Ios Island
A few things you should know.
Ios Island is the hidden gem of the Cyclades, an unexpected paradise that captivates visitors from the very first moment. With breathtaking beaches, crystal-clear turquoise waters, charming whitewashed houses and vibrant nightlife, Ios surprises you every day and around every corner.
IOS BEACH
Agia Theodoti
Agia Theodoti is a beautiful beach on the northeastern coast of Ios. It is 9 km from the hotel and is a good solution for a relaxing bath at the beach even if there are a lot of visitors, you will always find a place for your towel. If you find yourself in Agia Theodoti early, you will find space under one of the few umbrellas on the beach.
Agia Theodoti beach consists of golden and thick sand. The natural environment is very impressive. The beach is a plain hemmed on three sides by mountains. Because it is protected within a large bay, rarely has big waves. Especially the northern part of the beach, which during summer days strong northerly winds blow, there are no waves and is suitable for small children.
While enjoying your swim you will have a view, apart from the spectacular bay and the surrounding mountains, to Irakleia and Naxos.
Agia Theodoti is not well organized. We recommend that you have your essential when you visit, such as water and snacks. If you have an umbrella, take it with you. It does worth a visit to this beach, as one of the most beautiful in Ios.
Papa Beach
Papa beach is 17 km from Olga’s Hotel on the southeastern coast of Ios island. Here you will find complete silence as Papa beach is quite far from the town and it’s not easy for visitors to reach. In addition, you will not find facilities, such as umbrellas and sun beds. Papa beach is a good choice for families with children. Here your children are not threatened by waves as the beach is situated in a narrow bay. They can also play in the golden clean sand.
The area surrounding Papa beach is very impressive. The steep hills add a different touch to the beach environment. This natural beauty will keep you until afternoon.
Because the beach is not organized, you must have with you the necessary as water and even some snacks. If you have an umbrella, take it with you.
Psathi Beach
Psathi beach is located on the eastern coast of Ios, 16 km from Olga’s Hotel. The scenery here will bind you with nature. Away from the noises of Chora and the other touristic beaches, at Psathi you will enjoy the wonderful sand and the clear waters. Psathi is exposed to northerly winds and for this reason, when it’s windy, the beach is filled with lovers of windsurfing and kitesurfing. If you are not one of them, it is better to choose another beach when winds are blowing.
Psathi is also a remote beach. So if you decide to visit, you must have water and some light food. But if you want to eat more organized, you can try unique dishes that are offered by the tavern on the beach.
The northern part of Psathi is used by nudists.
Near Psathi there are some attractions that you can visit. The picturesque chapel of Agia Irini and Paleokastro, built in 1937 on a hilltop between Psathi and Agia Theodoti, with incredible views of the surrounding islands.
If the beach will not excite you, your nearest option is Agia Theodoti.
Plakoto
Plakoto is one of the most distant beaches from our hotel. Located in the northern part of the island at a distance of 11 km, Plakoto is the beach that it is advisable not to visit in the days that north winds blow. It is quite exposed facing Paros and Naxos. Because it is remote, you will not find beach facilities, so you must have with you the necessary equipment and supplies. Plakoto is a combination of sand and pebbles with a rocky seabed making it suitable swimming with a mask.
Around 1.5 km east of Plakoto, near the Gulf of Karatzas there is a major attraction of Ios, an ancient tomb, where Homer is thought to be buried.
Kolitsani
Kolitsani is a small beach located south of Chora, 1 km from the port. It’s main feature is the blue clear water and the green environment with wild vegetation which makes the beach very impressive, with golden sand. It is not organized, so you have to be equipped with the necessities, such as food and an umbrella.
Kolitsani beach is also a popular boat anchorage, protected from the winds by the surrounding hills. It is suitable for naturists.
Above the beach, there is the Museum of Contemporary Art with famous painters.
In the vicinity there are tourist facilities. Access by trail from the hill.
Diamoudia
Diamoudia is a small secluded beach at the northern part of the island, around 7 km from the town. It is a wild beach with wild landscape and rocky seabed suitable for diving with mask. It’s characterized by blue water and pebbles. It is not organized, so you need to equip yourself with an umbrella and the necessary food, as there are no taverns in the surrounding area. The beach is mostly preferred by the guests by boat. It is suitable for those who want a little privacy and tranquility to enjoy a swim.
Kampaki
Kampaki beach is included in the isolated and beautiful beaches of the island, in the north-west part of Ios island, 10 km from Chora.
It is an unspoiled beach, with pebble, blue waters and scattered wildflowers on the beach. It is not organized, so you must be equipped before your visit. The waters are best for diving lovers with mask and less for swimming as the bottom is rocky. However, the environment offers tranquility and privacy, suitable for those who want a beach away from the crowds.
Access is either by boat or by car through a dirt road from Plakoto beach.
Lorentzaina
One of the many characteristic secluded beaches is Loretzaina beach, located 5 km west of Chora, next to the beach Diamoudia. It is a small unspoilt beach, with perfectly calm atmosphere, crystal clear water and rocky landscape, both externally and in the bottom, making it suitable for diving with mask.
There are no tourist facilities in Loretzaina beach, therefore, you should be properly equipped with the necessary.
The view of the Aegean Sea combined with the exotic setting and tranquility, make bath enjoyable to those who want to avoid the most famous and tourist beaches of Ios.
Access is difficult, as the road is dirt.
Neraki
Neraki beach is a small beach on the north eastern side of the island of Ios and just above Agia Theodoti.
This is a secluded beach with no easy access, and therefore has a few visitors. It has sand and small pebbles and wild rocky landscape. The beach is suitable for diving with mask, but also for snorkelling, as the sea bottom is offered.
Access is either from the sea or from the small path that starts from Agia Theodoti.
