Chios.
It was built to watch the sea. Set at an altitude of about 230 metres above the village, the castle was positioned to keep visual contact with the coastline and the nearby watchtowers, the vigles, so as to give warning of pirate raids and enemy ships approaching the vulnerable west coast.
Its form and view reward the climb. The castle has a trapezoidal plan with six circular towers, and a short walk up from the village leads to its walls, from which the view sweeps over the stone houses below to the west coast and the open Aegean, one of the finest outlooks on the island, with free entry.
What is the Homer tradition and the Ariousios wine of Volissos?
By an old tradition Homer, the poet of the Iliad and the Odyssey, lived at Volissos, and the village holds an archaeological collection devoted to the famous Ariousios wine of antiquity, which the ancient Greeks called the nectar of the gods, produced in this north-western corner of Chios.
Homer is linked to the village. According to tradition, Homer himself lived at Volissos, part of the wider association of Chios with the poet, and while the claim belongs to legend, it adds to the atmosphere of the ancient village and its setting.
Ariousios wine made the region famous in antiquity. The north-west of Chios, the ancient region of Ariousia, produced a wine so prized that the ancient Greeks called it the nectar of the gods, among the most celebrated wines of the classical world, and the reputation of Chian wine rested on it.
A collection in the village tells the story. On the central square of Volissos, an archaeological collection housed in a traditional stone building is dedicated to the Ariousios wine, so a visit links the remote village to one of the great products of ancient Greece, as the guide to Chios food notes.
What are the port and beaches near Volissos?
Below Volissos lies the small port of Limnia, with fishing boats and tavernas, and along the west coast stretch some of the emptiest and finest beaches on Chios, including the long sands of Managros, Limnos and Lefkathia, backed by the island’s best sunsets.
Limnia is the village’s harbour. A short distance down from Volissos, the small port of Limnia has fishing boats, tavernas by the water and a base for boat trips along the west coast, so a visit to the village pairs naturally with a seafood lunch and a swim at the harbour.
The west coast has the emptiest beaches. Along the shore below Volissos lie long, sandy, undeveloped beaches such as Managros, Limnos and Lefkathia, among the quietest on the island, where the water is clear and the crowds are absent even in high summer, the reward for the remote setting.
The sunsets are the finest on Chios. Facing the open sea to the west, Volissos and its coast catch the setting sun directly, giving the island’s best sunsets, so an evening here, on the beach or at a taverna in Limnia, is a highlight of the west, as the guide to the best beaches in Chios sets out.
Where do you stay in Volissos, and what is the village like?
Volissos is known for its beautifully restored traditional stone houses, which make some of the most atmospheric places to stay on Chios. The village has tavernas and cafés on its square, a quiet, unspoilt character, and makes an ideal base for the remote west coast.
The restored houses are the draw. Volissos is celebrated for the sensitive restoration of its old stone houses, many now let as characterful guesthouses, so visitors can stay in a traditional west-coast village beneath its castle, an experience quite different from a beach hotel or the busier east.
The village keeps a slow pace. With cafés and tavernas on its square serving good local food, and lanes little changed by tourism, Volissos offers the quiet of a remote village, where the evenings are peaceful and the pace unhurried, ideal for travellers seeking seclusion.
It is the base for the west. Staying in Volissos puts the castle, the port of Limnia and the empty west-coast beaches within easy reach, and it suits those who want to settle into one quiet corner of the island rather than tour constantly, as the guide on where to stay in Chios sets out.
Where is Volissos and how do you get there?
Volissos lies in the far north-west of Chios, about 42 kilometres from Chios Town, a drive of around an hour to an hour and a half on a winding mountain road. It is reached most easily by hire car, and the long, scenic journey across the island is part of the experience.
The village is genuinely remote. Set in the far north-west, about 42 kilometres from the capital, Volissos is among the most distant villages on the island, and the drive crosses the mountainous spine of Chios on a winding road, taking around an hour to ninety minutes depending on the route.
A car is all but essential. The remoteness and the infrequent bus service make a hire car the practical way to reach Volissos and to explore the west coast beyond it, and the scenic mountain drive, through pine and stone villages, is a rewarding part of the trip, as the guide to car rental in Chios explains.
It rewards a full day or a stay. Because of the distance, Volissos is best given a full day, taking in the castle, the village, Limnia and a west-coast beach with its sunset, or better still an overnight stay, rather than a rushed visit, as the guide to the Chios itinerary suggests.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Volissos in Chios known for?
Volissos is known as the largest and most atmospheric village of north-west Chios, famous for its amphitheatre of restored stone houses climbing a hillside beneath a Byzantine castle. The castle, most likely built in the eleventh century and restored by the Genoese in the fifteenth, stands at about 230 metres with a trapezoidal plan and six circular towers, and its walls give one of the finest views on the island over the west coast and the open Aegean. By an old tradition the poet Homer lived at Volissos, and the village holds an archaeological collection dedicated to the celebrated Ariousios wine of antiquity, which the ancient Greeks called the nectar of the gods. Below the village lie the small port of Limnia and some of the emptiest and finest beaches on Chios, at Managros, Limnos and Lefkathia, backed by the island’s best sunsets. Remote and quiet, Volissos is the reward for the long drive across the island’s mountainous spine.
Is the castle of Volissos worth visiting?
Yes. The castle of Volissos is one of the finest short walks and viewpoints on Chios, and entry is free. A Byzantine fortress most probably built in the eleventh century and restored by the Genoese in the mid-fifteenth, it crowns the hill above the village at about 230 metres, with a trapezoidal plan and six circular towers. It was positioned to watch the coastline and the nearby watchtowers, or vigles, to give warning of pirate raids on the vulnerable west coast. A short climb up through the village lanes leads to the walls, from which the view sweeps over the tiers of stone houses below to the west-coast beaches and the open Aegean, spectacular at sunset. The walk up is steep but short, suitable for anyone reasonably fit in proper shoes, and it combines naturally with a wander through the restored village and a meal on its square.
How do you get to Volissos from Chios Town?
Volissos lies about 42 kilometres from Chios Town in the far north-west of the island, and the drive takes around an hour to an hour and a half on a winding mountain road that crosses the island’s spine. The easiest and most practical way to reach it is by hire car, since the region is remote and the bus service infrequent, and the scenic mountain journey, through pine forest and stone villages, is part of the experience. Because of the distance, Volissos is best given a full day rather than a rushed visit, taking in the castle, the village and its Ariousios wine collection, the port of Limnia and a west-coast beach with its sunset, or better still an overnight stay in one of the village’s restored stone houses. The village makes the natural base for exploring the empty beaches and quiet country of the north-west, the least-visited corner of Chios.