In the villages of the south, the mastic trees stand in rows with small, hardened drops of resin on the ground beneath their trunks, and people work through them by hand. In Chios town, the stones of the Genoese castle sit above café tables where a spoon sweet or a glass of mastic liqueur arrives with the coffee.
This is a large Aegean island with a character of its own, built around a resin found nowhere else, medieval stone villages and a monastery that is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Where is Chios and what is it like?
Chios lies in the northern Aegean Sea, just off the coast of Asia Minor and south of Lesbos, separated from the Anatolian mainland by the Chios Strait. It is the fifth-largest Greek island, shaped like a crescent or a kidney, and the prefecture also includes two smaller islands, Psara and Oinousses.
The size matters for how the island feels. It stretches about 31 miles from north to south and reaches 18 miles at its widest, which gives it room for a mountainous interior, a long coastline and villages that each keep their own look. Moving from the harbor town to the south, you pass through very different landscapes, and the island rewards the traveler who accepts that distances are real here.
Chios town is the main city and the administrative center. It is a working place where islanders go about their business, and the Genoese castle gives it a history you can see. Beyond the town, the island divides into a mastic-growing south, a village-dotted center and a north where Kardamyla sits as a traditional village.
The pace is that of an island with its own economy, not one that lives only for visitors. Travelers who want a single beach with sun beds and a fixed routine may find Chios asks for more effort. Travelers who like to follow a thread, in this case mastic, from the trees to the sweets on the table, tend to love it.
Chios is the only place in the world where authentic mastic is produced, and it has been cultivated here since the time of Homer. That single fact shapes the south of the island, the food, the drinks and the conversation. It is the reason people choose Chios over its neighbors.
What is there to do in Chios?
The reasons to come are mastic, a monastery of the Byzantine era, a harbor town with a castle, and a coast with beaches of black pebbles. Chios differs from its neighbors because these things are tied to the island’s own history rather than borrowed from a general idea of the Aegean.
The mastic villages
The Mastichochoria, or mastic villages, lie in the southwestern and extreme southern part of the island. Mastic is cultivated only in the south of Chios, and the Protected Designation of Origin status for Chios mastic ties the product to this ground. Every task, from harvesting to cleaning and processing, is done by hand, so what you see in the villages is a craft and not a show.
Two villages give a sense of the area. Pyrgi has houses with black and white decoration on the exterior, a pattern that makes whole streets look drawn in ink. Mesta has stone houses set so closely together that the village looks like a castle. Walk the lanes, stop for a coffee, and look for mastic sweets, ice cream or liqueur wherever they are on offer. A car helps for linking the villages.
Nea Moni
Nea Moni is an 11th-century Greek Orthodox former monastery complex in the center of Chios, between the villages of Avgonyma and Karyes. It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and today serves as a convent and history museum. In 1952, because of a shortage of monks, it was converted to a convent.
The story of its founding adds to the visit. Three monks petitioned the Byzantine Emperor Constantine IX while he was in exile on Lesbos, and the monastery was built with funds he gave. Going there, you move from the coast into the mountainous middle of the island, so it pairs naturally with a drive through the interior villages.
Chios town and its castle
Chios town is where visitors arrive and where the island’s daily life plays out. The well-preserved Genoese castle gives the town its historic core, and the surrounding streets are a place for lingering over coffee, shopping for mastic products and watching the harbor.
It also works as a base for the rest of the island, since it holds the administrative offices, the shops and the services that smaller villages lack. Spend an evening here with a meal of meze (small shared plates) and a glass of ouzo or mastic liqueur before heading out to the countryside.
Beaches and the coast
Emporios is a tiny seaside village in the south, known for the nearby stretches of black pebbles called Mavra Volia, one of the most popular beaches in Chios. The black pebbles give the coast a look quite unlike the pale sand of many Greek islands.
The coastline is long, and the island has other stretches of shore to explore as you drive. Pair a morning among the mastic trees with a swim at the end of the day, then eat at a village taverna, the type of simple Greek restaurant where grilled fish and salads come to the table.
How many days do you need in Chios?
