Armolia

Armolia, 20 km southwest of Chios town, is the natural crossroads to the island’s southern villages. It is renowned for its centuries‑old pottery tradition, as its residents skillfully craft jugs, vases, and other clay objects. The settlement preserves its medieval appearance, with stone houses, narrow lanes, and cobbled paths leading to the square with the Church of the Panagia and Saint Demetrios, known for its elaborate iconostasis (1744). Atop Lykourio hill towers the Byzantine Castle of Apolichnon (1446), a significant monument of the Genoese period. Near the village stands the Monastery of Zoodochos Pigi Vretou, set amid a lush landscape of lentisk, strawberry trees, and mastic trees that characterize the area. From Armolia a road also leads to the seaside archaeological site of Kato Fana.