The Greek islands are well known for their picturesque beaches, dramatic mountains, vibrant cultures and beautiful flora and fauna; no matter the season, there’s always something to delight the senses and awaken the soul. 

And Chios in the Aegean, the fifth largest island of Greece, is no exception with its abundant natural wonders and captivating locales.  From Olympoi in the south to Agio Gala in the north, Anavatos in the west to Chios Town in the east, visitors will be anxious to tell and retell stories of their memories of Chios, with its enchanting nature, historical gems and welcoming people.

Whatever the time of year, Chios greets visitors with a wealth of places and spaces that are not only beautiful sights but also home to a cacophony of sounds that bring out each location’s true charm and character.   Indeed, a journey around the island is an exploration of sounds as much as it is a discovery of sights.

At Chios Castle in Chios Town the sound of footsteps traversing its ancient gateway and passing along narrow, history-steeped streets beat with the rhythm of the island’s heart, punctuated only by the chatter of residents speaking in hushed tones at cafés in the castle’s main square.  A few steps away across the municipal centre and on to the port, the contrast is remarkable with ears greeted by the hubbub of a thriving town and the everyday conversations of tourists and Chians meeting in cafe-bars along the harbour front – “Kalimera! Good Morning!” they say with a smile on their faces.  At the southern end of this bustling place where travellers arrive and depart throughout the day from and to places near and far with laughter and perhaps a few tears, halliards clink invitingly on yachts ready to set sail for coastal tours and seagulls squawk overhead in anticipation of a meal. 

At Kampos just south of Chios Town peace returns and a beautiful stillness descends with the only sounds those of the hums, buzzes and clicks of insects and bees flitting from blossom to blossom, through fragrant orchards and behind towering estate walls.  Overlay this vibrating base layer with the melodious bird song that cuts through the still air and it soon becomes clear that Kampos reverberates to its own song, disturbed only by bicycles that rattle along her winding streets and cars passing through to destinations across the island. 

Next stop for the traveller might be the beach at Karfas, where early in the morning waves greet the shore with a hypnotic back and forth swoosh.  Later in the day, the water’s edge echoes with the happy cries of children playing in crystal clear shallows and on pristine sands, perhaps in make believe worlds of sandcastles and sea monsters.  Finally as the sunsets, the dominant sounds are those of music and merry making at celebrations in beachfront restaurants. 

With ears still ringing from the night’s conviviality, the next day a journey to the Mastichochoria region in the south brings with it the more peaceful and magical sounds of the historic villages of Mesta, Pyrgi, Olympoi, Kalamoti and Vouno; the unexpected clip-clop of a donkey’s hooves on ancient paved streets, the chime of a solitary church bell, the gasps of people exploring labyrinth-like alleyways and tumbled down ruins, and the hushed tones of women gossiping while they sort tiny pieces of mastic at their doorsteps.  Yet it’s not all peace and tranquillity year round and those fortunate to visit Chios at festival time are sure to be swept away by a joyous outpouring of cheer, traditional music and dance!

A mastic tree leaking its resin

Venture on towards the southern-most tip of Chios Island and discover the mesmerising sound that the famous black pebbles at Mavra Volia make as they rush back and forth with every wave that hits the shore.  Notice how they crunch under foot as they shift uneasily with every step, yet leave no trace of where feet have been save for the sound that resonates in delighted ears.  Rise early in the morning to climb high above Emporio and relish in the sounds as well as the sights of the dawn – the birds calling, insects buzzing and wind rustling the leaves of ancient mastic and olive trees.  Later, step into the cool of millennia old caves at Olympoi and listen out for the steady drip, drip, drip of mineral laden water forming stalactites and stalagmites.  And, to round of the day, head back to the beach at Komi to be engulfed by the sounds of true Chian hospitality.

Driving north up the west coast of Chios, the enchanting sounds of the villages and historic places of the south gradually give way to the equally mesmerizing sounds of the central region of Chios.  Here, solitary monks at Agioi Pateres can be heard at prayer and contemplation, their voices melodically cutting through the silence of this most holy of places.  Walk down the hillside to nearby Nea Moni and visitors step into the heart of an ancient monastery – where the silence is deafening and enables those exploring her ruins to hear somehow the voices of the people who must have walked there in meditation and prayer in days gone by.  From there visitors may gaze in wonder at the breath taking view of Chios’ east coast and catch themselves exclaiming  ”wow!”,  before the short drive that takes them to the village of Avgonyma where the phrase “this has to be the best sunset view in the Aegean” is sure to ripple round the group.

Next stop on a tour of the sounds of Chios is the captivating north of the island that stretches from Volissos in the west to Kardamyla in the east and includes some of the most astonishing places on the island.  Scarcely a turn in the road is without some beautiful vista and its accompanying sounds; the clinking of bells around the necks of goats grazing on a mountainside, the thundering crash of the surf on northern shorelines, the deafening quiet in the caves and churches of Agio Gala, the whistling wind on top of the dramatic Mount Pelineon range and the Castle of Gria, the crunching under foot along the magnificent Kampia Ravine, the fluttering of butterflies delicately landing on abundant wild flowers in the long since abandoned village of Palia Potamia, and the bubbling clear water bursting forth from village springs.  Together these are the sounds that truly encapsulate the essence of Chios.

Yet there is one sound that visitors may have to strain to hear; it is the rarest of Chian sounds and the hardest to discern.  It is the sound of a solitary tear of mastic resin as it slowly oozes from the bark of a gnarled tree branch to form a globule that gently falls to the ground as gravity takes over and from where it lies ready to be collected and transformed in to treasured mementos of an enchanting island.

We invite you to take a journey around the 101 things to see and do in Chios and capture its precious soundscapes as you go.