(Distance from Piraeus: 153 n. m. Area: 858 km)
This island is full of deep green valleys; trees descending to the sea and villages hidden among the mastich-trees.   The capital, Chios, called Chora by the inhabitants, lies on the eastern coast, opposite to the coasts of ancient lonia. The Port, with its old quay, tiny multi-coloured houses, swarms of fishermen's boats and nets spread out on the mole, competes in beauty with the new pier and its modern houses and packed cafes. From the port see the castle opposite, which holds behind its walls, the old town, houses with latticed windows and balconies, Byzantine baths and the church of St. George.
Behind the pier lies the Archeological Museum with a remarkable collection. The Museum of Modern Greek Sculpture and the Municipal Library are also very interesting.
From the capital, the road to the south, leads to the Campos area full of mansions built of local stone. Amongst green gardens and orange groves we reach the sandy Karfas beach (6 km). North of Chios lies the Vrontados village (5 km), with the famous stone "Daskalopetra" (teacher's stone) where - according to tradition - Homer used to teach.
Further on, we reach Mersinidio Monastery - an enchanting landscape overlooking the sea and the beautiful fishing villages of Pantoukios and Langata (17 km). Near the ancient Delfinion lies the two villages of Pano Kardamyla (28 km) and Kato Kardamyla or Marmaro (30 km), with one of the most beautiful beaches on the island - Nago - and the Ampelos coast at the end of the asphalt road.
Along another asphalt road to the northwest, leads us through mountainous landscapes of rare beauty to Volissos (40 km), home city of Homer. With its coloured houses, narrow lanes, rained Byzantine castle, the village looks as if it is cut out of a Byzantine fresco.
There is a remarkable Monastery of St. George with beautiful frescoes. Two kilometers further we shall meet Limnia, a tiny picturesque fisher-men's port; at the end of a long coast we reach the monastery of Santa Marcella (5 Km).
Again to the left from Chora, through wonderful landscapes, we reach Nea Moni (15 km), one of the most important Byzantine monuments. Built in the 11th century by Constantine the Gladiator, endowed with marvelous frescoes and mosaics, Nea Moni remains one of the strongest Byzantine presences in Greece.
Further to the west, built on the top of a hill, are the villages Avconyma and Anavatos, with their traditional homes, reminding us of other eras-memories of centuries gone by.
The southern part of the island is most fascinating to the visitor. The Monastery of Agios Minas is the first surprise. Here begins the bush. It is a bush that "weeps" a thick liquid, like a white gum, which flows from the bark and branches - it is the scented mastich of Chios, famous all over the world. As we continue, we pass villages which haven't changed since the Middle Ages.
Vaulted lanes, stone houses, churches with frescoes, castles with towers and turrets suggest to the visitor a different world, painted by some weird artist. We visit Armolia, with it's ceramic workshops, and then to Pyrgi, the beautiful village with magnificently decorated house fronts ("xysta").
The port of the village is Emporios, a calm beach with black pebbles. Further to the west we meet Kato Fana, with a few rains from the temple of Apollo. This is a beautiful sandy beach, port to the village of Olympoi, well-known for its carnival. Finally we reach Mesta, one of the best-preserved medieval villages in the area. In Pasalimani, a fishermen's village with rented rooms, one can enjoy the sea and its world of dreams. Many houses in Mesta have been included in the Greek National Tourist Organization (GNTO) programme of traditional settlements and promise a comfortable stay.

Events
Cultural: The "Homeria"- events of art and literature on the historic Homer's stone (Vrontados), every summer.
Folk: On the last Sunday in Lent in Mostra Thymianon, on the first Monday in Lent in Olympoi and Aga Meston.
What to buy: liqueur, ouzo, Chian mastic, mandarins, scented honey.