Chios Town

The main port and capital, Chios Town, or Chora, is a busy commercial settlement on the east coast, across from Turkey. It lacks the historic charm of other port towns of the Northern Aegean, though the hustle and bustle of daily life here has an allure of its own—by day, the streets are clamorous with a bazaarlike atmosphere, and when the lights come on in the evening, the scene is softened by a mingling of blue hues, the cafés begin to overflow with ouzo and good cheer, and locals promenade along the bay side. The outskirts straggle into vast olive groves that stretch toward the mountains, and particularly appealing is the Kambos district, where beautiful Genoese houses are surrounded by lush gardens behind honey-colored walls.