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For most people crossing from Çeşme, the best base on Chios is Chios Town itself: the ferry from Turkey docks right in town, so you can walk to your hotel, eat on the waterfront and catch buses or taxis to the rest of the island. If you want a beach holiday rather than a town break, Karfas, about 7 km south, is the main resort. The mastic villages and Volissos are better for a second or third night once you have a car.
We haven’t stayed at these hotels ourselves; we picked them on location, published details and guest ratings.
Short answer
- Best area overall: Chios Town, on or near the harbour. Ferries from Çeşme arrive here, and the old town, market streets and bus station are all close by.
- Day trip plus one night: pick a hotel within a few minutes’ walk of the port, such as Promenade Chios Port Residences or Filoxenia Hotel, so you can arrive late and leave early without a taxi.
- Best for the beach: Karfas, the island’s main sandy beach resort, a short taxi ride south of town.
- Best for families: Karfas (beachfront hotels with pools and family rooms) or a hotel with a pool on the southern edge of Chios Town.
- Something different: a restored mansion in Kambos, the old citrus-estate district between town and the airport, or a night in medieval Mesta in the mastic-growing south.
- Budget tip: simple hotels and rooms in the streets behind the waterfront in Chios Town are the cheapest way to stay walking distance from the ferry, and you save the taxi fare.
Areas
The ferry from Çeşme arrives at the port of Chios Town, on the east coast. Distances below are from Chios Town, so treat them as distances from the ferry.
| Area | Good for | Distance from the ferry port | Vibe |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chios Town (harbour and centre) | Short stays, no car, first-timers | Walking distance | Busy port town, waterfront cafés, old town and market |
| Southern Chios Town (Bella Vista / Enoseos Avenue) | Couples and families who want a pool | About 1–2.5 km | Quieter residential edge of town, small town beach |
| Kambos | Couples, character stays | About 5 km | Walled citrus estates and stone mansions, very quiet |
| Karfas | Beach holidays, families | About 7 km | Resort strip on a long sandy bay |
| Mesta and Pyrgi (mastic villages) | Village atmosphere, an extra night with a car | Pyrgi about 24 km, Mesta about 36 km | Medieval villages, mastic groves, rural |
| Volissos and Limnia | Slow, remote stays with a car | About 38 km | Hillside village and a small fishing port in the north-west |
Chios Town
Chios Town is the island’s capital and its port. You step off the ferry onto the waterfront promenade, which is lined with cafés and restaurants, and the old castle quarter, the market streets and the main square are a short walk away. The main KTEL bus station is also in town, near the harbour, and taxis wait at the port. For a one- or two-night stay without a car, nothing else is as convenient.
The trade-offs are noise and the lack of a real beach in the centre. The waterfront is a working harbour with traffic, and in summer the cafés stay busy late. Chios Town suits people on short stays, travellers without a car, and anyone who wants to be able to walk everywhere. Families who need a pool should look at the southern edge of town or at Karfas instead.
Southern Chios Town (Bella Vista)
South of the centre, along Enoseos Avenue, the town thins out into a quieter residential area near the small Bella Vista town beach. Two of the larger hotels with pools are here, which makes it a reasonable middle ground: you are still in town, but with more space, parking and a place to swim.
The downside is that the port and old town are no longer a quick stroll for everyone, and the airport is close by, so some aircraft noise is possible. It suits couples and families who want a pool hotel while staying near town restaurants.
Kambos
Kambos is the historic district just south of town where wealthy Chiot families built stone mansions inside high-walled citrus orchards. Several of those mansions now take guests. It is green, quiet and very different from the port, and it is close to both town and the airport.
You will want a car, a taxi or plenty of patience with walking along narrow walled lanes; there are few shops or restaurants inside the estates themselves. Kambos suits couples and anyone who wants a calm, characterful base and does not mind a short drive to dinner.
Karfas
Karfas is the island’s main beach resort, about 7 km south of Chios Town, with a long sandy bay and hotels, apartments, tavernas and bars along the shore. A taxi from the port is roughly €10–15 according to published fare guides (as of October 2026), and local buses also serve the area.
It is not an atmospheric old village, and in July and August it gets busy. Karfas suits families with children, beach lovers and anyone staying several nights who wants a swim before breakfast.
Mesta and Pyrgi (the mastic villages)
The mastic villages in the south of the island are one of the main reasons people visit Chios. Pyrgi, about 24 km from town, is known for its black-and-white geometric wall decoration; Mesta, about 36 km away, is a walled medieval village surrounded by olive and mastic groves. Route planners put the drive from town to Mesta at roughly 35–40 minutes, and buses are infrequent.
