In Chios Town, which is also the island’s port, wander in the medieval, well-preserved Castle of the 10th century. In Chora you will find the Korais Library, a valuable ark of knowledge with over 200 thousand publications. The same building houses the Art Gallery and the Folklore Museum of Chios.
You should also visit the Byzantine Museum that houses the exact copy of Delacroix's famous painting "The Massacre at Chios" that hangs at the Louvre Museum.
Discover the 24 Mastihohoria (mastic-growing villages), where the unique, miraculous mastic tree is cultivated with its "tear" giving us the beneficial mastic. Mastic cultivation is included in the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity of UNESCO.
Visit the Chios Mastic Museum to learn about its history and production and tour the mastic tree orchard overlooking the village of Pyrgi. In this village you can admire the "xysta", a local style with black and white geometric designs that adorn the facades of the houses.
Mesta is also one of the most beautiful Mastihohoria, characterized as a heritage monument and built like a medieval castle reminiscent of a labyrinth. On the way to Mesta, visit Olympi, also a medieval, heritage village, near which is located the impressive cave of Sykia with a history of millions of years.
The eerie atmosphere of the medieval village of Anavatos is surely unforgettable. The village was deserted after the massacre of 1822 and its houses, with their open windows, stand imposingly on the edge of a steep cliff. Avgonima is another stone-built picturesque village with very few residents, from where you can enjoy a wonderful sunset.
Take a walk in Ano Kardamyla, and admire the traditional architecture of the houses in the picturesque alleys especially in the neighbourhood of Spilia. Enjoy your coffee, food or drink in the village harbour with the fishing boats and the ship-owners’ yachts.
Visit the legendary New Monastery of Chios, one of the most important Greek monasteries and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It was founded in 1024 by Emperor Constantine IX Monomachos and has impressive frescoes and famous, beautiful Byzantine mosaics. Another site of historical value is the unique ossuary of the victims of the massacre of Chios in 1822.
Wander around the traditional settlement of Kampos and surrender to the intoxicating scents of the citrus orchards. Admire the mansions and courtyards made of black and white pebbles that form elaborate designs.
Visit Volissos with its Byzantine castle, which was reportedly the birthplace of Homer. It is worth coming to the beach of Agia Markella, the point where the saint was martyred. There, you will see hot water gushing into the sea. Stay until sunset, you will not regret it!