Diagram by Greece Trips. Free to reuse with credit - CC BY 4.0.
Why it matters
Families from this island, a few hundred people, came to control a substantial share of the Greek merchant fleet through the twentieth century. The money went into ships, not into the island, but it shows in the scale of the houses along the waterfront and in the institutions.
The island has:
- A Nautical Museum with ship models, instruments and a collection of maritime paintings.
- A Merchant Marine Academy, one of the country’s officer-training schools, on an island with a population in the hundreds.
- A convent, Evangelismos, founded by one of the shipping families.
The mermaid
In the cemetery above the town stands a marble mermaid on a family monument, an unusual figure for a Greek Orthodox burial ground, and it has become the island’s emblem. The cemetery itself is worth the walk for the view over the strait as much as the marble.
The town
One settlement, Oinousses (Chora), rising from the harbour, quiet outside August, with a couple of tavernas and very few rooms. The scale is domestic; nothing is more than a few minutes’ walk.
Swimming
Small beaches around the coast, mostly pebble, reached on foot or by the road: Bilali, Zepaga and Farkero are the usual ones. The water is clean and there is nobody on them.
Getting there
By small ferry from Chios town, roughly an hour, running most days but not always daily and with limited timings. It is a genuine day trip from Chios if the schedule allows, but check the return before you sail.
One or two nights, and it will be quiet.
Last checked August 2026. Small-island ferry schedules change often - see our editorial policy.
Common questions
Where is Oinousses?
A small island off the north-east coast of Chios in the eastern Aegean, close to the Turkish shore.
Why is Oinousses known for shipping?
A remarkable number of Greek shipowning families originated on this small island, and their wealth built the museum, the convent and the seafront houses.
What is there to see on Oinousses?
The Nautical Museum, the Merchant Marine Academy, the Evangelismos convent and the marble mermaid monument in the cemetery.
How do you get to Oinousses?
By small ferry from Chios town, about an hour, running most days with limited timings. Check the return sailing before you go.
Is Oinousses touristy?
No. There are very few rooms and few tavernas, and outside August it is extremely quiet.