Chios Greece: Our 5 Day travel guide
Chios Greece is quite possibly the most fascinating island we’ve been to, certainly in Greece. We’ve all heard of the popular traveler spots of Crete, Santorini, Mykonos and Corfu, but what about Chios? With medieval villages, a distinct culture, welcoming locals, exquisite beaches (one of the best beaches in Greece that we saw) and conventional food and products, what’s not to love?!
Isn’t this what we as travellers are seeking when we set off to see the world?
The island that everyone had seemed to have forgotten about was ours to explore for five days, and the minute we arrived, we knew we could have stayed much longer.
With some negative news stories being spread both locally and internationally, we were identified to uncover the truth about this magical Mastic island.
(Don’t miss the video at the end!)
You’ve probably heard about the refugee crisis in Europe? Chios Greece is located just 7 kilometers from Turkey (a first stop for refugees from Syria and even more afield), making this island a popular stepping stone for those fleeing war-torn countries in hopes of finding a better future in Europe for themselves and for their families.
In the beginning, it was extremely overwhelming for local authorities to deal with the influx of visitors arriving on the shores and no one was really sure how to deal with it. As you can imagine, the refugees were hungry and in need of shelter.
Graciously, the residents of Chios Greece provided food, water, shelter and money to complete strangers! Recently, the government has offered the refugees with cash cards, which allows them to purchase food and any other goods they may need while they are stuck in limbo.
No one knows whether these people will be sent back to their homeland, to Turkey, or even more west into Europe. It’s heartbreaking to know that families are still living in tents and don’t have a home. To add to this heartbreak is the fact that the news has made this situation sound dangerous, keeping tourists from visiting.
Refugees have been arriving by boat in the thousands over the past few years
How having an encounter with a refugee is considered harmful is beyond me.
The refugee situation in Europe is a challenging one – the locals don’t know what to finish with the foreigners and the refugees are stuck with nowhere to go. everyone we talked to on Chios Island was empathetic to the refugees and had a very optimistic view of the future for tourism on the island. In fact, there are much more reservations for accommodation and trips this summer than in the previous year.
The resilient attitude of the people living here, both local “Chiotes” and Greeks from other islands was astounding. Based on our (very positive) firsthand experience, we believe the distinct island of Chios is safe for tourists, and it would be a shame to miss this amazing destination based on displaced and disheartened people.
Go.
Chios Island is a place you shouldn’t miss, and is by far one of the best places to check out in Greece.
Hopping in our rental car, we made our way past the spectacular stone buildings and walled area of Kampos, a village where the elite from the Genoese period (1304–1566) lived in mansions which still stand today.
Immediately, we discovered the difference in architecture from Chios Greece compared to the Ionian Islands where we were travelling previously. The islands of Zakynthos, Kefalonia and Corfu were under Venetian guideline for much of their history, while Chios Island fell to the Byzantines, Genoese and Ottomans.
The stunning Kampos area of Chios
Although Chios is the 5th largest island in Greece, because we were travelling in the off-season, we had the roads practically to ourselves. Making our way to the southeastern end of the island, we arrived at Emporios Bay, which would be our studio house for the next four nights. Our balcony overlooked the large shared pool and rolling green hills covered in shrubs.
Balcony views at Emporios Bay Hotel!
Emporios Bay studio apartment, complete with a modern bathroom, stove, fridge and breakfast in the morning
With no noise pollution other than that of chirping birds, this place was extremely peaceful.
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The family-run house was comfortable, clean and in an outstanding location. We were steps from the glass-calm sea and harbour, and a 5 minute walk brought us to the volcanic Mavra Volia beach, a large bay with black stones and perfectly clear water. A pathway leading from this bay brought us to the neighbouring Emporios Mavros Gialos beach.
An evening stroll to Emporios Mavros Gialos beach
Our house was just a couple of minutes by foot from two of the nicest beaches on the island!
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With just a few days to explore Chios, we dropped off our bags and headed to the outstanding Mastic museum to meet with Roula from Masticulture to learn about the fascinating Mastiha (Mastic) culture of the island, something we had never heard of prior to going to Chios Greece.
Mastic trees grow all over the world, but the sap that is so important is only produced by the trees on this particular island…and only those growing in the southern half of Chios Island!
Roula from Masticulture teaching us about mastic production
The resin, or “tears” as it’s typically referred to, have been a part of Chios’ history for centuries. In fact, this tree was the reason for numerous foreign attempts at conquering Chios, which ultimately led to the fortification of numerous of the villages on the island.
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When the bark of the tree is slashed using a special tool, the sap trickles out and hardens. once all of the resin is collected (including bits of bark, dirt, stones, leaves, etc.) the arduous process of sifting, storing, washing, drying and cleaning of the sap begins. all of this is done by women, by hand.
A display about mastic production in the Mastic Museum
Because cleaning resin is such a boring job, the women of Chios Island came up with a fantastic idea to make it much more of a social get-together, complete with gossip and wine.
