Our last evening on the island, and we have booked at one of the most hospitable mansions of this area .I post this entry probably because I really want people who visit Chios come to -Perleas. And of course I plan to return to Perleas again when I fly again to Chios and explore the northern part of the island after my trip to Kenya and Uganda this July.What to expect:
"PERLEAS MANSION" is indeed not a hotel but a place to remember, exactly as it is written on its site. The Mansion is situated in the Kambos area, about 7 kms from the Town of Chios. I felt as if I had been in another dimension upon entering its massive gate. The humidity in the air and all those aromas bursting in the air coming from the orange, mandarin and lemon trees gave me a feeling I never before had experienced. So many fragrances mixed in the air. A four-acre earthly paradise garden. It isn't easy for me to describe all this -the beauty and nobility of this Mansion. If you ever visit the island of Chios, I suggest that you spend at least one night here!The distinctive aroma of the citrus trees and the legendary jasmine made me get up much earlier in the morning and it was the first time I heard birds singing at five o'clock in the morning at the first streak of dawn .The main building of the Estate is a mansion built in 1640 in the distinctive lines of Genoan architecture. It is accompanied by two smaller houses, that were used as a store for the products that were going to be exported. The mansion was repaired after the great earthquake that hit Chios in 1881 and some additions have been made since then, but the original appearance has remained practically intact.

Its large yards embroidered with pebbles, the austere appearance of the buildings, its walls and impressive gardens with big alleys and arcades, the draw-wells and marble cisterns with pergolas is what characterizes these buildings of the Mansion.

All rooms have large windows with a splendid view to the garden.
The corridor in front of the rooms has an impressive array of antiques, objects d’art and various creations by Perleas’s managers. All these add a most impressive touch to the interior of the apartment, even an old cinematographic camera of 1935. But antiques can be found all around the place, even in the dining and the sitting room.

Vagelis Xidas and his wife Kleri, very humble persons, run this business today with much passion and love. Vangelis as a child used to work in the orchid of Perleas, looking after the trees and the soil. He is very dedicated to everything he does, and he is also the creator of the Citrus company (www.citrus-chios.gr).

Also those who want to see the site of Perleas check here:
http://www.perleas.gr/default.htm