|
Mesta Village
Chios: Mesta Village buildings made of stone decorated by flowering plants |
Welcome to Mesta!
To reach the famous Mastihohoria (Mastic Villages) and Mesta itself, one has two alternative itineraries starting off from Chios Town (and Port): one is towards Armolia, Pirgi, Olympi, to reach Mesta. The other goes through Aghios Georgios, Vessa, Elata, to end at Mesta. We shall follow the first one to come back the other way, making a tour. The road network is good in all directions.
One can easily visit the rest of Mastihohoria (Pirgi, Olympi, Armolia), Nea Moni, Anavatos, Avgonima, Volissos, Aghia Markela… Weather permitting, one can choose among some of the best beaches of the island (Trahilia, Merikoundas, Didyma, Aghia Dinami, Vroulidia, Mavra Volia, Kato Fanon, etc.) to have a refreshing swim. Kambos is not far either; we mean the open plain, replete with wonderful mansions surrounded by fantastic blooming gardens. If you are lucky to visit Chios in Spring, you’ll be overwhelmed by the smell of orange and tangerine trees in bloom, and you’ll see the unique Chios wild tulips, (called here “lalades”), ancestors to the Dutch ones.
Mesta, one of Chios’ Mastihohoria, well protected by the surrounding hills, makes its sudden appearance round a road bend, while we are driving through the plain with Lentisk bushes, to be found, of all places on Earth, only here on Southern Chios. If we make a superficial incision to its branches, this bush, trying to heal the wound, sheds its “tears,” a resin well known since Antiquity for its healing and aromatic properties. A significant source of wealth to the island, it has helped the inhabitants, in hard Times, to achieve special privileges by their rulers. To protect themselves and their precious product, they turned their villages into impregnable castles. This is how Mesta was built.
As you come into the village, with arcades made of stone and the stone-paved winding alleyways, you have the feeling of promenading into Middle Ages themselves, of leafing through a fairy tale with crusaders and pirates looming round the first corner to come at you... Continue
Chios: Mesta Village Stone Paved Alleyways and Buildings |
|
|
|
|
|
