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Grand, nostalgic, discret, a real lady in the middle of Archipelagos gifted with a unique lonic light and generous Mediterranean sun, full of philosophers, people of spirit as well as merchants, the gradle of the glorious Greek merchant marine, the island of Chios
In hospitable Chios Island, feel the romance of the middle ages, seel the glory that will still wandering on the heroic island of Psara and allow the Mermaid to welcome you to the picturesque island of ship owners, Inousses.
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The idyllic scenery, the crystal clear waters, the alternation of pictures, the renowned Chian architecture, the genuine inslurar life and the civilised atmosphere mixed with cosmopolitan hues, will capture your senses and your heart.
If a trademark were to be established for Chios, then surely it would be the mastic tree.
It is a gift, but at the same time a curse, since it has always been the bone of contention for the conquerors.
The oldest references to mastic tree have been traced back to Herodotus in the 5th century BC., while this amazing tree only thrives within the 21 mastic villages of southern Chios.
The kendos (as the locals call the incision for the mastic tree) begins in June and lasts through September. This is a social event. If you will visit the mastic villages during that period you will fell the warmth of the people prevailing in every corner of the village.
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Getting There
Adequate connections with the Greece (Piraeus and Thessaloniki) and Lesvos, Inousses and Psara Islands.
There are flights from Athens and Thessaloniki Intarnational Airports.
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Getting Around
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is a very good bus service. The buses serve Chios Town, Kambos area, Karfas beach, Vrondados and the rest of the Island.
Cars and motorbikes are available for hire.
Taxis are also available.
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Excursions
Chios Town, start at the northern end of the harbour where the imposing, medieval walls of the old Castle, enclose the old town.
Move on to the old mosque and then the archaeological museum. A second museum in the town library contains island costumes and crafts.
Tree shaded Vounaki Square is the perfect placefor a coffee. The wide harbour-front promenade is a good place for a pre-dinner stroll with a wide choice of tavernas and restaurants.
The coastal road south gives way to peaceful rural scenery and a maze of unspoilt villages. A good coffee stop is the tranquil seaside village of Komi. Pyrgi is beautiful, worth a visit.
Medieval Mesta with narrow streets and fortress is an excellent place.
The wild and windswept north-east corner of the island, has some of the most striking scenery scenery of Chios. The villages of Pirama, Parparia, Ag. Gala and Kourounia are beautiful.
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Chios (Capital) |
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is a large town with 20,000 inhabitants, a place well worth to stay and explore.
What survives from the Turkish occupation is enclosed within the Byzantine fortress, which more or less follows the lines of the Macedonian castle destroyed by Mithridates. The Giustiniani repaired the walls, and after 1599 only Trks and Jews were allowed to live in it, as the Greeks were foced to live outside the walls, and the main gate or Porta Maggiore was closed every day at shutdown. Within the walls is a ruined mosque.
The fortress of Chios and the Archeological and Byzantine Museum will resusciate historical memories, while Korais Library (135,000 volumes) and Argentis forlklore museum will make you acquainted with the local culture and tradition.
The Kastro Justinian Museum, at the castle entrance in Plateia Frouriou, contains detached frescoes, wood carvings and early Christian mosaics.
The town's main square, Plateia Vournakiou (or Plastira), with its cafe and sweet shops under the plane trees, is an excellent place.
Picturesque taverns and luxurious hotels wait for you to taste the specialities of the Chian cuisine. Aplotaria, the commercial street is the ideal place for shopping.
The near by beaches are with crystal clear waters.
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Anavatos
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Settlement built on an acropolis, natural, medieval fortress, west of capital, a unique picture of serenity placed in a wild environment, haunted by history and myths, another "Zalogos" during the massacre of Chios.
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Kambos
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Serene beauty and fragrances in the unique environment of Kambos, just outside the city of Chios.
Elegant, old, Genoese mansions, built with stones from Thymaria, with beautiful pebled yards, fountains, cisterns and trickly planted orchards, each with its own well-wheel are protected by high walls and gates with buchlers.
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Komi
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Sandy beach and the harbour of the village of Kalamoti.
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Lagada
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Enjoy the light, the colour and the unique beauty of the picturesque fishing village of Lagada and the beach of Nagos with the spring waters and the rich plantation.
Nagos is the resort of Kardamyla, the well known nautical Mediterranean town.
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Mesta
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Beautiful, medieval fortress-village, a village of yesterday, full of narrow lanes, arches, stone benches and small circular towers.
Well preserved and popoulated by nice people who keep tradition alive, combines modern life with a romantic atmosphere.
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Nea Moni
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Imperial creation and place of spiritual elevation, a Monastery with some of the most brilliant samples of Byzantine architecture, mosaics and hagiography in the world, a monument of outstanding significance.
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Pyrgi
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Impressive architecture in the three-storey houses of the largest medieval mastic village.
Geometrical shapes and themes taken from nature in black and white, the so-called "ksista" provide the front view of the village houses with an original culture and an abudance of folklore elements.
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Volissos
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Large village in the north part of Chios with a byzantine fortress (on the top of the hill where Volissos is built) Homer's residence according to the mythand the place where St. Marcella - the local Saint is worshipped.
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Useful Information
| Population | |
Port Authority | 22710 44433, 44434 |
| Distance from Piraeus | 160 NM |
Chios Town Hospital | 22710 44302 |
| Radio Taxi | 22710 41111 |
Bus Station (Outside town) | 22710 23086 |
| Tourist Office of Chios Town Municipality | 22710 44389, 44344 |
Olympic Airways | 22710 24515, 20359, 20692 |
| Tourist Police | 22710 44427 |
Chios Airport | 22710 44261-2 |
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