Island feature
Ios: the party island with a softer side
Ios made its name as the party island of the Cyclades, the summer playground of backpackers since the 1970s, and in July and August its hilltop village still dances until dawn. But there is more to it than nightlife: some of the loveliest sand in the Aegean, quiet bays in the south and a classic white village that is beautiful by day. Who you are and when you go will shape your Ios.
Read the full storyClose the story
Chora: pretty by day, wild by night
Chora climbs a hill above the port in a cascade of white houses, chapels and blue domes, crowned by a row of windmills. In the morning it is peaceful and photogenic, with cats asleep on warm steps and the smell of coffee from little cafés. At sunset everyone climbs to the windmills and the church of Panagia Gremiotissa for the view.
After dark, Chora becomes one of the liveliest bar districts in the Aegean, especially in July and August. Long-standing bars such as Orange, open since the early 1970s, and Sweet Irish Dream, famous since 1986 for dancing on the tables, fill with a young, international crowd, and the music goes on until the early hours.
The beaches
Mylopotas is the heart of beach life, a long sweep of golden sand with clear water, watersports and beach bars, and the big FarOut Beach Club with its pool and parties. For something quieter, head south to Manganari, a set of sheltered coves with fine sand and turquoise water, or east to the wild, peaceful bay of Agia Theodoti.
Sunsets and stories
Near the windmills, the open-air Odysseas Elytis Theatre, named after the Nobel-winning Greek poet, has one of the finest views on the island. In the wild north, an ancient tradition says that Homer is buried on Ios, and the drive there is worth it for the scenery alone.
Our advice: in July and August Ios is busy, young and loud, especially in Chora; if you want sleep, stay at Mylopotas, on the edge of Chora or near Manganari rather than in the centre of the village. Couples and families will find it calmer and very good value in June and September. Buses run late between the port, Chora and Mylopotas in summer.
With fast ferries from Piraeus in about four hours, and Santorini’s airport a short ferry ride away, Ios is easy to reach and, for the right traveller, very hard to leave.
