Chios: Monastery Art, Medieval Villages and Mastic Culture

Chios brings together Byzantine art, medieval village layouts and the distinctive culture of mastic cultivation. There are also many different ways to spend your days: you can explore historic buildings, walk along cobbled streets, discover local traditions or make time for the beach. When choosing a holiday apartment, it is therefore worth first considering which of these aspects of the trip matter most to you and your family.

Monastery Art and Mastic Heritage

Nea Moni is an important destination for anyone interested in Byzantine art. The monastery was built between 1042 and 1056 and is regarded as an undisputed masterpiece of this art. Its mosaics belong to one of only three collections from the Middle Byzantine period preserved in Greece. The monastery’s reliquary exhibition opened to the public in 1992. A dedicated route connects the monasteries of Agioi Pateres and Nea Moni: it begins at Agioi Pateres and follows an old cobbled road downhill to Nea Moni.

The Chios Mastic Museum offers a different perspective on the island. Its permanent exhibition presents the traditional knowledge behind mastic cultivation, while the outdoor exhibition showcases the mastic plant and its natural habitat. The museum opened to the public in 2016 and has free parking. Those interested in the plant and the cultivation culture associated with it will find a dedicated focus here, alongside the monasteries and historic villages.

Villages, Architecture and Crafts

Mestá is a medieval village preserved as a monument. Its houses stand close together, forming a protective outer wall, so that the village is laid out like a castle. The satirical “Agas” court proceeding is part of the carnival celebrations: it recreates court proceedings from the period of Turkish occupation. Mestá is also associated with the local drinks culture: suma is made by distilling figs and grapes; Mestá wine and especially suma are recommended for tasting.

In Pyrgi, the black-and-white geometric decorations on the building façades, known as “Xysta,” stand out. Because of the detailed decorative motifs on its building façades, Pyrgi is often called the “painted village.” The Church of Agioi Apostoloi is a well-preserved Byzantine monument dating from the 14th century. If you enjoy comparing different examples of historic architecture when planning a trip, you can set Pyrgi alongside the medieval villages with their different styles. Armolia, meanwhile, has a long tradition of making ceramic vessels, including jugs, vases, pots, bowls and cups.

The Byzantine Castle of Apolichna, built in 1446, adds to the picture of the island’s historic buildings. From Armolia, a signposted ascent follows a short country road and a stepped path to the eastern entrance. In Anavatos, a medieval Byzantine tower village in the central region of Chios, visitors can walk along cobbled streets. The Church of Taxiarchis is well preserved. The so-called “Three-Storey Building” includes an olive press, a school, a water cistern and the Church of the Theotokos. These different building types offer concrete historical points of interest along a walk through Anavatos.

Walking, Cycling and Water

Kampos combines an excellent natural landscape with distinctive local architectural features and is considered a unique settlement and agricultural complex. Narrow roads run between citrus groves and estates with high stone walls, making the area suitable for walking. Traffic is light, so cycling is also possible there. Cycling tourism on Chios also includes rides around the town of Chios. If you enjoy including some activity in a trip together, you can consider these options alongside visits to historic sites.

The coast and natural scenery offer a different focus. Kato Fana near Olympoi is a sandy beach suitable for swimming. The developed Sykia Cave, with its impressive interior, is also near Olympoi. At the end of Agia Markella beach, a path leads to the site of the Saint’s martyrdom; a hot spring lies in the sea there. On 22 July, the feast day of Saint Markella, thousands of people from across Chios, neighbouring islands and other parts of Greece visit the Agia Markella area.

For more destination pages on Chios, choose from these places: Volissos, Mestá, Karfás, Chios, Vouno, Nenita, Vessa, Kardamyla, Aghios Georgios Sykoussis, Avgónyma, Vrontados, Emporios, Kallimasia, Thimianá, Pyrgi, Lagkada, Koini Ionia, Psara, Agia Ermioni, Neochori, Kambochora, Paralia Agias Fotinis, Patrika and Limnia.

For the broader travel overview: Northern Aegean.