Amazing views of Chios

Nea Moni Monastery, Chios

Real Chios

Elind beach, West side of Chios

More to come, alot more to see!

Visit Real Chios!

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Χωρίς φωτεινό Αργέντικο φέτος ο Κάμπος.

Λιγότερο φωτεινός θα είναι ο Κάμπος φέτος μετά από την απόφαση της ιδιοκτησίας του Αργέντικου να μην στολιστεί όπως κάθε χρόνο τα Χριστούγεννα....

Σε αυτές τις περιπτώσεις τα λόγια είναι περιττά...

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Συνεργασίες (1)

Ο κ. Παντελής Κουτσουράδης ανανέωσε την συνεργασία του με την Travel and Hospitality Services για μία ακόμη χρονιά. Σύμφωνα με την ανακοίνωση της εταιρείας Travel & Hospitality Services και ως αποτέλεσμα της επιτυχημένης συνεργασίας τους για την σεζόν 2013 στην διαχείριση των OTA's για το Pandelis Studios στην παραλία της Αγίας Φωτεινής, ο Κος Κουτσουράδης εμπιστεύτηκε την εταιρεία και για την επόμενη χρονιά προσθέτοντας στο χαρτοφυλάκιό τους και τα άλλα δύο καταλύματα που διαχειρίζεται, το Evangelia Apartments στην παραλία του Καρφά και το Fotini Studios & Apartments στην παραλία της Αγίας Φωτεινής.
"Αρχικά θα θέλαμε να ευχαριστήσουμε τον κύριο Κουτσουράδη για την εμπιστοσύνη του στις υπηρεσίες της εταιρείας μας. Η προσπάθεια μας για τη χρονιά που έρχεται είναι να βελτιστοποιήσουμε την προβολή των καταλυμάτων μέσω των OTA's και να διαχειριστούμε την τιμολογιακή πολιτική που εφαρμόζει ο κύριος Κουτσουράδης στην συνεργασία του με τους OTA's. Σε πρώτο στάδιο υπογράψαμε τα απαραίτητα συμβόλαια συνεργασίας με το booking.com, την μεγαλύτερη διαδικτυακή πλατφόρμα online ξενοδοχειακών κρατήσεων και διερευνήσαμε την προοπτική συνεργασίας με το TripAdvisor." αναφέρει ο Ηλίας Σιώλης, υπεύθυνος για Business Development της Travel and Hospitality Services, και συνεχίζει: "Παρατηρήσαμε την χρονιά που τελειώνει μια εκρηκτική αύξηση των καταχωρήσεων των Χιώτικων επιχειρήσεων παροχής φιλοξενίας στο booking.com, συνέπεια της οικονομικής κρίσης που μαστίζει την χώρα μας με αποτέλεσμα την μείωση του εσωτερικού τουρισμού που αποτελούσε παραδοσιακά το μεγαλύτερο ποσοστό των τουριστών στο νησί της Χίου. Η στροφή αυτή των ξενοδόχων του νησιού και η προσπάθεια τους επέκτασης και σε άλλες αγορές πέραν των χωρών με συνδέσεις charter (που ολοένα και φθίνουν σύμφωνα με τα τελευταία στοιχεία) απαιτεί μια σειρά από βήματα τα οποία θα μεγιστοποιήσουν τα μεσοπρόθεσμα και μακροπρόθεσμα οφέλη για τον τουρισμό του νησιού. Ωστόσο είναι πολλά αυτά που πρέπει να γίνουν ακόμη γιατί ένα συμβόλαιο συνεργασίας με το booking.com και το ανέβασμα τιμών για το 2014 δεν αρκεί. Η παρουσία στα socia media, μια καλοσχεδιασμένη και λειτουργική ιστοσελίδα με αυτοδιαχειριζόμενη μηχανή κρατήσεων, η βελτίωση των παρεχομένων υπηρεσιών, το "τίμιο" και ανθρωποκεντρικό marketing είναι μερικά από τα στοιχεία που χρήζουν προσοχής και βελτίωσης". 

Πηγή: Travel and Hospitality Services blog

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Astra Airlines: Winter 2013-2014 flight schedule

Astra airlines publishes its winter flight schedule.

According to it Astra airlines will connect Thessaloniki and Chios:

SKG - JHK 
Monday, Wednesday 17.00
Friday, Sunday 17.20
JHK - SKG
Monday, Wednesday 18.35
Friday, Sunday 18.55

For more information contact your travel agent.

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Pandelis Studios

Just few meters away from the famous Agia Fotia beach of Chios you can find PANDELIS STUDIOS. Spasius studios fully equiped with the appropriate elements for a comfordable stay. 

