Located at a valley of the Rhodope mountains, very close to Xanthi, Echinos is one of the Pomak villages, known as Pomakochoria. It is an economic and spiritual center for all Pomaks. The village is predominantly inhabited by Pomak people, who mainly work in agriculture.

In Echinos, there is a secondary school that was formerly a Muslim seminary known as the Madrasah of Sahin. The village also features three mosques, with the primary one being called Karatza Ahmet; it includes a tekke (Tekke Mosque) as well as the tomb of Sheikh Karatza Ahmet. Furthermore, Echinos is home to an Orthodox church called Agios Georgios.

In 1941, during WWII,  a significant battle occurred at the Fortress of Echinos between Greek and German military forces.