What we do

Masticulture organizes and carries out ecotourism-based activities programmes combined with the provision of accommodation on various parts of the island to meet and satisfy all standards. We offer visitors and other groups of people tailor-made or independent programmes and accommodation, or a combination of choices, such as our full ecotourism travel packages. We also organize professional meetings, conferences, workshops etc. with ecotourism features.

The activities and excursions are designed to be entertaining, educational, mind opening, and safe. The great majority of our programmes are pre-planned and published in our information leaflets as well as on this website. Other programmes are made to order with a great dose of flexibility and added suggestions, so that any special requirements or demands the client may have can be successfully met. Most programmes are themed around trips and are carried out mainly by local associates who work as guides, historians, artists, athletes, farmers etc. On one of our excursions, our visitors may find themselves riding a vehicle, a bicycle, a donkey, or a boat. However, trekking is our favorite option.

Alternative tourism activities programmes

• Organized tours showcasing traditional agricultural labour methods in the great outdoors and in family-run plots or workshops. In many cases we combine, within the same programme, both partaking in the agricultural work and in the final production of the product (eg. Mastic-mastic products, olives-oil, grapes-wine, wheat-flour-bread, etc).
• Lessons on the local traditions and folk arts and crafts of Chios such as dancing, weaving, religious icon painting, sculpture, ceramics etc.
• Educational or entertainment programmes for children, through which they can discover the cultivation process, the island's flora and fauna, folk art and other traditions of Chios.

Accommodation in Chios

Hospitality takes place at select tourism-accessible areas ranging from medieval houses that have been transformed into traditional guesthouses, to luxury suites complete with modern amenities and located in fertile groves. We give preference to housing that has retained its traditional architectural style, and belongs to fellow citizens who share common concerns related to the island's sustainable tourism development.

Masticulture's concept

Instead of being passive observers, our visitors are encouraged to actively participate in a village's activities and endeavours, thus gaining the opportunity to truly experience the authentic life and culture of Chios.

Through this method and from contact visitors have with locals, the result is that "outsiders" can discover and express a sense of appreciation for a way of life led by people in remote rural areas, as well as recognition of the locals' contribution to their overall society through their resolve to live in the countryside. Thus, the islanders benefit from the visits they receive both in terms of a raised morale as well as financially, through the recognition of their value and through the repayment they get by contributing to Masticulture's programmes respectively.