Chios cruise port guide

About Chios

Chios is the fifth-largest Greek island in the northern Aegean Sea, 8 km from the Turkish coast. Known as 'the Mastic Island' for its unique mastic gum production, it features UNESCO World Heritage monastery Nea Moni, medieval mastic villages, and a Genoese castle.

The Mastichochória in the island's south are the premier cultural excursion, with Pyrgi's houses covered in striking black-and-white sgraffito (locally called Xistà) and medieval Mesta resembling a fortified village-castle. Nea Moni, in the interior, preserves Byzantine mosaics of outstanding importance. The Genoese castle in Chios Town (perimeter 1,400 m) anchors the historic waterfront. Kambos, just south of town, offers a unique landscape of Genoese-era citrus estates converted to atmospheric hotels. The Mastiha Museum and Maritime Museum are both in Chios Town.