7 Days in Chios
Chios is the Aegean island tourists forget—a working place where locals outnumber visitors. The medieval mastic villages of Mastichochoria are unique in Greece, the Byzantine Nea Moni monastery rivals Meteora in grandeur, and empty beaches ring the island. Go for solitude, authentic Greek life, and a slower pace than Santorini.
What to expect
- Wander Pyrgi village's geometric black-and-white plastered houses and narrow covered streets
- Tour Nea Moni's 11th-century Byzantine monastery with stunning mosaics and a tree-shaded courtyard
- Swim at Emporios Beach or Karfas Beach, nearly empty even in August
- Taste mastic liqueur and honey at local tavernas; buy gum resin at source
Day by day
Ferry from Piraeus or fly to Chios Town; check into a room near the waterfront (Emborio quarter).
Walk the harbour; visit the Ottoman castle (Kastro) and its marble fountain squares.
Dinner at a harborside taverna; try htapódi (octopus) or fresh fish with local retsina wine.
Rent a car and drive south to Pyrgi, the most famous mastic village; walk its enclosed streets with geometric patterning.
Visit nearby Vessa and Armolia; taste mastic liqueur (mastichá) at a producer's shop; buy mastic gum.
Return to Chios Town; dinner at a family taverna in the Emborio district.
Drive north-west to Nea Moni (45 min); climb to the 11th-century monastery perched on a forested hillside.
Explore the octagonal katholikon (main church), Byzantine mosaics, and a cemetery with monks' bones.
Return to Chios Town; rest or explore quiet cafés in Castelo quarter.
Drive east to Karfas Beach; swim in clear, calm Aegean water; rent a beach umbrella.
Drive north-east through small villages—Marathoúnda, Trigóna—and stop at tavernas selling fresh fish.
Sunset at another quiet beach; return to Chios Town for dinner.
Drive to Schinari in the north-east; explore abandoned venetian mills and a quiet pebble beach.
Lunch at a local taverna overlooking the northern Aegean; spot Turkey's coast in the distance.
Return south; evening walk through Kampos, the central olive-growing plain.
Visit the fortified village of Mesta, a medieval Genoese settlement; walk its maze-like streets and tower houses.
Tour a small olive-oil mill; taste new oil and see the harvest pressing.
Return to Chios Town; final dinner at a traditional ouzeri (ouzo bar) with meze platters.
Morning coffee at a waterfront café; buy last-minute mastic and honey souvenirs.
Depart via ferry or flight.
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