Anavatos

Anavatos is a medieval village perched on a dramatically narrow ridge 16 km from Chios town. It was built — like Mesta — as a defensible position, and it commands a formidable view over the surrounding country. Most of the old village has been uninhabited since 1822, when the Ottoman massacre of Chios destroyed much of the island's population.

The site is genuinely eerie and worth visiting. The stone houses are roofless or crumbling but still standing, the alleys overgrown, the church stripped. The climb to the highest point of the ridge takes about 20 minutes on a rough path and gives extraordinary views. It is best visited in the cooler parts of the day — the rock absorbs heat and the exposed terrain offers little shade.

Getting there requires a car or taxi; public transport connections are minimal.

things to do sight
A story
During the 1822 massacre, the inhabitants of Anavatos chose to throw themselves off the cliff rather than surrender to Ottoman troops. The village was largely abandoned after that event and has never recovered. Walking through the empty stone houses and overgrown lanes, with the smell of wild herbs and the sound of wind, is an experience with a specific emotional weight. About 50 people still live in the lower new village at the base of the cliff; the medieval upper village is a ghost town.