Chios is a large island among the North-East Aegean islands, a few kilometres from Turkey's Çeşme peninsula. From 1346 to 1566 it was ruled by the Genoese company of the Maona, led by the Giustiniani family, who enriched the island through the mastic trade. In 1822, during the War of Independence, the Ottomans massacred or enslaved most of the population: Delacroix's painting "The Massacre at Chios" made the tragedy known across Europe. Chios is also a land of shipowners, and one tradition names it as the birthplace of Homer.
Mastic
Mastic is a resin that oozes from cuts in the trunks of the mastic tree, and only in southern Chios is it produced in enough quantity and quality to be harvested. It is used in sweets, liqueurs, chewing gum and cosmetics. Mastic cultivation has been on UNESCO's intangible heritage list since 2014. The mastichochoria, the mastic villages, were built by the Genoese as small fortresses, with houses packed together and narrow lanes.
What to see
| Place | Why |
|---|---|
| Pyrgi | Mastic village with facades decorated in black and white geometric patterns (xysta) |
| Mesta | The best preserved fortified medieval village, a maze of covered lanes |
| Nea Moni | 11th-century monastery with Byzantine gold-ground mosaics, a UNESCO site |
| Anavatos | Abandoned village on a crag, the "Mystras of the Aegean" |
| Kambos | Plain of citrus groves with stone mansions of Genoese and Greek families |
| Chios town | The Genoese castle; the mastic museum is near Pyrgi |
Beaches: Mavra Volia, of black volcanic pebbles, Komi, Agia Dynami, Karfas. Boats leave the main town for Oinousses and Psara.
Getting there
The airport has flights from Athens and Thessaloniki. Ferries from Piraeus (about 6-8 hours), from Lesbos and from Çeşme in Turkey.