Aegean
Chios
Medieval mastic villages, Byzantine monasteries, and a uniquely flavoured island.
Getting around
Car recommended
Cost
€€€
In peak season
Quiet
Best months
May, Jun, Sep, Oct
From Athens
Flight or ferry
In pictures
Chios
Chios produces mastic — a resin from Pistacia lentiscus trees that grows only on this island's southern soil — and has been doing so for at least 2,500 years. It was prized by ancient Romans, used as the world's first chewing gum by the Byzantines, and today appears in liqueur, ice cream, bread, cosmetics, and even surgery. The Mastichochoria — 24 mastic-producing villages of the south — are architecturally extraordinary: medieval fortified settlements where every building facade is covered in geometric black-and-white sgraffito patterns, designed to confuse pirate attackers who couldn't identify individual houses in the darkness. The Nea Moni Byzantine monastery, with the finest intact Byzantine mosaics in the world outside Constantinople, is a UNESCO World Heritage Site of quiet magnificence. A Muslim quarter in Chios Town, complete with a functioning mosque, survives from the Ottoman period. Chios rewards those willing to engage with its layers.
How it scores
- Beaches
- Nightlife
- Food
- Culture
- Nature
- Family
- Accessibility
- Value for money
The catch
Not conventionally pretty in the way most people imagine Greece. The appeal is history and culture, not postcard scenery.
Hidden gem
Walk through Pyrgi village — every building painted with geometric black-and-white xysta patterns. Surreal.
Where it sits
Aegean, Greece
Chios — frequently asked
- When is the best time to visit Chios? +
- The best months to visit Chios are May to October. It's calm and uncrowded most of the year, so even peak season is workable.
- How do you get to Chios from Athens? +
- Chios has an airport, so you can fly direct from Athens in under an hour or take the ferry.
- Is Chios good for couples? +
- Chios is more about scenery than swoon — better for active or family trips than honeymoons.
- Is Chios good for families with kids? +
- Chios is a solid family option, though you'll want a car for the best beaches.
- Is Chios expensive? +
- Chios is affordable by Greek-island standards — and it's one of the better-value picks in its tier.
- Do you need a car on Chios? +
- You'll want a rental car on Chios — distances are longer and the best beaches are spread out.
- What's the catch with Chios? +
- Not conventionally pretty in the way most people imagine Greece. The appeal is history and culture, not postcard scenery.