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September in Chios

The setting is lovely. What you want is what you can get. Chios waits for you because summer finished only according to calendar. 

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Inside tips to enchance your Chios experience

1. Visit Nea Moni before 13.00 while the museum is still open
2. Explore Olympi Cave
3. Get married in Chios
4. Visit Argentikon and ask the manager to walk you with you around the estate
5. Swim at Mavra Volia beach and don’t take a stone from there
6. Join ChiosBikeRide
7. Read Yiannis Makridakis
8. Visit Korai's Library
9. Explore Chios Castle
10. Have lunch at "Aperanto Galazio" (=Endless Blue) tavern at Agios Yiannis Vouno
11. Visit Citrus Museum.
12. Chew mastic
13. Have fun at a "panigiri", dance with locals and avoid a fight
14. Swim at Agia Irene beach
15. Eat souvlaki at Gargandouas (Megas Limnionas beach)
16. Visit Ariousios vinery and taste "Ariousios Glikazon" a semi-sweet red wine
17. Have breakfast at "MyCafe" near the airport and ask for a muffin
18. Eat at Avgonyma village and ask for galaktoboureko at the end
19. Find Kanellos at Mesta and try loukoumades
20. Walk APLOTARIA str, the main commercial road of Chios
21. Sit on the Homer’s stone at Daskalopetra
22. Visit Vigla Agias Elenis and overlook Karfas (if you are lucky enough you will enjoy a concert up there. Ask for schedule)
23. Walk the pathway and head to Agia Markela monastery
24. Ask to join Mastic cultivation
25. Swim at Agia Fotia (Agia Foteini) Beach and enjoy a meal at Vostalaki tavern
26. Have a coffee and a dessert at HLIASTRA inside Chios Castle
27. Take the tour Nea Moni-Avgonyma-Anavatos-Lithi
28. Shop at Bakaliko delicatessen and let the essences there to join you for a mystical trip
29. Enjoy the sunset at Avgonyma village
30. Take a Cooking Lesson and enjoy a hand made lunch
31. Have Greek Breakfast at Argentikon or Volissos Holiday Homes, two out of first 100 hotels that apply Greek Breakfast and the only two in Chios
32. Take the tour Pyrgi-Olympi-Mesta
33. Enjoy FREE sun beds and umbrellas as Megas Limnionas beach
34. Eat at Roussiko in Thymiana village
35. Swim at Viri beach and enjoy a cocktail at the beach bar
36. Explore Agio Galas Cave
37. Eat at Pantoukios and feed the fish
38. Drink Mastihokanela liquor. A combination of Mastic and Cinnamon exclusively produced by Kakitsis Distillery
39. Rent a sailing boat and enjoy a unique tour around the island
40. Drink Fresh Chios Beer
41. Try Mastelo on the grill
42. Have a cocktail at Viri’s Carpe Diem beach bar
43. Swim at Lithi beach and eat at 3 Adelfia tavern
44. Visit the Archaeological Museum of Chios
45. Walk to Agios Isidoros church and imagine your self getting married there
46. By hand-made pastas from Chiotiko Kelari (Chios Cellar)
47. Have dinner at Dafni’s tavern in Katarachtis village
48. Visit “Mesa-Kei” (=inside there) shop downtown and buy handmade products that comes from the estate next door
49. Visit Nautical Museum
50. Swim at Vroulidia beach
51. See Guistiniani Tower within the castle and visit the Dark Prison
52. Don’t miss the August full moon at Archaeological site of Emporios
53. Relax at Fana beach
54. Buy candles from Floga
55. While at Pyrgi visit the Folklore Museum
56. Join one at least of the hiking routes in Chios
57. Visit PANAGIA KRINA church, a 12^th century temple and hide yourself among thousands of red wild tulips (=lalades) at the surrounding fields during March
58. Enjoy the tasteful SCOOP ice-cream at Aeriko
59. Follow the route: Nea Moni - Avgonyma - Anavatos - Elinda or Trahili beach - Lith

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About Chios

Chios is located at the North-East Aegean Sea and is the fifth largest island in Greece. The island is famous for mastic, the medieval villages of Pyrgi, Mesta and Olympi, and also for the monastery Nea Moni from 1042 which is included on the UNESCO's World Heritage List. 

It is a very Greek island completely free from mass tourism. So if you want to get away from the main tourist tracks and want to meet the real Greece, then you should visit Chios. 

Unfortunately, not many people choose to spend there holiday on Chios. I do not know why. Maybe it's because so few have been there so there is nobody that can tell about the island; or the reason is that those who have visited Chios do not want to tell other about the island because they want the island to be preserved as it is. Here is everything you could wish for: beautiful beaches, picturesque villages, interesting sights and tempting scenery.

