South Chios · Mastic villagesHistory & architecture
Kalamoti
A living medieval village, where stone lanes and quiet squares open onto the fertile landscape of southern Chios.
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Villages & lanes · South Chios · Mastic villages
Pyrgi
A village of extraordinary patterns: black-and-white xysta decorate façades around medieval lanes.
Directions from Kalamoti ↗Suggested seasons: Spring, Summer, Autumn, Winter
View photograph ↗Decorated building facades in Pyrgi, Chios · Eva-tzi · CC BY-SA 4.0
Pyrgi’s geometric decoration gives the village its unmistakable character. Look beyond the façades to discover its defensive layout and the Byzantine church of Agioi Apostoloi.
GOOD TO KNOW
Ask before photographing residents or entering church interiors.
Make it part of your day.
Choose one street to explore slowly instead of searching only for the most photographed façade. Compare the patterns, look at the openings and give the square a place in your visit. Pair Pyrgi with the Mastic Museum for a day that connects village architecture with the work of the surrounding countryside.
Source: Chios Tourism Department · Reviewed 2 November 2026. Confirm opening hours and access with the venue.
Where will you go next?
Continue the story with one of these places. Check the setting and access notes before adding a stop to your day.
South Chios · Mastic villages
Southwest Chios · Mastic villagesVillages & lanes
Mesta
Step into a village built like a fortress, with interlocking stone houses and sheltered passages.
Discover this place ↗Villages & lanesCHIOS · A PLACE TO DISCOVER
Northwest Chios · AmaniVillages & lanes
Volissos
A hillside village under a medieval castle, and a starting point for discovering the island’s northwest.
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A THREAD IN KALAMOTI’S STORY
One landscape, connected village stories
Bring this visit back to Kalamoti’s story of growers and collective organisation. Compare what each place reveals about the mastic landscape instead of treating the villages as interchangeable stops.
The historical connection
The growers’ union dates the creation of the compulsory cooperatives and their union to 1938, with operations beginning in 1939. Growers’ harvests could then be gathered, processed and marketed through a common organisation. This wider Mastichochoria story helps explain why the mastic year involves more than work beneath a tree.
Chios Mastiha Growers Association ↗