THE BEAUTIFUL BEACHES OF CHIOS
Chios offers a great variety of beaches, ranging from cosmopolitan sandy beaches which offer full services, to isolated lagoons where one can enjoy the primitive beauty of the Aegean sea and sun. Some of the most popular beaches are located near the city of Chios, while some others are more distant. Crowded and popular or distant and little-known, all beaches in Chios have crystal clear water and clean sand or pebble stones.
The sandy beach of Karfas
Located a few kilometers south of the city, this is perhaps the most popular beach on the island. It offers full services and a wide range of water sports since it is next to an area where some of the biggest hotels of the islands are built. Restaurants, bars, shops, hotels and rooms, car rentals are within walk-distance from the beach. The water is very shallow and warm in most of the area of Karfas Bay, and therefore the beach is especially suitable for families with little children. During the high-season time in the mid-summer, the beach can sometimes get a little bit too overcrowded, since it is popular among both locales and tourists.
Near Karfas is also the beach of Megas Limnionas, which has less fine sand and is more popular to locales. A full variety of restaurants and bars is also offered in Megas Limnionas. It is easy to get to both of the above beaches; there is frequent bus service from the city and the price of hiring a taxi is affordable, while the rental of a car or moped is perhaps the most convenient way to visit any beach in Chios.
The Daskalopetra beach
Located north of the city, next to the Homer's Stone ("Daskalopetra"), the place where <Homer> teached according to the tradition. The beach has white pebbles and it is quite popular, although not as much as the Karfas beach. A few hundred meters from Daskalopetra is the Lo beach, which is maintained by the local sea-sports club. This beach has sand and it offers some watersports. There are taverns near the beaches where you can enjoy fresh fish and other delicious Greek food. The blue city buses have frequent service to Daskalopetra. Alternatively, a taxi or a rented vehicle can get someone to the beach.
The south-east beaches
Further from Megas Limnionas to the south are the beaches of Agia Fotia and Agios Aimilianos, near the village of Kallimasia. The beach of Agia Fotia has white pebbles and it is larger and more popular than Agios Aimilianos. It also has rooms, restaurants, bars and various services while Agios Aimilianos is more quite. The beach of Komi is a large sandy beach about 25 kms away from the city. Rooms, restaurants and bars are also found in Komi. Best way to get to these beaches is by the provincial (green) buses, by taking a taxi or by renting a vehicle.
The beach of Emborios
A unique beach with round black pebbles ("Mavra Volia"). The stones have volcanic origin and the beach is located between the cones of two now non-active volcanoes. If fact there are three large beaches, each in its own small bay. The most distant is ofcourse the most quite, while all restaurants and cafes are near the first beach. The water is truly transparent and not too warm, and it gets deep very near the shore. You can get to the beach by the green (provincial) buses, by taxi or with a rented vehicle.
The south-west beaches
The beach of Kato Fana is in the area where the ancient temple of Apollo was built. According to Historian Strabo, a large Palm tree forest existed there. Today,
only a few ruins from the temple remain next to the sandy beach. There is no habitation near the beach and the road leading there is not paved. Therefore, no restaurants, or any other services are found near, while Kato Fana is ideal for a day-long pic-nic. Best way to reach the beach is by renting a car or a good motorcycle. After the village of Mesta, next to the Passalimani harbor is a small beach with a few restaurants near it and connection by provincial (green) buses.
The west coast beaches
The large sandy beach of Lithi has some common features with the Karfas beach, while it lacks the cosmopolitan atmosphere of the second. The beach is near the village of Lithi, 30 kms from the city, and there are no big hotels; only a few good taverns serving fresh fish and other specialties. The water is very shallow and warm in the Lithi Bay, and therefore the beach is, like Karfas, especially suitable for families with little children. The bus service is not very frequent and most of the people come to Lithi by car or moped.
Along the west coast, there are many small or larger beaches, sandy or with pebbles. The main road passes near them but some of these have no direct road connections and can be reached only with a few hundred meters walk from the road. Renting a car or motorcycle is the best way to get there. It is an area where the ones who decide to walk down the steep hills and get to the sea, are often rewarded with a small, absolutely clean and picturesque beach for their exclusive use and enjoyment. The beach of Elinda is the most popular on this area and it has a road connection.
The northern beaches
The beaches of Giossonas and Nagos are found a few kilometers north of Kardamyla. There are taverns in Nagos and a frequent bus service from the city.
On the North-west, the beach of Limnia near the village of Volissos has a few good taverns and bars, while further to the north is the beach of Agia Markella, next to the Monastery of Agia Markela. Because of the distance from the city (near 50 kms), the only way to get to these beaches is by renting a car.