The Mastic Villages

Chios

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DESTINATIONS greece chios Do & See The Mastic Villages

The Mastic Villages

Further inland, in the southern part of the island, lie the so-called masticochoria (mastic villages). These well-preserved, fortified villages date from the 14th-16th centuries and were centres for the cultivation of mastic. Mastic is the sweet-tasting gum of the lentisk bush, which was exported all over the Mediterranean – and the area still produces around 300 tonnes of mastic every year. The most picturesque villages are Pyrgi, with its houses decorated in black and white geometric patterns called xysta Mesta, where towers and walls surround a baffling labyrinth of village streets as well as Olympoi and Vessa are all a worth a visit.

Do & See

Chios Town (also referred to as ‘Chora') is a surprisingly modern city. With a crescent harbour overlooked by office blocks, warehouses and workshops; it is dominated by the forbidding walls of the Kastro. This Genoese castle partially encloses an old quarter of narrow streets, tall stone houses with wrought iron balconies and shuttered windows, and drinking fountains bearing Koranic inscriptions that hint at their Turkish ancestry. There is plenty to do on and around the island - from active pursuits to sightseeing, or simply relaxing on the beach.