Anyone who tries to see it in a single rushed visit will spend most of the time on the road.
With a short stay, base yourself in Chios town and choose two or three things. The castle and the harbor streets come first, then either the mastic villages of Pyrgi and Mesta or Nea Moni in the center. Each of those outings has its own character, so combining them with a quick swim leaves the days full without feeling hurried.
With more time, the island opens up. You can add Emporios and the black pebbles of Mavra Volia, drive north to Kardamyla, and give the mountain road enough attention to enjoy the view. The Aipus bends, where the road climbs the mountain of Aipus, ask for a lot of care from the driver, which is one more reason not to rush.
A longer stay also allows slower pleasures: a second visit to a mastic village, a meal that stretches into the evening, a day with no plan.
Where to stay in Chios
The main choice is between Chios town and the villages. Chios town is the main city and the administrative center, with the Genoese castle, the harbor and the greatest range of shops and places to eat.
In the south, the mastic villages offer a different kind of stay. Mesta, with its stone houses packed together like a castle, and Pyrgi, with its black and white decorated facades, place you inside the landscape that makes Chios distinct. They appeal to travelers who care more about atmosphere than about being near a city, and who are comfortable driving.
Kardamyla, a traditional village in the north of the island, is another option for those who would rather be away from the town and want to see a different part of Chios.
Since the island is relatively large and some areas are quite far from others, think about where you will spend your days. A base in the south shortens the trips to the mastic villages and the coast, while a base in town makes the harbor and castle part of each evening. Whichever you choose, you will likely drive to see the rest.
How do you get to Chios and get around?
Travelers arrive by air. Olympic Air operates daily flights to Chios from Athens and Thessaloniki, and Sky Express operates regular flights from Athens, Lemnos, Mytilene, Samos and Rhodes. The flight from Athens takes about 35 to 45 minutes, and from Thessaloniki about 1 hour.
Seasonal flights add to the schedule from May until October. These include Aegean Airlines from Athens, Scandinavian Airlines from Oslo and Transavia from Amsterdam twice a week. That makes the warmer months the time when more direct links from other parts of Europe are available.
Once on the island, a private car is probably necessary to get to know it better, because Chios is relatively large and some areas are quite far from others. Renting a car or a motorbike is recommended, since you need wheels to leave your place of stay. Renting a bicycle is an option if you are not traveling big distances.
The highway network is decent, with main intercity roads in good condition and proper signposting. The exception to take seriously is the Aipus bends, the stretch of road that goes up the mountain of Aipus, which needs a lot of attention. Plan your driving so that you meet it with energy and time to spare.
When is the best time to visit Chios?
The warm season from May through October is the period with the widest choice of flights, since seasonal services to Chios operate from May until October. For a trip built around driving, villages and the sea, those months give the most options for getting there, and the island’s beaches and coast fit that season naturally.
The island is not only a summer destination. Mastic is cultivated and worked by hand, and Nea Moni, the castle and the villages of Pyrgi and Mesta are places to see whenever you arrive. Outside the seasonal flight window, you rely on the regular services from Athens, Thessaloniki and the other cities, which keep Chios connected.
If your plans center on the sea, aim for the months with the added flights. If they center on villages, the monastery and the harbor town, you have more flexibility in the calendar. Whichever month you choose, check the road conditions on the mountain bends before a long drive.
Good to know before you go
Chios uses the euro, and the island’s larger size means you will spend more time on the road than on many smaller islands. Plan your days around a car or motorbike, keep the Aipus bends in mind when you set out, and leave room in the schedule for a long meal in a village. Mastic products, from sweets to liqueur, are the natural thing to bring home.
Sources
- Visit Greece (GNTO), Chios (https://www.visitgreece.gr/islands/north-aegean-islands/chios/), checked October 12, 2026
- Wikipedia, Chios (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chios), checked October 12, 2026
- Wikivoyage, Chios (https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Chios), checked October 12, 2026
- Wikipedia, Nea Moni of Chios (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nea_Moni_of_Chios), checked October 12, 2026
- Wikipedia, Mastic Villages (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mastic_Villages), checked October 12, 2026