Last updated on December 20, 2023.

I took a day and did a scenic drive in northern Chios, Greece, that took me through about two dozen small villages. You will notice a completely different landscape and vegetation than in the southern part of the island, and you can see a different natural beauty on this side of the island.

 

First Half

The first half of my drive started and ended in Volissos and covered the northwest part of the island. I went in a clockwise direction covering the villages of Pirama (Πιραμά), Parparia (Παρπαριά), Tripes (Τρύπες), Melanios (Μελανιός), Agio Galas (Άγιο Γάλας), Nenitouria (Νενητούρια), Kourounia (Κουρούνια), Egrigoros (Εγρηγόρος), Afrodisia (Αφροδίσια), Halandra (Χάλανδρα), and Nea Potamia (Νέα Ποταμιά). A turn after Nea Potamia took me to Pispilounta (Πισπιλούντα).

Pirama, Chios, Greece
Pirama
Parparia, Chios, Greece
Parparia
Tripes, Chios, Greece
Tripes
Melanios, Chios, Greece
Melanios

There really aren’t many reasons to stop in any villages unless you’re really curious, but for the record, my favorites were Tripes and Pirama. Also, the views of the sea from some villages are amazing.

If you’re into prehistory, Agio Galas has a cave dating from Neolithic times. It’s also a holy place with a chapel inside. Unfortunately, it was closed for my visit.

Agio Galas, Chios, Greece
Agio Galas
Nenitouria, Chios, Greece
Nenitouria
Halandra, Chios, Greece
Halandra

The final village on this stretch was Pispilounta, a small picturesque village in the mountains. The sign to turn off to the village is a little hard to see coming from the north.

Pispilounta, Chios, Greece
Pispilounta

 

Second Half

The second half of my drive took me from Volissos to the northeast part of Chios, and then down to Chios Town. For me, this was much nicer and more scenic than the northwestern part. This route took me through Katavasi (Κατάβαση), Diefha (Διευχά), Kipouries (Κηπουριές), Fyta (Φυτά), Spartounta (Σπαρτούντα), Kambia (Καμπιά), Viki (Βίκι), Amades (Αμάδες), Nagos (Ναγός), Kardamyla (Καρδάμυλα), Lagkada (Λαγκάδα), Pantoukios (Παντουκιός), and Sykiada (Συκιάδα).

The first few villages I passed through without stopping. After Spartounta, the road got pretty rough, but coming up on Kambia, seeing the village and the mountains and the sea in the background made it worth the drive. I stopped after Kambia on the turn to the beach to admire the scenery and continued on to Viki.

Kambia, Chios, Greece
Kambia
Kambia, Chios, Greece
Kambia
Outside Kambia, Chios, Greece
Outside Kambia

Before passing through Viki, I found a lonely bench next to the road overlooking the village. I sat there for a while and enjoyed the fresh air.

Viki, Chios, Greece
Viki

Next, after passing through Amades I came to a blue and white chapel. I stopped there and did some more admiring before continuing on my way, stopping at Nagos to take a picture of the beach.

Amades, Chios, Greece
Amades
A chapel near Amades, Chios, Greece
A chapel near Amades
View from Amades, Chios, Greece
View from Amades
Nagos, Chios, Greece
Nagos

I made a lunch stop in Kardamyla and then walked around Lagkada (those villages are covered in their own separate posts). From there, I drove past Pantoukios and took a short detour up into Sykiada. After that, I made my way back to Chios Town.

Pantoukios, Chios, Greece
Pantoukios
Northern Chios, Greece
Northern Chios

 

Some tips:
    1. Bring water and snacks. Chances are you won’t find much in the way of food along the route. I ate in Volissos and Kardamyla, the biggest villages in the north. If you plan it correctly and leave mid morning, you can finish in Lagkada for a late lunch or an early dinner.
    2. Fill up your tank! You don’t want to run out of gas out in these parts. I got gas in Chios Town and filled up again in Kardamyla.
    3. The roads in northern Chios can get very narrow and there are lots of hairpin turns, so watch your speed.
    4. I stopped and took lots of pictures along the way.  Chances are you won’t see too many cars approaching from the other direction or from behind, but make sure you stop in a safe enough place to get out of the car to enjoy the scenery.
    5. Dogs can chase your car in some villages. Just keep driving, You won’t hit them.
    6. Look out for goats!

 

Goat crossing!, Chios, Greece
Goat crossing!
Author

Owner of Paisadventure. World traveler. Chicago sports lover. Living in Colombia.

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