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Chios at a Glance

Celebrated for its beauty, ship owners, gum mastic and friendliness, Chios is a semi-mountainous island, with its highest peak of Pelinaious, at 1300 meters. It has several verdant valleys and pine forests. It is rocky and precipitous in the north and flatter in the south and east with sandy unspoiled beaches.As a larger island, it has many villages mostly concentrated in the south.

Incidentally Gum Mastic or Mastika is the derivation of the English word 'Masticate' as in 'chew'. One of Mastika's many properties is to cleanse the human palate.

Both the Romans and the Turks highly valued Chios for this highly versatile product which is unique in all the world to Chios.
It wont grow or flower any place else!

Its capital and main port is Chios Town and its other major villages are Thimania, Nentia, Marmaro, and Pirgi. There are many smaller hamlets including Kardamila and Kambos, to the south, is particularly green and beautiful. The western and northern regions have steep rocky cliffs facing the sea. There is a large Greek Army contingent on Chios.

Its architecture is unique and varied, and includes the 11th Century Byzantine Nea Moni with its wonderful mosaics.