GETTING THERE

There is international airport on Chios so from some countries it is possible to fly directly. Otherwise it is easiest to go by air to Athens and continue the journey with domestic flights, or travel by air to Mytilene or Samos and go on with ferry to Chios. An option can be a flight to Smirni (Izmir in Turkish) and by boat from Cesme (30' from Smirni) to Chios.

GETTING AROUND
Since Chios is a large island it is most convenient to rent a car. If you just want to stay close to where you stay, you can rent a scooter or a bike. Car, scooter and Bike rental services are available in all major villages. Local bus operates almost the whole island, but their timetable seems to facilitate the inhabitants mostly. 

VILLAGES
The most interesting villages are located on the south of the island. In particular the villages Mesta, Olympi and Pyrgi. Of these, Mesta is the finest. The village is built like a fortress and is completely enclosed by defensive walls. The cobbled alleys are at times so narrow that you can touch the houses on both sides. The village has a nice square with several good tavernas. The village is also completely car-free. Olympi is similar to Mesta but not equally pleasant. The village Pyrgi is unique in Greece. Just as Mesta and Olympi, Pyrgi is dated from the Middle Ages, and is also built as an impregnable fortress. What makes Pyrgi special is that the facades are coloured in a mosaic of black and white.

The capital city of the island is also called Chios and is located on the east coast, opposite the Turkish coast. It is a noisy city with about 25.000 inhabitants. As a small Athens, although much quieter, of course, and above all much more pleasant. Nice villages in northern Chios are Kardamilia, Nagos and Volissos. The latter is believed to be Homer's birthplace.

BEACHES
There are plenty of beaches on Chios. If you go around the island, there are great opportunities to find your own beach. Agia Dinami, Elinda, Trahili and Fana is among them. Don’t hesitate to stroll around to find what fits you most. The most popular beaches is Karfas and Komi, both located south of Chios. If you go to Chios on a package holiday you will probably stay in Karfas. There are most of the island's tourist hotels and there are plenty of tavernas, restaurants, tourist shops and a wide range of water sports. On the other hand Komi with plenty of beach bars can offer you a combination of fun and happiness.

My favourite beaches are Vroulidhia beach, Mavra Volia beach, Nagos beach and Managros beach. Vroulidhia and Mavra Volia are located in the south of Chios, the other two on the north of the island.

SIGHTS
There are many things to see and do on Chios. To hike between the Mastic villages of Mesta, Olympi and Pyrgi is heartily recommend. Cave of Olymbi (near the village with the same name), is also worth a visit. The monastery Nea Moni should not be missed. Anavatos is a deserted stone-made medieval settlement built on the top of a rocky cliff with the same colour as the rock it was built on, therefore blending in and not being easily recognized as a village. Chios Bike Ride is a fresh proposal to discover Kambos.

ACCOMMODATION
The big question is where on the island you should stay. Almost all foreign tourists stay in Karfas or in its vicinity (as in Megas Limnionas). Kambos hosts the only 5 star hotel on the island, the famous “ARGENTIKON LUXURY SUITES” an 32K sq.m. estate from 1550 Agia Fotia is a picturesque village right on the sea and Mesta, a unique medieval village. You would not find owners with signs and booklets at the port or the airport waiting for you to presents its “amazing landscape similar to paradise” as it happens often to other Greek islands, so its best to book accommodation ahead; or to take a taxi or bus to the village you want to stay in and search for room on spot.

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Chios Bike Ride

Unveil Kambos' secrets

This summer, the team of ChiosBikeRide is offering you an alternative ride. Grab one of their bikes to stroll around the narrow streets of Kambos and discover the secrets and the essence behind the high stone-walls of the most beautiful area of Chios Island.

A round trip transfer from/to your hotel is offered. Start riding and discover what Kambos has to present.

Carefully maintained estates like Argentikon, the famus citrus museum, and more atractions combine the essence and tastes of Kambos with history.  

At the end of the ride with traditional Greek "meze" dinner, find yourself drinking wine and exchanging wishes for good health (in Greek "geia mas").

Call ChiosBikeRide to reserve a bike: +30 6947 315 709
or send an email for more details: info@realchios.gr

Happy BikeRide!!!

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9th Annual Agricultural festival of Chios

Today July 30th, 2013 the 9th Agricultural Festival of Chios open its gates to welcome visitors and locals to a magical jurney throught the flavor and the essence of Chios.

For 7 p.m. every day till August 4, 2013 we will have the opportunity to meet local producers, taste local delicasies and to discuss about the past, the presence and the future of Chios.

See you there!

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