Mesta, a charming Greek village in Chios, captivates visitors with its mastic-making heritage and rich cultural history, recognized by UNESCO.
Μαστιχοχώρια 821 02, Greece Get directions
"A Preserved Fortress Town in the Middle of Chios Chios has a long and brutal history of invasion by the Turks, and so it makes perfect sense to find one of the most carefully preserved fortress towns in Europe right here on the island. It's a village-castle from the Byzantine era, and its houses are all crammed together on top of one another. You can walk between the fortress walls, along the cobblestoned streets, and to the ornate Older Taxiarchi basilica. The fortress is also built to cultivate the mastic bush, grown exclusively on this island."