Mastic villages · medieval towers · black pebble beaches
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Chios is one of the big islands of the eastern Aegean, and the only place in the world where mastic is produced. In the south, the medieval mastic villages of Pyrgi, with its patterned house fronts, and stone-built Mesta feel unlike anywhere else in Greece. The medieval villages were built by the Genoese to protect the mastic trade, and the same trees still grow here. Around Chios town, the Kampos is a plain of walled citrus estates and stone mansions, while the north is mountainous, quiet and full of old villages.
Ferries from Piraeus take from 8h 15m, from €49 for one adult, one way. You can also sail to Oinousses, Lesvos, Samos, Psara.
For the port, shops and restaurants, and the bus station.
Near the mastic villages and the beaches around Emporios and Komi.
Real sailings from our booking engine on sample dates in winter and summer. Chios is linked with Oinousses, Lesvos, Samos, Psara, Agios Efstratios, Ikaria.
| From | Companies | Fastest | Fares from | When |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oinousses | Blue Star Ferries, Oinousses local ferry | 45 min | €3 | Autumn & winter; check summer |
| Lesvos | Blue Star Ferries | 2h 15m | €14 | Autumn & winter; check summer |
| Samos | Blue Star Ferries | 2h 35m | €10.50 | Autumn & winter; check summer |
| Psara | Blue Star Ferries | 2h 55m | €10 | Autumn & winter; check summer |
| Agios Efstratios | Seajets | 5h 10m | €17.70 | Summer |
| Ikaria | Blue Star Ferries | 6h 05m | €13.50 | Autumn & winter; check summer |
| Limnos | Blue Star Ferries, Seajets | 6h 35m | €21.10 | All year |
| Piraeus | Blue Star Ferries | 8h 15m | €49 | Autumn & winter; check summer |
Children travel at reduced fares. ISIC student card holders get reduced fares on some companies. See all discounts. For a group booking, ask us for a quote.
Related guides: North Aegean islandsIsland hoppingAll destinations
Fares from our booking engine on sample dates; search your date.
Ferries arrive at Chios town, in the middle of the east coast, close to the shops and the bus station.
Ferries to the North Aegean often leave from gate E1, at the far end of the port from the metro; Blue Star shows your gate when you check in. Allow extra time to get there.
The Blue Star ferries usually leave in the evening and sail through the night: book a cabin for a bed and your own bathroom.
Chios, Lesvos, Samos, Ikaria and Limnos have airports; many travellers fly one way and sail the other, and hop by boat.
City buses and KTEL buses leave from the centre of Chios town, close to the port.
A car is the best way to see the mastic villages, Nea Moni and the north.
Chios has an airport with flights from Athens.
May to October for swimming; Easter in Vrontados is famous for its rocket war between two churches.
The mastic villages harvest from July to October, and shops all over the island sell mastic sweets and drinks.
Taking a camper, motorhome, van or your boat on a trailer to Chios? Big vehicles need a little more planning on Greek ferries. Here is what to know, for holidays and for business.
Give the exact length and height of your camper, van or car with caravan, including bike racks, roof boxes and tow bars. The ferry fare and deck space depend on them, and a vehicle bigger than booked may be refused or charged extra at the port.
Vehicles running on LPG or other gas, and hybrid or electric vehicles, must be declared when you book. Gas tanks may be filled to no more than 50% and EV batteries charged to no more than 40%. Make sure gas bottles are turned off before boarding.
Be at the port at least 1 hour before departure. Large vehicles are loaded in the order set by the port authority, so arriving early helps. Book well ahead in July and August: garage space for big vehicles runs out first.
Only the driver stays with the vehicle to drive it on and off; everyone else boards on foot. Nobody may stay in the vehicle during the crossing, so take what you need for the trip with you.
Taking your own boat? We also book ferry tickets for a car towing a boat trailer. Give the total length of car, trailer and boat together, and the height of the boat on the trailer, including any mast, frame or outboard engine.
Vans carrying goods, tools or equipment for work may be booked as commercial vehicles, with a different fare and different paperwork from a private car. Tell us what the vehicle carries and its weight.
Several vehicles and drivers on the same sailing, or regular crossings for a project? We book them together so your team travels on the same ship.
Length, height and weight decide the category. Include racks, ladders and trailers, and tell us if anything is loaded on the roof.
Commercial vehicles may need to be at the port earlier than cars. We confirm the exact check-in time and gate for your sailing.
Travelling for work? We issue an invoice in your company’s name. Send us the company name, address and VAT number with your quote request.
The village of black and white patterned facades.
A walled medieval village with narrow stone lanes.
An 11th-century monastery with famous mosaics, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
The black pebble beach at Emporios.
An abandoned village on a rock in the centre of the island.
Citrus estates with stone walls and old mansions, just south of Chios town.
A small cove of white pebbles and turquoise water near Emporios.
A sandy bay below a white chapel, on the way to Mesta.
The main sandy beach, close to Chios town and the airport.
A pebble beach with green trees and springs, near Kardamyla.
The rock known as the Stone of Homer, on the coast north of town.
Chios town has a long seafront of cafes and bars; the villages are quiet in the evening.
Ferries from Piraeus take from 8h 15m. You can also sail from Oinousses, Lesvos, Samos, Psara, Agios Efstratios.
From €49 for one adult, one way from Piraeus, on our sample dates. Fares change with the date and the ship.
Ferries arrive at Chios town, in the middle of the east coast, close to the shops and the bus station.
Chios has an airport with flights from Athens.
Yes, on the conventional ferries. Get a vehicle quote.
For mastic, the medieval mastic villages of Pyrgi and Mesta, and the monastery of Nea Moni.
Chios town is the most practical for the ferry. Karfas is good for a beach, and the south for the mastic villages.
It helps a lot, as the villages and beaches are spread out. KTEL buses run to the main villages.
Oinousses (from 45 min), Lesvos (from 2h 15m), Samos (from 2h 35m).
Ferries to the eastern Aegean often leave from gate E1 or E2, at the far end of the port from the metro; Blue Star shows your gate when you check in.
Many sailings from Piraeus are long and some run overnight. Search your date to see the times, and ask our team about cabins.
Yes. Search your date above and pay online, or message our team on WhatsApp, Viber or email.
Photo credits: A.Savin / Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 3.0
