Travel
The Big Adventure: Discovering Chios Island
Slide Nr 1This oft-forgotten gem of the Northern Aegean, just off Turkey’s Çeşme coast, is steeped in mythology. Chios is said by some to be Homer’s birthplace, it boasts black stone beaches with curative waters, and thanks to a centuries-old citrus production at its heart, it might be the best-smelling island on earth. Most fascinating of all, Chios is the only place in the world where the seemingly magical mastic tree produces a resin with a uniquely invigorating flavour as well as medicinal properties that have been used for centuries. We set out to explore this enchanting island and uncover its most closely held secrets.
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The Big Adventure: Discovering Chios Island.
Slide Nr 2SLEEP STRATEGICALLY – Chios City is a great central location from which to explore the entire island; recently renovated Hotel Chios Chandris overlooks the port. For seaside vibes, cruise down the eastern coastline to beach towns like Karfas, Agia Ermioni and Agia Fotini. On the western coast, Lithi is home to hotels and apartments overlooking white sandy beaches and crystal-clear azure waters. For a more tranquil stay, immerse yourself in the green and fragrant gardens of a Kampos guest house like Perleas or Venetis House. For the ultimate olfactory experience, book your stay in late April or May when the rosebushes and citrus groves reach peak blooming season. [Photos: Perleas Estate in Kampos]
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The Big Adventure: Discovering Chios Island.
Slide Nr 5CHIOS BY THE GLASS – Fresh-squeezed citrus juices are a must as are sparkling waters infused with locally sourced botanicals like mastiha, rose and mandarin. Chios is home to historic microbrewery Stoupakis Distillery and a handful of wineries, most famously Ariousios. At just about every local restaurant, taverna or ouzeria you’ll find local beer, wine and ouzo (Greece’s signature aniseed-scented spirit), as well as the sweet and aromatic mastiha liqueur, made from distilled mastic resin. For a taste of true local flavour, ask for a shot of souma, made from sun-dried fermented figs and aromatised with anise, mastic and citrus.
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The Big Adventure: Discovering Chios Island.
Slide Nr 6BIKE THROUGH A FRAGRANT PARADISE – Whether you’re a casual cyclist or have a passion for pedalling, it’s a real treat to cycle around the Kampos (Kampochora) district, known for its ornate red-stone estates and surrounding citrus groves and botanical gardens. Keep your eyes out for elaborate black-and-white pebble pavements and towering species of trees brought centuries ago from all corners of the world to adorn the properties of wealthy Kampos farm families. Refresh and refuel in the courtyard of the Perivoli Citrus Museum Café and check out a fascinating exhibit on citrus cultivation as well as Chios’ rise and fall as a flourishing purveyor worldwide.
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The Big Adventure: Discovering Chios Island.
Slide Nr 7HIKE IMMERSED IN HISTORY AND STUNNING SCENERY – As Greece’s fifth largest island, the diversity of landscapes on Chios feels like many islands in one – and the best way to see them is on your own two feet. Scale the craggy peaks along the southeastern coast with stunning views of Aegean blue. Wander the lush, fragrant and terraced hillsides in the south, dotted in walled villages and ornate architecture. Take in the ethereal beauty of the central Aepos plateau, with its barren mountaintops littered in the stony remains of early Greek settlements. There’s something for everyone; organise your own trekking tour or turn to companies like Chios Hiking for expert guidance. [Photo by Georgios Kakaris]
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The Big Adventure: Discovering Chios Island.
Slide Nr 8INDULGE IN LOCAL FLAVOUR – The island’s history of Italian and Ottoman rule comes through in the cuisine, alongside its famous aromatic herbs, fruits and flowers. You’ll find classic mezze all over, typically at the ouzerias; as the name implies, they’re meant to be enjoyed with the local anise-seed spirit. First-timers, water it down! Haloumi-like grilled cheese is a must, drizzled in honey, coated in sesame seeds or served plain and simple with salad. Herisia Makaronia, hand-rolled semolina pasta, is a rare delight, as are the mini vegetable pies called malathropitakia that pop with the flavour of local wild fennel. Sun-dried octopus and fish, meanwhile, are uniquely flavourful and prepared simply with lemon and oregano. For the meat lovers, melt-in-your-mouth slow-roasted goat and keftedakia meatballs are a must. Sweet treats include loukoumades, Greece’s answer to the donut hole, which are typically soaked in sugar syrup and flavoured with spices and nuts. In Chios try them topped in candied citrus or rose petals and spoon sweets: candied citrus, rose petals and cherries.
