Chios
You just need to walk through the villages of the island's south on a hot July day to smell it before you even see it: a resinous,...
Updated 10 July 2026
Chios
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The story
The story of Chios
History: from Genoese merchants to the massacre of 1822
Populated since antiquity and claimed as a possible birthplace of Homer, Chios experienced a period of great prosperity under the Genoese administration of the Maona Giustiniani, a private trading company that managed the island from 1346, focusing on the lucrative mastic trade. The Ottoman conquest of 1566 put an end to this arrangement, but the island retained relative administrative autonomy precisely because of the value of mastic, reserved for the sultan. 1822, however, marked one of the most dramatic chapters in modern Greek history: during the War of Independence, Ottoman troops massacred much of the island's population in reprisal for an attempted uprising, an event that shocked European public opinion and inspired Delacroix's famous painting.
Mesta, the fortress village
Among the best-preserved mastichochoria, Mesta presents itself as a true labyrinth of covered alleys and narrow passages, built in the Middle Ages with a single access gate so it could defend itself against the pirate raids that threatened the precious mastic harvest. The houses, packed tightly against one another to form a compact block almost without windows facing outward, enclose a central square dominated by the Church of the Holy Taxiarchs. Wandering among its grey stone architecture gives the sensation of crossing a medieval settlement suspended in time.
Pyrgi and the geometric xysta
Pyrgi is perhaps the most photographed of the mastichochoria thanks to its façades decorated with xysta, geometric motifs in white and dark grey obtained by incising the fresh plaster according to a craft technique handed down over centuries. The historic centre also preserves the small Byzantine church of the Agii Apostoli, decorated with 17th-century frescoes. The village remains inhabited and lively, with craft workshops and taverns animating the central square, and continues to this day the processing and sale of mastic harvested in the surrounding countryside.
Nea Moni, the UNESCO World Heritage monastery
Founded in the 11th century by the Byzantine emperor Constantine IX Monomachos, the monastery of Nea Moni stands isolated among the wooded hills at the centre of the island and holds one of the most precious cycles of Byzantine mosaics to survive to this day, recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The mosaics depict scenes from the life of Christ in a refined style that places the building among the peaks of Macedonian art. The complex suffered severe damage during the 1822 massacre and an earthquake in 1881, but remains one of the most spiritually intense places in the entire archipelago.
Chios Chora, the port town
The island's capital, simply called Chios or Chora, has grown up around a lively commercial port that remains a reference point for maritime traffic with nearby Turkey. The historic centre preserves a Byzantine-Genoese castle and the Ottoman quarter of Kastro, with wooden houses and an atmosphere less touristy than other Greek island towns. The archaeological museum and the Byzantine museum gather artefacts that trace the island's long history, from antiquity to the Ottoman period.
The landscape: from mastic to cliffs
The southern half of Chios, dedicated to mastic-tree cultivation, presents itself as a terraced hilly landscape, dotted with the low, gnarled shrubs from which mastic is extracted. To the north the terrain becomes rougher and more mountainous, with cliffs plunging into the sea and traditional villages perched like Volissos. The coast alternates black volcanic pebble beaches, such as Mavra Volia, with small, more sheltered sandy coves, in a rather unusual chromatic contrast for the Aegean.
Mastic: from resin to product
The harvesting of mastic still follows traditional methods today: in summer farmers incise the bark of the mastic tree to make the resin flow, which solidifies into small drops collected by hand in the following weeks. The mastic museum, set up near Pyrgi, tells the whole story of the supply chain, from cultivation to processing into liqueurs, sweets, chewing gums and cosmetic products. The Chios mastic brand, recognized with protected designation status, remains one of the most distinctive export products of all Greece.
When to go and how to experience the island
Spring, between April and June, is the best time to visit the mastichochoria, with pleasant temperatures and green landscapes, while summer, especially in August, brings intense heat but also the most heartfelt popular festivals, such as the famous rival fireworks battle of Vrontados during Orthodox Easter. A rental car is essential to explore both the mastic villages in the south and the mountain villages in the north, distant and connected by scenic but winding roads.
- Getting lost in the covered alleys of Mesta
- Photographing the xysta façades of Pyrgi
- Admiring the Byzantine mosaics of Nea Moni
- Watching the rival fireworks of Vrontados at Easter
- Visiting the mastic museum near Pyrgi
- Swimming at the black pebble beach of Mavra Volia
FAQ
Come si arriva a Chios?
Cosa rende Chios diversa dalle altre isole greche?
Quanto tempo serve per visitare i mastichochoria?
Chios è collegata alla Turchia?
Ci sono spiagge adatte alle famiglie?
Getting there
- Aeroporto di Chios 'Homer' (JKH), a circa 4 km dal capoluogo
- Traghetti dal Pireo (Atene) in circa 6-8 ore; collegamenti marittimi diretti anche con Cesme, in Turchia, distante appena 8 km.
- Per visitare i mastichochoria del sud e i villaggi montani del nord in giornata conviene partire presto: le distanze interne, seppur brevi, richiedono strade di montagna tortuose.
Perfect for
I villaggi fortificati di Mesta e Pyrgi sono tra gli esempi meglio conservati d'insediamento difensivo in Grecia.
Il monastero di Nea Moni custodisce mosaici tra i più preziosi dell'arte macedone giunti fino a noi.
Il mastice di Chios è un unicum mondiale, alla base di liquori, dolci e cosmetici artigianali.
La vicinanza alla costa anatolica rende Chios anche una porta d'accesso verso Cesme e Smirne.
To see
What to see in Chios
Routes · Trovido Route
