Oinousses

Oinousses is a small archipelago that produced some of the greatest shipowners in the world. The ferry crossing from Chios is short, and it lands at the main island, where the beautiful little port town climbs the hill above the bay. The island is small and quiet, with grand houses that speak of the wealth of its shipping families, a famous naval school, and a way of life still bound to the sea. The lanes of the town pass the neoclassical mansions and the little museum of the sea, and the coves of the coast have clear water and nearly empty beaches. In the evening the tavernas by the harbour fill as the fishing boats come home. Oinousses is a place of understated wealth and deep maritime pride, and its peace is its greatest charm.

Oinousses has been inhabited since antiquity, when the small islands of the group were used as a refuge and a stop on the sea routes between Chios and the mainland. In the modern era, the islands became famous for the extraordinary success of their seafaring families: from the late 19th century, sailors and shipmasters from Oinousses built some of the largest shipping fleets in the world, and the island's sons — the Livanos, Pateras, and other great families — became among the most powerful figures in world shipping. The wealth of the families built the island's handsome houses, its churches, and its schools. The island is also home to one of Greece's most important naval academies, the Oinousses Naval School, which has trained generations of Greek officers and merchant mariners. Today Oinousses is a quiet, proud place, its grand houses and its monuments a memorial to the island's extraordinary maritime history, and its coves and its peace a quiet reward for the visitor.

Oinousses is a small island, and its beaches are small coves and inlets rather than long sands, but they are beautiful and nearly always empty. The coves near the town and on the south coast are reached by paths, and the swimming is in clear, calm water. The little islands of the group — including Velopoula and the others — have their own empty coves, reached by boat. The water is clean and the light is beautiful, and the island's small scale makes every swim a private pleasure. Bring a mask and a towel, and you will find a new cove around every corner.

Oinousses food is the cooking of a small, maritime island. The island produces its own cheese and its own wine, and the sea gives the daily catch — the tavernas of the harbour serve grilled fish and octopus with the classic Greek table and a quiet, hospitable warmth. The island's naval families brought back tastes from around the world, and the local table reflects that maritime worldliness. For a proper Oinousses meal, find a taverna by the harbour, order the fish of the day and a plate of the local cheese, and watch the boats come home as the light fades.

The best time to visit Oinousses is in late spring and early autumn, when the weather is warm and the sea is calm, and in summer, when the island is at its liveliest. July and August are the main months, but even then the island is quiet. The island is small and peaceful, and its charm is in its beauty, its history, and its unhurried way of life. Whenever you come, plan to stay at least a couple of nights — the island's peace rewards those who take their time.

Oinousses has no airport and is reached by sea. Ferries run from Chios — about an hour, several times a day in summer — and from Piraeus via Chios, and the island is small enough to be walked or cycled once ashore.

The island is small and can be walked, or explored by bike or scooter. Do not miss the naval school, the maritime museum, and the grand houses of the town, and swim at the coves of the coast. Take a boat to the smaller islets if one is running, and eat by the harbour in the evening. And remember that Oinousses, for all its quiet, is one of the great maritime places of the world — a small island with an enormous history.