The city of Chios or else Chora, as it's most commonly being called, is the most crowded area of the island and at the same time the administrative, cultural and commercial centre but also the main port. Located almost at the midst of the east shoreline of the island, gazes at the coast of Minor Asia. It was established by the clan of Iones just before 1000 BC. Milestones of it's recent history and for the forming of it's landscape are: The big disaster by the Ottomans in 1822, the great earthquake of 1881 and it's postwar urbanization. Many are the spots ofChios that can potentially draw the attention of the visitor.

The coastal pedestrian street of the main harbour, the quay, is one of the most busy spots of the city, day to nifht, with cafeterias, bars, taverns and restaurants.

The central square of Chios, Vounaki square, with it's administrative buildings of the Mayor Hall and the Prefecture of North Aegean, the ottoman mosque of Mezitie, where is housed a Byzantine museum and the breezy municipal garden, allow the acquintance with the past and the present of the city.

Close to the central square, remnants of the Ottoman occupation are the Bairakli mosque, the Osmanie mosque and the Ottoman fountains. In the wider area can be found two old temples: the deserted one of Aghios Vasilios of the Petrokokinon family and the one of Aghios Georgios ( Saint George ).

The Kennedy street leads to the main gate of the medieval castle of Chios. With it's primary purpose being the protection of the port, it was built around the end of the 10th century in the outskirts of the ancient city. It is a typical example of an inhabited medieval fort with narrow alleys, multitude of old ruins and buildings of various eras and is inhabited constantly up until nowadays.

South of the square of Chios is extended the main street of the city, the Aplotaria Street. It crosses the heart of old city and it gathers the main part of Chios's commercial activity. In Aplotaria can be found most of the old mansions of 19th and early 20th century. At the end of Aplotaria street and moving towards the east we meet the High School that was built in 1792, the Mitropoli ( Central church of Chios island ) and the renowned Korai Library with it's 135.000 volumes. On the upper store of the Library can be found art gallery and laographical museum.

South of the city of Chios we meet the Archaeological museum, the Univercity of the Aegean, Chios's Stadiom, the Homericon Cultural Centre ( Omirio ) and the Marine museum.

On the outskirts of the city, of particular interest are the two towers of the Genoese Era, the Burnt Tower and the Gothic one.

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