Pirgy, Mastic capital
μαστίχα πρωτεύοντος
Pyrgi is the Mastic capital, and it has a host of beautiful mosaic houses in the centre. These buildings are covered from top to toe with natural coloured/white geometric floral patterns. The village is about a 25 km drive from Chios town. The Mastic Museum of Chios opened in Pyrgi in May 2016. This museum offers a wonderful insight into the Mastic culture and the island of Chios. The Mastic museum is open every day.
Stalactite caves are accessible and can be visited in the Mastic village of Olympia. Mesta, 37 km from the capital, is also a Mastic village from the Middle Ages and has a picturesque village square, narrow alleys, and houses connected by arches, as well as two beautiful churches: Paleos Taxiarchis and Megalos Taxiarchis. Ferries to Psara and Athens depart from the harbour a little further on.
The island for everyone
νησί για όλους
Chios has everything, tourist-friendly or quiet beaches, a bustling capital, and quiet villages, culture, history and lots of fun. There is plenty to do for young and old on Chios. Now is your chance to experience it all from your own holiday home.
Armolia
αρμόλια
Armolia village is located 20 km from the centre of Chios town and is known as the pottery village because it has preserved its tradition of pottery making.
Perfectly decorated pottery can be found and bought here. A visit to the church icon of Saint Dimitrios, dating back to 1744 and located in the central square of the village of Armolia, is a very worthwhile trip, as is seeing the monastery of Vretou at the top of the village.
Kómi
Κόμη
Kómi is a welcoming coastal village located on the south coast of Chios. Even today the local population of Kómi is still mostly engaged in extracting the mastic and everything related to it.
The environment also provides them with an extra source of income. This is because it’s fertility means there is plenty of agriculture. This is partly thanks to its location at the mouth of the Kateroú River. Wheat was mainly grown here in the past; but nowadays various vegetables and melons are the main products.
Kómi has one of the most beautiful beaches of Chíos. It has an elongated beach that slopes gently into the crystal clear sea water. The taverns and terraces provide the rest of the fun. This beautiful seaside resort, with all its modern facilities on a very beautiful beach, is located about 6 km from Pyrgy.
Mesta
μεστα
Mesta is a Mastic village on the Greek island of Chios. Mesta can be found on the south-west of the island, 11 km from Pyrgi and 38 km from Chios town. 4 km north of Mesta is the port of the village of Limenas.
The architecture of the village is aimed at protecting the inhabitants against pirates, but also against fire. The houses in the village are packed in close together, and almost all the roofs are flat. It is a stunning labyrinth of narrow streets, gates and squares.
The central square in Mesta is also the gathering place for residents. Festivals, celebrations, weddings and markets are organised here. The square has a social role for the community
As soon as you enter Mesta through the central gate, also called “Captain’s Door”, you will see two beautiful old churches. These are the Agia Paraskevi and Agios Georgios churches, and both have interesting fresco work inside.
Mesta itself is an attraction, and a walk through the village and the narrow streets is an experience in itself. A historic walk under the many arches of the houses built on top of each other is highly recommended. The Taxiarchon church from 1868 on the Mestais central square is the meeting place for the inhabitants. Beautiful mosaic floors made of black and white pebbles can be seen around the church, and you can go to the first floor of the church via the stairs and look out at the beautiful church tower of the Taxiarch church. Inside the church there are beautiful sculptures and frescoes carved from wood. It is one of the largest churches in Chios.
Olympi
ολυμπι
The village of Olympi or Olympia is located in a green valley about 30 km south-west of Chios town. The village was founded in the 13th century and is notable for its remarkable architecture. The houses are built in such a way that the outer walls are inter-connected, which means anyone looking at the village sees a fortress with no visible openings, except for one door through which people can go in and out of the village.
This door is located on Kato Porta. The narrow cobbled streets of the village and imposing arches give you a sense of the time. The tower in the centre of the village is 20 m high and was used for defence in case of a pirate attack. Today the tower houses a nice restaurant. The Church of Agia Paraskevi, with its wooden iconostasis and valuable icons, offers visitors a remarkable sight, as does the Trapeza of Olympi, a two-storey medieval building.
Another beautiful sight is the Cave of Olympi, 3 km to the south-west, close to the village of Sykia. Dating back nearly 200,000 years, the cave has beautiful formations of stalactites and stalagmites.
Mastic villages names
Ονόματα χωριών μαστίχας
| Mastic village | Greek name |
| Agios Georgios Sikousis | Άγιος Γιώργης Συκούσης |
| Armolia | Αρμόλια |
| Didima | Διδύμα |
| Elata | Ελάτα |
| Emborios | Εμπορειός |
| Kalamoti | Καλαμωτή |
| Kallimasia | Καλλιμασιά |
| Katarraktis | Καταρράκτης |
| Kini | Κοινή |
| Mastic village | Greek name |
| Komi | Κώμη |
| Mesta | Μεστά |
| Nenita | Νένητα |
| Olympi | Ολύμποι |
| Patrika | Πατρικά |
| Pyrgi | Πυργί |
| Tholopotami | Θολοποτάμι |
| Vavili | Βαβύλοι |
| Vessa | Βέσσα |
| Vouno | Βουνό |
