5 Best Sights in Pirgi, The Northern Aegean Islands

Mavra Volia

Fodor's choice

Famous throughout Greece, this glittering volcanic black-pebbled beach is just next to the attractive seaside village of Emborio, where the waterfront is lined with tavernas serving seafood. The cove comprises three beaches, which are backed by jutting volcanic cliffs and fronted by calm dark-blue water colored by the deeply tinted seabed. Here, perhaps, was an inspiration for the "wine-dark sea" that Homer wrote about. Amenities: parking (no fee). Best for: solitude; sunrise; swimming; walking.

The Chios Mastic Museum

Fodor's choice
The mastic shrub has dominated Chios life, economy, culture, and destiny for centuries, and its role is explained in depth in well-designed exhibits in a stunning glass, stone, and wood pavilion overlooking a wide sweep of mastic groves. Aside from learning about how the valuable resin is cultivated and processed, you'll see artifacts and photographs of village life and learn about the island's tumultuous history, including times when hoarding even a sliver of mastic gum was a crime punishable by death.

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Agioi Apostoli

The fresco-embellished 12th-century church Ayioi Apostoli is a very small replica of the katholikon, or major church, at the Nea Moni Monastery. Cretan artist Antonios Domestichos created the 17th-century frescoes that completely cover the interior, and they have a distinct folk-art leaning.

Armolia

In the small mastic village of Armolia, 5 km (3 miles) north of Pirgi, pottery is a specialty. In fact, the Greek word armolousis ("man from Armola") is synonymous with potter. To the west, above the village, there is an impressive Byzantine castle that was built in 1446, and to the east is the wonderful 18th-century baroque-styled Vrettou Monastry.