Far Out Hotel & Spa
Mylopotas - Main Street
Set against the mountains, with views over the Aegean Sea, the Cycladic-style Far Out Hotel & Spa and Luxury Villas offer a rooftop pool with wooden sundeck.
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Ios (also known as Io and Nio) is an island with a double soul, where it is absolutely normal in the same day to see young tourists hunting for the wildest party and old men going to buy donkey bread.
For a long time, tourism on Ios was the prerogative of young people under 35 (and more often under 30) who came with the specific purpose of partying every night, getting drunk on the cheap. Fortunately, the island’s image has been re-evaluated and today many couples and families who love the beautiful beaches and local traditions also come here.
One thing is certain: anyone who comes to Ios will end up falling in love, some with a seductive English girl they meet in a central pub, others with the arid, barren but highly evocative landscape of this sparsely inhabited island… even in the summer months, you need only leave the capital Chora and the most famous beaches to find silence and a slow pace of life.
The reputation as the ‘second Greek island of fun after Mykonos‘ does not do Ios justice. With over 70 km of coastline and plenty of beaches and coves to choose from, Ios is perfect for those who want a beach holiday, with or without nightlife.
The beaches on Ios are almost all sandy, but apart from that – and the extraordinary blue colour of the sea – they are very different from each other. Sure, there are the young people’s beaches, as crowded and fashionable as one would expect from a trendy island like Ios; but there are also remote and wild natural paradises.
The busiest beaches on the island are concentrated along the west coast of Ios.
The most famous beach, as well as one of the largest on Ios, is undoubtedly Mylopotas1, just 2 km from Chora – the island’s capital and a place where we recommend reserving accommodation – and easily accessible by bus or on foot. It is a well-equipped sandy beach, with bars, umbrella rental and the possibility of practising water sports or playing beach volleyball.
Much more relaxed is the harbour beach, Gialos2: a good compromise between remote and very touristy beaches. North of the harbour you will find the equipped beach at Koumbara3 while if you are looking for a secluded beach head south to Valmas4, a small beach just 30 metres wide and generally uncrowded.
The beaches on the east coast are the opposite of those on the west coast: more difficult to get to and less crowded.
One of the most beautiful is Kalamos5, a long, golden sandy beach that can be reached along the road to the monastery of the same name. Surrounded by rocks, it is also a beach suitable for snorkelling and diving.
The bay of Plakes is a succession of dune beaches and coves, recommended for those who want to immerse themselves in nature, while the name Psathi6 refers to two small beaches more or less in the middle of the east coast, very popular with windsurfers. It is easier to reach than Kalamos, but is still very quiet.
Heading further north along a scenic road lined with windmills you will come across Agia Theodoti7, a picturesque bay from which you can enjoy a spectacular sunset.
Reaching the south coast of Ios requires perseverance, but the southern beaches never disappoint visitors. In this stretch, the coast becomes rugged and steep and the few beaches carve out their own little space between high rocky promontories. Remote and wild, they are perfect for those who want to stay away from the hustle and bustle and for nature lovers.
Many of these beaches can only be reached on foot along dirt roads completely exposed to the sun or by boat, such as the small but delightful beach of Papa8.
At the southern tip of Ios, reached by a 20 km asphalt road in less than perfect condition, is the beautiful bay of Manganari9 along which five beaches follow one another, some sandy, some pebbly. The sea bed is shallow and the waters calm, so they are also suitable for those travelling with small children.
The north coast is almost devoid of bathing beaches, with the exception of the beaches Plakotos10 and 11, but it is worth driving up here for the beautiful views of the Aegean Sea. For the most beautiful panoramic view go as far as Pirgos, the northernmost point of the island of Ios.
For a break from the beaches and the sea, visit Chora and the typical villages of the island.
The island’s capital and only real town, Chora is a cluttered agglomeration of winding alleys, whitewashed houses and windmills. Take a look at the Church of Panagia Gremiotissa, the medieval castle and the archaeological museum, then climb to the top of the rock that dominates the town, with its three small churches lined up, for a breathtaking view.
Once there at the top, you will wonder how it is possible that one of the most beautiful villages in the Cyclades is also one of the rowdiest: Chora is in fact the nerve centre of nightlife in Ios.
When the sun goes down, the level of music in the small bars in the centre rises: shots and pints of beer flow freely, to the delight of the youngsters who have come here in search of summer highs and adventures.
Leave the hustle and bustle of Chora and the trendier beaches behind you: go exploring the island, you will find yourself driving along picturesque, almost deserted roads, immersed in an arid landscape dotted here and there with vineyards and centuries-old olive trees.
This is the best way to get to know the real Ios, the rural one, with its slow pace of life and villages that are just a tiny cluster of houses, inhabited by shepherds and farmers with their sheep and donkeys.
Continue along hairpin bends and narrow streets until you reach Pirgos, the highest point on Ios, where you can enjoy the most beautiful panoramic view of the island. Also check out the Byzantine church of Agios Ioannis13, which stands on the ruins of an ancient Temple of Apollo.
A much-visited attraction on Ios is the so-called Tomba di Omero14. It is said that the famous Greek poet is buried in the village of Plakotos, but since his existence has never been proven who knows who is really buried there…
If you love ancient history, don’t miss Rovine di Skarkos15, the most important archaeological site on Ios, which stands on a small hill just outside the town of Chora. It can be reached by a mere 15-minute walk along an ancient stone path amidst farms and pastures.
In the following map you can see the location of the main places of interest mentioned in this article.
If Mykonos did not exist, Ios would be the nightlife capital of the Greek islands. It was the hippies in the 1960s who started the first parties on the island, in the name of nature and free love, and since then the island has not shaken off the degrading label of ‘sex island’.
Today, the visiting partygoers are twenty-somethings from all over Europe and even America and Australia, droves of party animals or summer flirt hunters.
The fun starts already in the afternoon with beach parties and drinks in the kiosks overlooking the sea; it then continues in the narrow cobbled streets of the town of Chora, lined with a seemingly endless series of bars and clubs.
Don’t expect mega-discos or five-storey clubs: Ios’ nightlife moves from bar to bar, shots and cocktails; on the plus side, almost all of Ios’ bars and clubs are free with optional drinks.
There is a wide and varied range of accommodation on offer in Ios, follow our suggestions for recommended areas and establishments on our accommodation page or use the search form below to find all the accommodation available in Ios.
We offer a selection of hotels at Ios to suit all categories of travellers. The most booked by tourists are the sea-facing hotels, often right on the beach. If you want to play it safe, choose one of the following: they are among the most booked hotels in Ios, sorted by number of reviews.
If you prefer space, privacy and the ability to prepare your own meals to a hotel holiday, book a holiday home at Ios. We recommend a few below, but in this case we advise you to book early because houses and apartments for rent at Ios are in high demand.
There is no airport on the island so the easiest way to get to Ios is to take a plane to one of the neighbouring islands and from there a ferry to Ios. We recommend Santorini because it has good connections, even with low-cost airlines.
What's the weather at Ios? Below are the temperatures and the weather forecast at Ios for the next few days.
At the centre of the Cyclades archipelago, the island of Ios is located a few kilometres north of the more famous Santorini, very close to Sikinos.
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