Chios - Northern Coast

Six km/4mi north of Chios town is the villa suburb of Vrondádes. At the north end of the town, near the sea, are the Pasha's Spring (Basávrysi) and a large block of dressed stone which was probably a shrine of Cybele. This is popularly known as the Daskalópetra (Teacher's Stone) or Skholí Omírou (School of Homer) - recalling the island's claim to be the birthplace of Homer. Farther up the coast lies Langáda (15km/9mi), near which there are the excavated remains of the Delphinion, a site fortified by the Athenians in 412 B.C. At Kardámyla (27km/17mi; pop. 1,300) a road goes off on the right to the little port of Mármaron (25km/15.5mi; pop. 2,400), which has a sandy beach. Beyond Kardámyla the main road continues round the north of the island, passing through Víki and the picturesque village of Kéramos to reach Áyion Gála (50km/31mi). Another road runs northwest from Chios town along the northern slopes of Mt Aepos to Vólyssos (40km/25mi) and its harbor at Límnia.