Visiting Chios - Tips

The Northeast Aegean Islands are relatively large in size, independent and have a reach history, a lot of attractions and a plethora of available services. Each island has its own distinctive characteristics. The fact that the islands are close to each other, convinces a lot of travellers to try and visit more than one island. However, the fact that these islands are distant from the Greek mainland combined with the popularity of other Greek Islands like Mykonos, Rhodes and Corfu, makes the North Aegean Islands (including Chios) untouched by the mass international tourism, thus more virgin and traditional. The visitors can experience not just accommodation but the real Greek hospitality filled by the culture of the residents. Chios Island will reward those seeking something special for their holidays in the Greek Aegean Seas.

Chios Island is the right place for your vacation if:

- You want to visit a place with original local culture

- You want to enjoy unique sights and attractions

- You want to swim in many beautiful, clean and not too crowded beaches

- You want to visit a place untouched and uncorrupted by the mass tourism

- You want to stay in a place that provides rich touristic services but is also ideal for those who want to stay independent

In General:

- The island is safe and provides a great variety of things to do, so it is appropriate for families with children, for group vacations and for individuals.

- Because of its large size, it is recommended to have a car or a motorbike in order to visit some places unreachable by the local public transportation.

- There are some organized camping sites, but camping is prohibited outside these places, so renting a room is required. There are lots of hotels and rooms to let near most of the villages and sites.

- Connection from Chios to other island or the mainland is easy. There is also the country of Turkey, only one hour away from Chios Port.

Connections with Chios Island

Access to Chios Island can be achieved through air or sea.

The main connections are from Athens, Pereus, Lavrio Port, ant the Greek Islands Samos and Lesvos.

There are also regular connections with some of the larger cities of Greece such as Thessaloniki, Kavala, etc.

Chios is also one of the few places in Greece, from which you can travel from and to Turckey. For your transportation, you can use Ferry Boats from Chios to Chesme (the Port of Turkey) and backwards, several times a day.

Finally, there is a ferry connection from and to the islands of Psara and Oinousses, almost on a daily basis.

The boat routes Athens - Chios - Lesvos - Chios - Athens, runs through two companies daily, NEL Lines and Hellenic Seaways. The boat route Lavrio - Mesta of Chios, runs through NEL Lines The boat route Thessaloniki (or Kavala) - Limnos - Mytilene - Chios, runs through NEL Lines The air connection Athens - Chios - Athens, runs through two companies Olympic Air and Aegean Airlines daily with several flights a day. The air connection Thessaloniki - Chios - Thessaloniki, runs through Astra Airlines four times a week. ..

Oinousses

The five small islands, two miles off the northeast coast of Chios island, are known as Oinousses, by the name of the bigger of them. In antiquity the island was famous for its fine wine and believed that the root of the word wine derives its name Oinousses. During the Greek Revolution of 1821, residents were forced to leave the island and returned there only after 1827. But the difficulties did not end with their return to the islands. Τhe Turkish conqueror was very strict with them. Unaffordable taxes eventually led most of the men at sea. Many of them were later ship owners and today some of the most rich and famous owners worldwide come from this small island.

On the island is one of the largest merchant marine school in Greece. There is a small hotel, some rooms to let, cafeterias, restaurants and many pleasant beaches. There is regular boat connection with the city of Chios during the summer and many travel agencies organize trips to the island. These tours often include approach to coastal villages of the island (like the famous Langada taverns), making these trips a perfect combination of sea, sun and Greek cuisine.

The port of Oinousses is located 9 miles away from the port of Chios and can accommodate several boats.

Psara Island

Psara Island is located 12 miles north-west of Chios in a distance of 40 miles away from Chios Port. You can reach Psara Island by boat from Chios port, or with a smaller vessel from Limnia, the port of Volissos village, north-west of Chios town. The island is famous for its rich history as Its the birthplace of Admiral Kanaris.

Today, there are less than 500 residents, who live in the village of Psara. Visitors can find some traditional cafe and restaurants as well as some hospitable accommodation.

The port of Psara can host several yachts, as it has plenty of space and the appropriate depth.

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