Olympi

The village Olympi is 31 kilometers south of the city of Chios and six kilometers after Pirgi. The village has beautiful houses connected to each other, forming a defensive wall, which used to protect the inhabitants in former times against possible attacks.

The narrow streets, cobbled roads and the rigid, yet simple architecture are also contributing to the beauties of this village. The villagers' main occupation is agriculture and beekeeping.

The whole village has been designated to be a listed medieval monument. Skepastra and Doxharades are one of the things that one can see here. Very impressive is also the defensive tower of the village, which is among the few intact ones in the villages of Chios.

The wonderful beach of Phana is not too far from the village and probably the most famous beach for the villagers' summer baths. Here are also the remains of the temple of Phanaios Apollo, which was constructed on the same date as the sacred temples in Delos.

The stalactite cave in Olympi is estimated to be around 200.000 years old. This underground cavern impresses visitors with its depths of 57 meters. Because of its numerous calcite formations (stalactites and stalagmites), this cave is among the most remarkable and beautiful caves of all Greece. The first phase of its development refers to the late Jurassic Era (150 million years ago) while the second phase refers to the Cenozoic Era (about 50 million years ago). The cave's formations are still in a stage of development. For centuries inaccessible for man, the cave was discovered in 1985.

Today, the carnival activities in the mastic villages, such as Olympi, continue the Turkish judge trials' charade. This event dates back to the Ottoman Occupation where the "Aghas" or Turkish official tried to force the citizens of Chios to pay taxes in mastic. During the carnival season, the man who is dressed as "Aghas" usually mock political officials currently in office and charges them with the legislature they disagree with. This satirical performance is unique to other mastic villages such as Mesta, Elata, Lithi, and others.