Medieval villages built like castles to protect the mastic: what makes them unique, how to tell them apart and how to see them in one day.
They are the fortress villages of southern Chios, built like castles to protect the mastic from pirates. The most intact are Mesta and Olympoi. Pyrgi stands out for its xysta, and Volissos for its castle in the northwest.
For centuries Chios sat at the crossroads of East and West. Its wealth, mastic, made it a target for pirates, and the villages of the south answered with a unique way of building.
The settlements have their roots in the Byzantine era. Their present form was shaped mainly by the Genoese, who ruled the island from 1346 to 1566 and controlled the mastic trade.
To protect the harvest and the villagers from raids, they organised the villages as strongholds. After 1566 Chios passed to the Ottomans, but the fortress villages kept their structure.
The outer houses join together to form a continuous wall with no windows facing out. Inside, the alleys are narrow, twist like a maze and pass under arches and vaulted passages.
At the centre stood a tower, the last refuge during an attack. The architecture shows strong Italian influences, combined with local stone.
In the countryside of the mastic villages you will find medieval watchtowers, small churches and archaeological traces of older settlements. Between them grow the mastic trees that made these villages rich.
If you do not have time for all of them, this table shows what makes each one special.
The most intact fortress village
The two Taxiarchis churches and arched alleys
Mesta →The “painted” village
The black-and-white xysta on the facades
Pyrgi →Quiet fortress village
The central tower and the nearby cave
Olympoi →Small and quiet
Stone houses without the crowds
Vessa →The pottery village
Workshops with jugs, swans, suns and moons
Armolia →Northwest, with a castle
The hilltop castle and the views
Volissos →| Village | Character | Don’t miss | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mesta | The most intact fortress village | The two Taxiarchis churches and arched alleys | 1.5–2 hours |
| Pyrgi | The “painted” village | The black-and-white xysta on the facades | 1–1.5 hours |
| Olympoi | Quiet fortress village | The central tower and the nearby cave | 45–60 minutes |
| Vessa | Small and quiet | Stone houses without the crowds | 30–45 minutes |
| Armolia | The pottery village | Workshops with jugs, swans, suns and moons | 30–45 minutes |
| Volissos | Northwest, with a castle | The hilltop castle and the views | A separate day |
Kambos sits at the southern edge of town, on the road to the mastic villages. This order avoids doubling back.
Leave early, before the heat. The first stop is about 25 minutes away.
Stay in Kambos →Walk among the xysta and see at the museum how mastic is cultivated.
Pyrgi →Swim at a southern beach such as Mavra Volia or Komi, then head back to Kambos for dinner.
Mastic villages →
Voulamandis House · KambosKambos lies on the road to the mastic villages: leave early without driving through town and come back in the evening to a quiet, historic citrus garden. Chios accommodation at Voulamandis House
Approximate driving times.
The best known are Mesta, Pyrgi, Olympoi and Vessa in southern Chios, and Volissos with its castle in the northwest.
Because they are built like castles: the outer houses form a wall, the alleys are a maze and a tower stood at the centre for defence.
Mesta for its fortified layout and Pyrgi for the xysta. They are about 10 km apart and fit into one morning.
The southern ones, yes: Armolia, Pyrgi, Olympoi and Mesta. Volissos is better left for a separate day.
Kambos is a practical base: it sits at the southern edge of town, on the road to the mastic villages, and close to the airport.
It is the most practical way, as the villages are spread out. Cars cannot enter the old centres, so you park outside and walk in.
You have found a place worth visiting. Compare where to stay, discover our quiet base in Kambos, explore the rooms and continue to current direct rates.
