Two towers connected by a wall remain at Gria Fortress. According to tradition, the castle owes its name to an old woman who fled Kardamyla over steep rocks to escape pirates. The structure and the story offer two distinct ways to explore the history of the area: the surviving complex and the legend surrounding its name.
Fountains, harbour square and local history
Koulalas Fountain is made of local stone and dates from the Genoese occupation, from 1346 to 1566. Also precisely located is the statue “Sailor from Kardamyla” by sculptor Apartis: it stands in Marmaro’s harbour square, in the part of Kardamyla by the sea. The fountain is linked to a clearly defined historical period, while the statue has a named location and artist.
Challenging trails and a pebble beach
Hiking trails lead from Ano Kardamyla to pastures above the surrounding mountain ranges. They are considered challenging, an important distinction when planning hiking days. The Via Ferrata is a climbing route that may be used only by trained people with special equipment. Its approach lies along the Kardamyla–Gria Fortress route. The hiking trails and the Via Ferrata therefore involve different requirements; for the Via Ferrata, training and equipment are explicitly part of its use.
Giosonas Beach is six kilometres from Kardamyla. Small and large white pebbles line the shore, which faces the Aegean Sea. The beach adds a coastal landscape to the hiking and history themes. The local facts therefore offer several distinct focuses when choosing where to stay: the fortress and its history, challenging trails or the nearby pebble beach.
Chios as a wider cultural setting
On Chios, Nea Moni Monastery is a distinct focus for cultural history. It was built between 1042 and 1056, in the 11th century. Its mosaics are part of one of three surviving collections in Greece from the Middle Byzantine period; Nea Moni is regarded as an undisputed masterpiece of Byzantine art. The dates and the mosaics offer different points of reference for learning about the monastery.
In Pyrgi, the permanent exhibition at the Chios Mastic Museum presents traditional knowledge about mastic cultivation. The outdoor exhibition brings visitors into contact with the mastic plant and its natural habitat. The museum opened to the public in 2016. Free parking is available there; check this information before your visit.
Other cultural highlights on Chios showcase different forms of architecture and local character. Mesta is a medieval village preserved as a monument. It is laid out like a fortress, with closely packed houses forming a protective outer wall. In Pyrgi, the black-and-white geometric façade decorations are called “Xysta”. Because of their detailed motifs, the village is often called the “painted village”. Mesta thus stands out for its fortified village layout, while Pyrgi is known for its house façades.
Discover more destinations: Vrontados, Lagkada, Kambochora, Aghios Georgios Sykoussis, Vessa, Patrika, Emporios, Mestá.
Back to the main travel overview: Chios.
