North Aegean · An unspoiled land of legend
Chios
Chios is a rustic island of myth and mastic, one of the most undiscovered and unspoiled in all of Greece. We design private Chios itineraries around its medieval villages, black pebble beaches and the aromatic resin grown nowhere else on earth.
Chios is a rustic and rural island of myth and mystery, one of the most undiscovered and unspoiled of all the Greek islands.
An unspoiled land of legend
According to ancient Greek mythology, the first king of Chios was Oinopion, grandson of Minos, king of Crete, and son of Dionysus and Ariadne, who taught the islanders how to grow vines. The myth says the island owes its name to Oinopion’s daughter, Chiona. Legend also holds that Homer himself was born here: near Vrontados you can visit the rock where the poet is said to have recited his verses to great crowds.
Explore Chios
Chios is famous above all for its mastic. It does not register on many tourist maps, and as a result it remains one of the most authentic islands in the Aegean, a place where medieval villages, empty bays and genuine welcomes are still the rule.
Agios Isidoros
In the north of Chios, shortly after the village of Sykiada, lies the picturesque chapel of Agios Isidoros, set on a bay with a fine pebble beach leading out to the chapel itself. It is one of the most photographed places on the island, and just behind the church a bench waits for you to sit and enjoy the view.
Olympi Cave
The cave of Olympi, also known as the Sykia cave, sits in the south near Olympi village, not far from Pyrgi and Mesta. Relatively small, but its interior, dense with stalactites and stalagmites, ranks among the finest of its kind in Greece. Sunbeams entering through the natural opening in the roof, playing over the reds, yellows and whites of the rock, make for a stunning sight.
The windmills of Chios
A short way north of the main town, on a small jetty at Tampakika, stand the island’s four windmills. In the late 19th and early 20th centuries a small industrial quarter grew here, centred on the tanneries that produced finished leather, and the windmills by the sea were part of that story. Today they are one of the island’s most atmospheric photo stops.
Pairing Chios
Chios pairs naturally with Lesvos to the north and Samos to the south on a North Aegean route where the crowds have simply never arrived.
Known first-hand
Our best picks on Chios
- Best Bar Oz Cocktail Bar
In a unique arcade in the centre of Chios town, with a fantastic selection of traditional, modern and house cocktails. Our top tip: tell the mixologists which flavours you like and let them work their magic.
- Best Beach Mavra Volia
One of the most unusual beaches in Greece, thirty kilometres south of town, covered in shiny black pebbles left by an ancient eruption of the extinct volcano nearby. Tall cliffs, bracing water, and a truly special swim; bring towels and water, as facilities are few.
- Best Hidden Spot Vroulidia
A tiny secluded bay on the way to Emporios, mostly sand with a few pebbles, with pristine turquoise water and untamed nature. Perfect for a few hours of peaceful bliss.
- Best Local Specialty Mastic
The tears of Chios, an aromatic resin produced only in the south of the island, often described as the world's first chewing gum: Herodotus wrote of it in the 5th century BC, and the ancients chewed it to clean their teeth. Its uses run from traditional remedies to creams and sweets.
- Best Wine Ariousios Winery
The island's only commercial winery, reviving the culture of ancient Ariousios in the northwest, whose wines were among the most famous of the ancient world; legend says Dionysus himself blessed the island's vintages.
- Best Sight Nea Moni Monastery
An 11th century Byzantine monastery and UNESCO World Heritage Site whose name, New Monastery, is a charming misnomer: it is one of the oldest in Greece. Its memorial to the massacre of 1822 is a sobering counterpoint to the beauty around it.
Chios has an airport (JKH) with domestic connections and ferries from Piraeus; the Turkish coast at Cesme lies a short crossing away.
Design
Design your experience
Tell us the occasion, the season and who is coming. One of our Epicureans will come back with a first sketch of Chios, and will tell you if another island suits your dates better.