Ferry from Lavrio to Mesta (Chios)

Athens (Lavrio) Guide

The Greek town of Lavrio, or Laurium as it is sometimes called, is in the Attica region in the south east of the country. The town is situated around 60 km to the south east of Athens, the capital of Greece, and to the north of Cape Sounio. With a long history in mining for silver, the town was at one time a major source of income for the State. The town's seaport is a suburb of Athens but is of lesser importance than the port of Piraeus. The town's residential area is laid out in a grid system with port at the town's heart. It is now connected to the new Eleftherios Venizelos International Airport and the Attiki Odos highway. The nearest towns are Sounion and Keratea.

The port of Lavrio is home to many passenger ferry services, yachts, commercial boats and fishing vessels. because of its location, ferries departing the port have a shorter crossing time to the islands in the Cyclades and the eastern Aegean islands which makes it more convenient than other nearby ports. From Lavrio a ferry can be taken to Kea (Tzia), Kythnos, Syros, Mykonos, Paros, Naxos, Ios, Sikinos, Folegandros, Kimolos, Milos, Amorgos, Kythnos, Tinos and Andros.

Mesta Guide

Mesta is a town that is located on the Greek island of Chios that lies in the north east Aegean Sea and is the fifth largest Greek island with a coastline of around 120 km and a population of roughly 54,000. The island is only 3.5 nautical miles off the Turkish coast. Although it is not universally agreed, the island is thought to be one of the likely birth places of Homer and of the ancient mathematicians Hippocrates and Enopides. One of the most picturesque villages on the island is the medieval village of Mesta which has been preserved as a monument. The village has been built like a castle and dates back to the Byzantine period. In order to fortify the village, its houses were built close together in order to form a protective ring around it and the village's current residents still maintain the traditions of a 14th century village. The most important custom that takes place in the village is where the "Agas" trials, a satirical replica of the trials that used to take place under the occupation of Turkey, are presented.