Ios Island

About Ios

Ios island in Greece is a famous tourist destination, attracting visitors with its golden beaches and the characteristic Aegean architecture. The island is said to be the island of youth, where young people from all over the world meet and enjoy their summers. Ios is famous for its vivid nightlife with an uncountable number of bars, cafés, clubs and restaurants and for its beaches with crystal clear water.

The Main Square of Ios lies peacefully in the center of Chora - the main village. The village is a labyrinth of winding alleys and whitewashed buildings. The Main Square is calm during the day and you just find it as beautiful as it is mentioned in various travel books.
After dusk it becomes the center of nightlife, where young people from all over the world enjoy the famous Ios nights, but Ios has much more to offer than just nightlife!
If you want to find out about the island with all its beautiful beaches and cultural sites feel free to move around on this website to collect information about this lovely place in the Aegean Sea.

Ios is not just a place for young and wild people, it offers space for everyone - from the sun and relaxation seeking person to the wild party animal.

In Ios there are official buses connecting the main beaches and villages. They start working at 9 a.m. and the last fare is at midnight - 7 days a week. Another possibility to be mobile on the island is to rent a car or motorcycle and explore the beauty of it's landscape by oneself Tours offered by specialists are probably a less challenging way to see something of the island, because you know in advance where you will end up - this is not granted if you go by yourself.

HOW TO GET THERE

By boat

From and to Pireaus and

Many connections to other Cycladic islands (ie Naxos, Santorini, etc)

For specific information on time schedules and availability, please contact a travel agency

Useful Telephone Numbers

Country code for Greece: +30

Area code of Ios Island: 02860

Town Hall 91228 or 91505

Police Station 91222

Port Authority 91264

Customs Authority 91294

Pharmacy 91562

Health Center 91227

Gas Station (yacht & car supply) 91933

Post Office 91235

Commercial Bank of Greece 91474

National Bank of Greece 91565

Accomodation

Ios offers several different categories of hotels, pensions, campings and private rooms, but if you're looking for a 5 star Hotel Ios might not be the place for you!However there are many good places to stay, in different price categories, so don't worry.....

To find cheap and clean accommodation on Ios is definitely not a problem - there are hundreds of very nice places. When you approach the port on the ferry, you'll see people with signs such as: "rooms to let", "vacant rooms", etc. Talk to them and you'll have the possibility to find some really valuable accommodation. Make sure that you specify your individual requirements, either you would prefer to be near the beach or near the action of the village and its nightlife.
The other possibility is to ask in one of the travel agencies or at the tourist information in the port.

Or, for those of you who want to get your travel fixed without spending money unnecessarily on agency fees, feel free to use this guide to accommodation and find out what this lovely island has to offer. To make the planning of your holidays as easy as possible simply use the reservation and booking forms (online or as printable fax form) and send it to your favourite business!

Nightlife

There is only one purpose for most of the people who are going to Ios - to escape from the dull routine of everyday life and find a little piece of paradise! Ios is the perfect location....we believe that Ios is one of the best places in Europe for people who are looking for unlimited fun, 24 hours a day! There is something for everybody on this tiny island - beaches, sports, excursions, restaurants, bars, culture, and one of the reasons Ios is so special is its very unique party style!

It's not easy to talk about going out in Ios because it has an uncountable number of bars and clubs. Find out from the links below which places fit you most! Just to give you an overview, in the heart of the village you'll find a lot of smaller bars - on the main road the big niteclubs.

Restaurants

A place for every taste - that's what we found out about the culinary offers of the island so far! From Thai to Greek cuisine, from pizza to steak, from places with big, beautiful gardens to little authentic tavernas hidden in the narrow streets, get a gyros or souvlaki if you don't want to waste your time on food or enjoy a five hour dinner together with your friends - in Ios you have the choice...

Services

As beachlife and nightlife are very special and always good fun, one might feel the need to dress the part - everything you need can be found in Ios including clothes, shoes, jewellery, hair salons, beautitions, etc...

Or for those who want to bring a piece of holiday back home for themselves or for those who were left behind, you find a wide range of little presents in the numerous souvenir shops all over the island. Almost all needs can be satisfied in Ios. From Internet Cafés to Laundry Services - in Ios you will find everything you need including all the facilities you are used to at home...