As well as having a yearn flavour and being a popular product for chewing gum, mastic has outstanding health benefits. It’s been proven to work as an anti-inflammatory and anti-bacterial product. Plus, mastic is a natural cure for stomach aches and ulcers. If you want whiter teeth or to avoid cavities, chew some mastic! This stuff is magic.
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Roula taught us all about mastic and how the culture, architecture, and landscape of Chios have developed around it. She even invited us out for some cocktails made with, you guessed it, mastic liquor.
Oz cocktail bar is located in the town of Chios. stepping off of the pedestrian-only street, we entered into a funky bar, complete with energetic staff and a “laboratory” for creating a drink to suit our tastes.
A delicious cocktail at Oz bar! Made with, of course, mastic liquor
Needless to say, it was a fun evening. After having a drink made with rum, and a drink made with mastic liquor, I can honestly say I preferred the local flavour.
From the mastic museum and mastic liquor, we moved on to check out the Mastic medieval Villages of Mesta, Pyrgi and Olympoi, which all derived from the production of mastic products (see, everything on this island revolves around the mastic tree!).
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Because the “tears” were so important and primarily used by the rich, fortified villages were built in the 14th century to safeguard this product from Arab pirates.
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Some villages had underground tunnels, and all of them had narrow, confusing alleyways with dead-ends. Locals lived on the second level of their homes, and their livestock lived on the bottom. Being raised up on the second level gave them a better vantage point over attackers, and an escape route to the neighbouring rooftops if needed.
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First up on our day of village exploration was Pyrgi with its white and black geometric “xysta” designs, which are carved into the buildings by hand. The lanes were so narrow that the neighbouring balconies practically touched each other above our heads. bright bougainvillea plants climbed up the facade of the homes, reaching for the balcony on the second level. stone tunnels offered some much-needed shade as we wandered through this pretty village.
Nick strolling through the picturesque Pyrgi Village
Friendly locals talked to us in a language native to their village (each village has its own dialect), and we replied with English and smiles. We went to the Byzantine Agioi Apostolo church, which dates back to the 13th or 14th century, before moving on to check out two much more Mastic villages in the area.
Mesta is probably the best-preserved medieval village in Chios Greece, and the most popular for visitors as it has various accommodation options. aside from a couple of Turkish tourists, we had the village to ourselves, and we loved it. one of the numerous joys of off-season travel for sure!
A woman in the village of Pyrgi – we didn’t speak the same language, but still had a conversation
As with Pyrgi, vines and flowers climbed up stone walls, while the towering Megalos Taksiarhis church dominated the center of the village. Entering the religious building, which was built in 1868, we couldn’t believe how ornate it was. aside from someone who was sweeping the grounds, we were the only people in there.
Inside the stunning Megalos Taksiarhis church in Mesta
Finally, we made our way to Olympoi, a village with a wonderful restaurant, stunning buildings and welcoming locals. The village had one entrance and all of the homes were attached, with the doors facing inwards, implying if you were to look at Olympoi from the outside, you would only see what looks like a walled fortress.
As if a trip to Mesta and Olympoi wasn’t interesting enough, we found out that there’s actually a pathway connecting the two villages! The hike takes about an hour and passes by ancient churches and spectacular farmland. This is one of the eight marked walking routes available on Chios Island.
Which street do you want to take?
These three medieval villages were some of the most unusual places we’ve ever explored, but, Chios Greece would delight us with one much more of its well-known villages, Kampos. We drove past this stone complex when we first arrived on the island, but now it was time to get into the heart of it, on two wheels.
Triandafyllia from Goat trails (how ideal is that name?!) met up with us for our day of biking around the beautiful area. Heading off on our mountain bikes, we cycled through farmland, while zigging and zagging through orange groves. We explored narrow lanes lined with bushy trees and low stone walls. We passed by beautiful mansions, and pretty plazas, while learning about the history of the area from our guide.
Cycling around the picturesque village of Kampos with Triandafyllia from Goat Trails
Kampos was a beautiful area for biking
Just as the sun was getting too hot to bear, the trip was finished and it was time to fill our bellies with food, and amazing off with a local beer. together with Triandafyllia, we made our way to Astrakia in Kampos, which was the setting of our afternoon cooking lesson.
We hadn’t even tasted any food, or learned how to cook any conventional dishes, but we were already in awe of the ideal locale and the fantastic people who would be joining us. We would be spending the afternoon with Elias and his partner Joanna, (who are the owners of Chios cooking Lessons), Triandafyllia and her sweetheart Pedro (from Goat Trails), Dora (the chef) and Maria (the translator for Dora).
Making stuffed vine leaves with Dora
Some other pals of Elias and Joanna stopped by throughout the day to say hello, and the entire afternoon felt like we were just hanging out at a friend’s house, rather than being on a tour.
We learned about Chios Island cuisine from chef Dora, while viewing her expertly roll pasta around the stem of a spartos plant to help form the shape, while keeping a hole in the middle of the dough. Elias and Triandafyllia explaine