Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
9
car, since the web of narrow, poorly marked lanes sandwiched between high walls
guarantees disorientation and frequent backtracking. Behind the walls you catch
fleeting glimpses of ornate old mansions built from locally quarried sandstone, whose
courtyards are paved in pebbles or alternating light and dark tiles.
Néa Moní
Daily 8am-1pm & 4-8pm, 5-8pm in summer •
T
22710 79370
Almost exactly in the middle of the island, the monastery of
Néa Moní
was founded by the
Byzantine Emperor Constantine Monomahos (“The Dueller”) IX in 1042 on the spot
where a wonder-working icon had been discovered. It ranks among the most important
monuments on any of the Greek islands; the mosaics, together with those of Dháfni and
Ósios Loukás on the mainland, are the finest surviving art of their era in Greece, and the
setting - high in partly forested mountains 15km west of the port - is equally memorable.
Once a powerful community of six hundred monks, Néa Moní was pillaged in 1822 and
most of its residents, including 3500 civilians sheltering here, were put to the sword. The
1881 tremor caused comprehensive damage, wrecking many of its outbuildings, while
exactly a century later a forest fire threatened to engulf the place until the resident icon
was paraded along the perimeter wall, miraculously repelling the flames.
The site
Just inside the
main gate
stands a
chapel/ossuary
containing some of the bones of the
1822 victims; axe-clefts in children's skulls attest to the savagery of the attackers. The
restored
katholikón
has a cupola resting on an octagonal drum, a design seen elsewhere
only in Cyprus; the famous
mosaics
within have now been returned to their former
glory. The narthex contains portrayals of various local saints sandwiched between
Christ
Washing the Disciples' Feet
and the
Betrayal
, in which Judas's kiss has unfortunately been
obliterated, but Peter is clearly visible lopping of the ear of the high priest's servant.
Avgónyma
Some 5km west of Néa Moní sits
AVGÓNYMA
, a cluster of dwellings on a knoll
overlooking the coast; the name means “Clutch of Eggs”, an apt description when viewed
from the ridge above. Since the 1980s, the place has been restored as a summer haven by
descendants of the original villagers, though the permanent population is fewer than ten.
ACCOMMODATION AND EATING
CENTRAL HÍOS
Ì
Arhondiko Perleas
3km south of the airport,
Kámbos
T
22710 32217,
W
perleas.gr.
Set in a huge
organic citrus ranch, with a well-regarded in-house
restaurant, this extremely classy converted mansion boasts
dark wood interiors and original artwork,
as
well as lavish
furnishings. Gourmet breakfast included.
€90
O Pyrgos
Avgónyma
T
22710 42175,
E
pyrgosrooms
@chiosnet.gr.
In an attractive arcaded mansion on the
main square, with ample courtyard seating, this taverna
run by Greek-Americans offers both oven-cooked dishes
and
grill
s. There are some simple but adequate rooms
too.
€40
Spitakia
Avgónyma
T
22710 20513,
W
spitakia.gr.
A
cluster of small stone cottages sleeping up to five people,
plus some rooms, all lovingly restored and tast
efull
y
decorated, with good heating for the winter months.
€50
The west coast
The central section of the island's
west coast
offers a couple of picturesque villages and some
not-too-crowded beaches, given that they are so easily accessible from Híos Town by way of
Avgónyma, from where the main road descends 6km to the sea in well-graded loops.
Tigáni and Makriá Ámmos
On the northern stretch of the central west coast, bypass Elínda, alluring from afar but
rocky and often murky up close, in favour of the more secluded coves to either side of
Metóhi - best of these are
Tigáni
and
Makriá
Ámmos
, the latter nudist.
