Deciding where to stay in Chios shapes the whole feel of a visit to this large, varied island. Chios is not a single resort but a patchwork of very different places: a lively working capital. A sandy beach resort kilometres away, medieval stone villages in the mastic-growing south. Green, quiet coasts in the north. Each … Read more
Getting to Chios is easier than its off-the-beaten-path reputation suggests: unlike some Greek islands. It has its own airport with daily flights from Athens, as well as regular ferries from Piraeus and its neighbouring islands. You can reach it in under an hour by air or on a scenic overnight boat, and even cross from … Read more
Nea Moni is the greatest monument of Chios and one of the most important Byzantine buildings in Greece. An 11th-century monastery set high in the pine-clad mountains of the island’s centre. Inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage list for its exceptional gold-ground mosaics, it combines masterpieces of Byzantine art with a moving memorial to the … Read more
Chios is a large island with a long, varied coastline and some of the least crowded beaches in Greece. From the dramatic black volcanic pebbles of Mavra Volia to sandy family bays and remote, clear-water coves. With around ninety beaches spread across the south, west and green north, the island rewards anyone willing to explore … Read more
The mastic villages of Chios, known as the Mastichochoria, are a cluster of medieval fortified settlements in the south of the island. Built to cultivate and protect mastic, the fragrant resin produced nowhere else on earth. With their maze-like alleys, defensive walls and, at Pyrgi, extraordinary black-and-white patterned facades, they are among the most distinctive … Read more
Chios is a large, uncrowded island in the northeastern Aegean, famous worldwide as the only place mastic is produced, and it offers a remarkable range of things to do. Medieval fortified villages, a UNESCO monastery, a castle-crowned old town, black-pebble beaches, mountain hikes and boat trips all sit on one island that mass tourism has … Read more