Mesta Chios

Mesta, Chios: The Best-Preserved Medieval Village

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A stone-arched alley in the medieval village of Mesta, Chios

Mesta is the finest surviving medieval village on Chios, a complete fortress-village whose plan has scarcely changed in six hundred years. Its houses stand shoulder to shoulder to form an outer wall, its narrow lanes twist and duck beneath stone arches in a deliberate labyrinth, and at its heart sits one of the largest churches … Read more

Where to Stay in Chios: The Best Areas and Towns

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The hilltop village of Volissos in northern Chios, a characterful place to stay

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