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The Big Adventure: Discovering Chios Island.
Slide Nr 9DINE SEASIDE – You’re truly spoilt for choice. Take a dip and spend the day at casual café Oasis in Karfas. Down the coast, at family-run Agyra in Megas Limnionas, you’ll dine with a view – and if you’re lucky, owner Giorgo’s mother is in the kitchen making moussaka. About 20 minutes north of Chios City, waterfront seafood tavern O Passas specialises in sun-dried octopus, among other local delicacies. For those craving that Mykonos party vibe, Veranda by Oz Bay is a beach club by day that becomes a vibrant bar and event space by night. Arrive before sunset for a glimpse of the tiny chapel Agios Isidoros Pantoukios that, from some angles, appears to float on the water.
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The Big Adventure: Discovering Chios Island.
Slide Nr 10SHOP FOR YOUR SENSES – Chios is truly a pleasure for every sense – and surely you’ll want to take some of these pleasures home. Browse for handmade bath and body products infused with mastiha, citrus and rose, as well as sweets like peanut-cream chocolate cookies and loukoumi (Greek-style Turkish delight). Also look for the official Mastihashop for the widest selection of products using mastic, from the iconic mastiha liqueur to mastic-derived medicinal products. A bottle of Mastiha liqueur of course is a must, as are jars of candied citrus fruits, cherries and rose petals called glykó tou koutalioú (spoon sweets). Stock up at the Kampos Citrus Museum or wherever local products are sold.
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The Big Adventure: Discovering Chios Island.
Slide Nr 11THE MAGICAL, MEDICINAL CRYING TREE – Beautiful beaches and culinary specialities aside, Chios’s true claim to fame is its cultivation of mastiha, a resin harvested from mastic trees that has been in medicinal use since antiquity. In a UNESCO protected territory, unique in the world, 24 villages that are collectively called the Mastichochoria tend to the mastic groves and slice into the trees to “make them cry,” as they have for generations. The year-long process requires pruning the trees, preparing a “table” of chalk dust at the base of the trunk, and meticulously bleeding the mastic tree by slicing into the bark to extract drops of resin, which Hippocrates himself referred to as “tears” some 2,500 years ago. Once the resin has crystallised, it is collected, cleaned and sent to the growers’ collective where it is transformed into everything from natural medicine and cosmetics to food products and beverages.
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The Big Adventure: Discovering Chios Island.
Slide Nr 12WANDER THE WALLED MASTIC VILLAGES – Under Genovese colonisation, mastic gum production soared to meet demand on the trade routes. The villages of the Mastichochoria were fortified to prevent pirate attacks and gated to keep residents inside. While many of the original walls have since crumbled, several villages retain their distinctive character: narrow winding roads and arches, 12th-century architecture, and in the castle of Pyrgi, the largest of the villages, ornately painted black and white walls. The interactive Mastic Museum sits high on a hillside just outside of central Pyrgi, with views of the surrounding villages and mastic groves. It’s well worth the trip for a deeper dive into the fascinating history and production process of Chios’ profoundly entrenched cultural patrimony.
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The Big Adventure: Discovering Chios Island.
Slide Nr 14THE FUTURE OF CHIOS – Cultivation of the mastic groves and mastiha extraction is a year-round process, deeply in-sync with the rhythms of nature. The ongoing effects of climate change, including excessive heat, unseasonable late summer rains and, most recently, forest fires on Chios and throughout the Mediterranean, pose a great threat to farmers and producers of the already rare and prized mastic gum. The Growers’ Association is facing the issue head-on through educational programs for growers and research into innovative planting and propagation techniques, whereas local growers have launched an adopt-a-tree initiative to combat the threat and make it easier to support their efforts from anywhere in the world.
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