Staying here gives you the villages after the day visitors leave, but you are far from the port. Only stay here if you have a car or a flexible schedule and at least two nights; it is not a good choice for a one-night stop between ferries.
Volissos and Limnia
Volissos is a hillside village with a ruined castle in the north-west of the island, about 38 km from Chios Town, and Limnia is its small harbour below. The area has quiet beaches and very little development.
It is the most remote option in this guide. Route planners estimate around 40 minutes by car from town, and buses run only a few times a week. Volissos suits people with a rental car who want a slow few days, not ferry day-trippers.
Hotels
Chios Town (harbour and centre)
- Ferry port
- on the harbour front (Prokymea)
- Best for
- couples / families / first-timers
A full-service hotel on the waterfront promenade overlooking the harbour, with an outdoor pool, restaurant and bar. Booking.com lists family rooms and free parking, which is unusual this close to the centre. Rated around 8.7/10 on Booking.com (October 2026); harbour-facing rooms come with harbour traffic.
See rates & availability- Ferry port
- about 5 min walk (0.5 km) from the port
- Best for
- couples / short stays
A small property on Aigaiou Street, the waterfront road, with some rooms offering harbour or partial sea views. A practical choice for a one-night stay when you arrive on an evening ferry and leave the next day. Guest ratings were in the 9.7–9.8/10 range on Booking.com and Hotels.com (October 2026).
See rates & availability- Ferry port
- about 7 min walk from the port
- Best for
- budget / solo travellers
A simple one-star hotel on Roidou Street in the centre, near the Byzantine Museum, with single, double and triple rooms. Breakfast is not served on site, but the hotel offers a continental breakfast at a café about 50 m away. One of the cheapest ways to sleep within walking distance of the ferry; rooms are basic.
See rates & availability- Best for
- budget / short stays
A modest town hotel on Eleftheriou Venizelou Street, about 600 m from the centre according to Booking.com, with a roof garden looking out over the Aegean. Breakfast is available and children are welcome. Good value for a short stay; there is no beach nearby, the nearest organised beach being about 5 km away.
See rates & availabilitySouthern Chios Town (Bella Vista)
- Ferry port
- about 1 km from the port
- Best for
- families / couples with a car
A hotel on Enoseos Avenue, about 100 m from Bella Vista beach, with an outdoor pool, buffet breakfast, family rooms and free parking behind the building. A good compromise if you want a pool without leaving town. Rated around 8/10 on Booking.com (October 2026); the airport is close by.
See rates & availability- Ferry port
- about 2.3 km from the port
- Best for
- couples / spa
A spa hotel on Enoseos Avenue about 200 m from the town beach, with a seasonal outdoor pool, spa with sauna and hot tub, fitness room and daily buffet breakfast. Rated around 9.2–9.3/10 on Booking.com (October 2026). It is about 1 km from the airport, and you will want a taxi from the ferry.
See rates & availabilityKambos
- Ferry port
- about 6 km from the port
- Best for
- couples / character stay
A restored mansion of around ten rooms in the Kambos citrus estates, set among orange, lemon and mandarin trees with a courtyard where breakfast is served. Free parking and Wi-Fi are listed. Rated around 9.3–9.4/10 on Booking.com (October 2026); you will need a car or taxi to reach town restaurants.
See rates & availability- Best for
- families / self-catering
Studios and apartments with kitchenettes in a traditional mansion surrounded by citrus trees, with a stone-paved courtyard and free parking. Booking.com puts it about 4 km from Chios Town and about 800 m from the beach, with supermarkets nearby. Breakfast is not listed, and there are no cots or extra beds.
See rates & availabilityKarfas
- Ferry port
- about 7 km from the port
- Best for
- families / beach
Self-catering apartments with sea-view balconies, about 200 m from the main Karfas beach, with an outdoor pool, buffet breakfast, family rooms and free parking. Children of all ages are welcome. Rated around 9/10 on Booking.com (October 2026).
See rates & availability- Best for
- families / beach
A larger beachfront hotel on Karfas Bay, about 7 km from Chios Town, with a big outdoor pool, restaurant, two bars and free parking. Half-board rates are available. Children aged 7 and over are charged as adults, and cots and extra beds are not offered, so check the room setup if you travel with young children.
