Chios island

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There is much to do on this island not only because of the size of it but also because of its long and somewhat colourful history.

If ancient history is what excites you, you might want to start with Daskalopetra (The teacher’s stone) which is to be found at the foot of mount Epos, this is supposedly where Homer held classes and taught his students.

Agios Galas is known for its extensive cave system. The findings in the cave date back to the Stone Age, during the Byzantine era monks lived in the cave and today you will find the 13th century church of Ganayia Agiogalousena at the entrance. There is a second church inside the cave which marks the entrance to the rest of this extensive cave system which has yet to be fully explored.

The area of Kambos (Field) is quite unique to the island due of the reddish stone that was used to built houses. This red stone was shipped or more correctly carried by donkey at the time from Thymiana. Sadly today there are only a few mansions preserved. However what is left of these mansions give one a pretty good idea of how wealthy this area once was.

The castle (To Kastro) was a fortress that served both the Turks and Genoese but predated both by quite a bit since it was originally constructed by the Byzantines. The interior of the castle houses the Giustiniani museum whose main exhibits date from the Byzantine period.

There used to be many windmills lining the coast taking full advantage of the winds the Aegean sea provides year round, unfortunately, only a few of these can be found nowadays and even fewer have been restored to their original state.

One more location worth a visit to admire the artwork nature itself provides is the Cave of Olympi 5 kilometres away of the medieval village of Olympi. The “decorative” shapes in the cave made by Mother Nature are inimitable.

Another must is the Chios archaeological museum whose exhibits span the full length of human history on the island.