WHERE TO GO

Distance to settlements from port in km

Koumbara: 1,5

Chora: 2

Mylopotas: 5

Manganari: 23

Ag, Theodoti: 12

Paleokastro: 18

Psathi: 20

Kalamos: 16

Plakotos: 13

Chora - Mylopotas

Exploring Chora means, first of all, walking. Choose a cool morning, wear your most comfortable shoes and get ready to set off. One hour is enough for the ones who just want to have a look at this whitewashed village, perched on the slope of the hill between the port and Mylopotas. The more demanding ones will need the whole morning to discover the hidden beauty of Chora. That's because Chora was built up for the sun and it's the sun that reveals the village to the visitor or hides it from him.

To go up to Chora, just follow the wide stone steps of the old ascending road that comes from the port. On your way, right before entering the village, you will come across a part of the walls that once surrounded the ancient town. Following the same road you reach the first square of Chora. To your right stands the modern Orthodox Cathedral of the island, named Evangelismos (Annuciation) and, nearby, a church dedicated to St. Ekaterini, where in 1903 an excavation unearthed the remnants of Byzantine foundations and the ruins of an ancient temple dedicated to Apollo. Above these ruins the Christians built the Byzantine Cathedral, whose altar rests upon two of the temple's columns.

Mylopotas Beach
To your right there is the marketplace and the two main roads that lead you across the village and to the square of the mills. Following the road that goes up, you reach the second square of the village, with its four cafes. On the left side coming from this square, the stone steps lead to the old castle of Chora, where the sublime church of Panaghia Gremiotissa (Our Lady of the Cliffs) is situated, built during the years of the Turkish occupation. According to one tradition, an icon of the Virgin was found among the rocks of Mylopotas' seashore, with a lit candle standing on it. The legend has it that the inhabitants of Crete had thrown the icon in the open sea to protect it from falling to Turkish hands, and that the waves had carried it to that coast. The icon was then taken to the church of the Holy Cross, but only to be found again the following morning on the same steep mountainside. When the islanders tried to build a new church for the icon, but not on the exact spot where it had been found because of its inaccessibility, the foundation stones of the church kept disappearing every day in a miraculous way.

KLIMA, KALAMOS, TRIS KLISSIES, MANGANARI

After driving from Chora to Mylopotas, follow the dirtroad at the end of the beach, leading to the south coast of the island. This itinerary will may offer you the most interesting excursion. By passing Mylopotas and turning right at the crossroads, you reach the splendidly isolated beach of Klima.

If you enter the main road again, it will take you to the monastery of Kalamos, a very well-preserved 200-year-old building, a special place of worship for the locals.The same road leads straight to Kalamos, a beautiful pebbly beach, or, if you turn left after the monastery, the way to Tris Klissies reveals three beautiful secluded beaches, accessible only on foot.

A short way off lies Manganari. Four of the most beautiful beaches in the Aegean, each one lying next to the other, wait for the visitor to enjoy their peaceful nature. There are many seaside taverns where you can taste fresh fish, as well as good accommodation.

TOMB OF HOMER, PLAKOTO, AGHIA THEODOTI

Setting off from the port or from Chora, by motorbike or by car, you make your way up to Pano Kambos, a fertile valley rich with vineyards and olive trees, and to Koulida. From there, if you leave the asphalt road and take the path branching off to the left, you'll be heading to the amazing beach of Plakoto. Some metres short of that, there's another path that leads to the ancient ruins dating from the Hellenistic period, where tradition claims that the tomb of the poet Homer lies. On your way back, you can also drive to Aghia Theodoti bay. Limpid waters and a sandy beach, taverns and rented rooms, as well as the occasion to admire the 16th century church of St. Theodoti, the oldest on the island, built in the 16th century.
PIRGOS, PALEOKASTRO, PSATHIBefore the road starts descending to Aghia Theodoti, you can turn right at the first crossroads and take the road leading to Pirgos. There, on the highest peak of the island (713 m.), stands the 16th century Byzantine church of Aghios Ioannis (St. John), built on the ruins of an ancient temple dedicated to Apollo.

Taking the same road back, you will soon reach the beautiful winding, stonepaved road to Paleokastro. Its steps lead to the windswept site where the Byzantine castle lies, overlooking the Aegean with panoramic views in all directions. Among the ruins stands the beautiful church of Panagia Paleokastritissa (Our lady of the Old Castle). The same road also leads to Psathi, a long beach with deep blue waters and white sand, one of the breeding places for the Mediterranean sea-turtle.

To your left, tucked away among the rocks, there are some smaller, exquisite, sand-bottomed beaches, and to your right the ruins of another ancient temple. A little before the beach, you can take a detour to Psathi, a small village well-situated on the most fertile spot of the island, with a few taverns and rented rooms.

There are many things to do, many places to visit. Whatever you decide to do, during your holidays in Ios, enjoy!