See rates & availabilityMesta (mastic villages)
- Best for
- couples / village stay
A small three-star property about 150 m from the centre of medieval Mesta, with rooms and apartments, daily continental breakfast, family rooms and free parking. Rated around 9.3/10 on Booking.com (October 2026). It is roughly 35 km from the port, so plan on a car or a taxi.
See rates & availabilityVolissos
- Best for
- couples / families with a car
Self-catering apartments on a pine-covered hill above Limnia, the small harbour of Volissos, with sea-view verandas, a café-bar and a homemade breakfast based on local recipes. Lefkadia beach is within walking distance and Volissos village is about a 5-minute drive. Remote: only worth it if you are renting a car.
See rates & availabilityPractical tips
Arriving by ferry from Turkey
Ferries from Çeşme arrive at the port of Chios Town, on the east coast. The town centre is a short walk from the arrival point, and taxis wait at the port exit. Our Çeşme to Chios ferry guide covers operators, timetables and passport control.
- Chios Town hotels: walk if your hotel is on or near the waterfront; a taxi is useful only with heavy luggage.
- Southern Chios Town and Kambos: a short taxi ride. Kambos lanes are narrow, so tell the driver the exact estate name.
- Karfas: published fare guides put the taxi at about €10–15 (as of October 2026). KTEL buses also run from town.
- Mesta, Pyrgi, Volissos: taxis cost noticeably more (fare guides suggest roughly €30–50, as of October 2026), and KTEL buses run only a few times a day or week. Renting a car in town is the practical option.
Uber and Bolt are generally not available on Chios, and taxis mostly expect cash, so carry some euros.
When to book
July and August are the busiest months, and Turkish holiday periods (especially the bayram holidays) bring a surge of visitors from Çeşme. Book town hotels near the port early for those dates, since they fill first. Outside summer you can usually book a few days ahead, but some village and beach properties close in winter, so check opening dates.
Best months
May, June and September are the easiest months: warm enough to swim from late May, fewer crowds and lower prices than high summer. October is still pleasant for town and village visits, though some beach businesses start to close. Chios Town hotels are generally open year-round; resort areas are much quieter out of season.
Car rental
You don’t need a car if you stay in Chios Town for one or two nights. For the mastic villages, Volissos or several beaches in one day, a car makes a big difference. Rental agencies operate near the port. Parking in central Chios Town is hard in summer, and Mesta and Pyrgi are largely car-free inside, so you park at the edge of the village.
More routes
Planning another island? See all our ferry routes from Turkey.
FAQ
Is Chios Town or Karfas better for a first visit?
For a short first visit arriving by ferry, Chios Town is better: you can walk from the port, explore the old town and use the bus station. Karfas is better if your priority is a beach and you are staying three nights or more.
Can I walk from the ferry to my hotel?
Yes, if you stay in central Chios Town. Hotels on the waterfront or in the streets just behind it are within a few minutes’ walk of the port. For Bella Vista, Kambos and Karfas you will want a taxi.
Is one night on Chios enough?
One night is enough to see Chios Town and possibly one excursion, for example to Pyrgi and Mesta by taxi or tour. Two or three nights let you combine town, the mastic villages and a beach day without rushing.
Where should families stay on Chios?
Karfas is the most practical choice, with a sandy beach and hotels that offer pools and family rooms. In town, a pool hotel on the southern edge, such as Grecian Castle Chios, is a good alternative.
Do I need to stay in the mastic villages to see them?
No. Pyrgi and Mesta are easy to visit as a day trip from Chios Town by car, taxi or bus. Staying overnight is worth it only if you want the quiet evenings and have a car.
Sources
- Booking.com: Chios Chandris
- Booking.com: Promenade Chios Port Residences
- Hotels.com: Promenade Chios Port Residences
- Booking.com: Filoxenia Hotel
- Booking.com: Diana Hotel
- Booking.com: Grecian Castle Chios
- Booking.com: Royal Pearl Island Chios Hotel & Spa
- Hotels.com: Royal Pearl Island Chios Hotel & Spa
- Booking.com: Archontiko Riziko
- Tripadvisor: Archontiko Riziko
- Booking.com: Topakas House
- Booking.com: Aegean Dream Hotel
- Booking.com: Golden Sand Hotel
- Booking.com: Mesta Mastic
- Booking.com: Volissos Holiday Homes
- Booking.com: hotels in Karfas
- Booking.com: hotels in Kambos
- Greeka: Chios villages and distances
- Direct Ferries: Çeşme to Chios travel guide
- MileHacker: Getting around Chios
- Rome2rio: Chios Town to Mesta
- Rome2rio: Volissos to Chios Town