Plakes
Plakes is also a secluded beach, 16 km from the town, northeast of Maganari and on the east side of the island of Ios.
Like most isolated beaches of Ios island, this one is surrounded by wild landscape with rocks, green environment and white sand combined with turquoise waters that make the landscape stunning.
The access to this beach is difficult, but it does worth a visit.
Tripiti
Tripiti beach is located about 20 km from Chora, the capital of Ios and 2 km from Manganari, on the south side of the island.
It is a sandy beach with crystal clear water with hills and vegetation in the surrounding area. The landscape is ideal for relaxation with its natural beauty and since access is difficult, it is not visited by many people, therefore privacy dominates in this beach.
It is not organized, so you need to have your umbrella and food.
Access is either by boat or on foot following the path that starts from Manganari.
Tourist structures, such as hotels and taverns do not exist in the area, but you can find them in Manganari which is only 2 km from Tripiti beach.
Tris Klisies
Tris Klisies beach is located in the southeastern part of the island, close to Manganari, small in size and ideal for those who seek privacy and tranquility. It is not organized, so it would be good to have with you necessities, such as food and water. Despite the difficult access to the beach (walking for 10-15 minutes), the view, the landscape and the turquoise waters with golden sand will compensate you.
The beach is also suitable for naturists.
The rocky seabed is ideal for snorkelling.
Tzamaria
Just 3km from Chora, the capital of Ios and 10 minutes walk from Ormos, there is a small beach with sand and crystal clear water, called Tzamaria. It is not ideal for swimming as the sea bottom is full of rocks, so it is suitable mainly for mask lovers.
As it is not organized, you need to take the necessary, such as water and umbrella.
Tourist facilities are not available, but you can find whatever you want to the closest area, Ormos.
Valmas
Another wild beach from the many offered by the island of Ios is Valma beach, southwest of Chora, 3km far. Although it is within walking distance from the harbor, but also from the country, it is not preferred by guests because the terrain is rugged and the sea is not suitable for swimming. But the rocky seabed is suitable for snorkelling.
There are no tourist facilities in the surrounding area, but you can find whatever you want, at Ormos or at Chora, the capital of Ios island..
The beach is accessed via a dirt road on foot, 15 minutes walk from the town.
Vathirema
Ios is characterized by a variety of isolated beaches that offer total privacy. One of them, Vathirema beach, could not be missing from the list. Located in between Psathi and plates, it’s a beautiful beach with crystal clear turquoise waters, sandy coast and green undergrowth around it.
It is preferred mostly by nudists, since there are no tourist facilities around.
Swimming is a little difficult because of the morphology of the sea with rocks that make it attractive for the lovers of diving mask.
Access to the beach Vathirema is done either from the sea or on foot.
CHORA (IOS TOWN)
Chora, the capital of Ios island. As Chora means “country”, here in Greece we usually use this word to characterize the main village or the capital of an island.
When we talk about Chora of Ios, we talk about a spectacular beauty, as it is considered as one of the most unique among other capitals of Cyclades. It’s built amphitheatrically on the cliffs of a hill. It’s quite breathtaking to see Chora from distance because you get the impression that the houses are climbing up to the top of the hill.
On the way to the top, there are three small chapels, each at different elevation. That picture, along with the characteristic palm tree, is one of the most famous in Greece. If you see it somewhere, on a post card or TV, you immediately know that this is Ios island. Before you reach the first of the three chapels, you will see a bigger church called Panagia Gremiotissa. It took its name from the icon of Virgin Mary (Panagia Gremiotissa) and it holds a romantic history behind it. During the Turkish occupation, the residents of Creta island used to throw the icons in the sea in order to save them from destruction by the Turks. One of the icons, Panagia Gremiotissa was found on Mylopotas beach by a shepherd. The icon was placed in a church in Chora, but the next day it disappeared. Eventually, it was found in a cave on the hill and the local inhabitants started to build a church on this spot, but every morning when they were coming back they were seeing the church destroyed. At some point, Virgin Mary appeared to one of the locals and showed where they should build the church. The chosen spot was very difficult, so every inhabitant of Chora, even women and children, helped to transfer the building materials, almost to the top of the hill. In order to build the church bells, people of Ios donated their silver and metallic possessions to the foundry. Inside the church, there is an unusually big window in a unique spot facing south. Its goal is to enable Panagia Gremiotissa to see Crete, the place of the icon’s origin.
Leaving Panagia Gremiotissa behind and walking uphill you will reach Agios Eleftherios chapel, then Agios Georgios chapel and on the top of the hill, Agios Nikolaos church. You should know that every day hundreds of Chora visitors gather on the hill to watch the spectacular sunset. When the meteorological conditions allow it, you will see Santorini island, Naxos, Paros, even Crete.
The architecture of Chora is typically Cycladic. The houses built from rock are painted white and the windows and doors are painted blue or green. The narrow alleys between the houses are paved, full of gift shops, bakeries, traditional and modern cafes, as well as hidden bars and taverns. One of the things you should do, is to get lost in the alleys in order to experience the peaceful daily life of locals and discover hidden chapels built by the families of the island.
Another attraction of Chora is the windmill area, where you can take pictures of the twelve windmills.
In Tsoukalaria area of Chora, you will find something impressive, the Odysseas Elytis open theater. Odysseas Elytis was a Greek poet, honored with Nobel prize.
You should know that if you are a photograph enthusiast, you won’t be disappointed when you visit Chora. You should do your excursion in the alleys of Ios capital both during the day, as well as during the night.
Ios island is well known for its nightlife, but when you visit Chora, you will almost immediately notice that it maintained its tradition. The people are warm and hospitable. They will be happy to give you any information, not because they have to, but because they love to.
FEW DAYS ON IOS ISLAND
Since your average vacation time on Ios island is four days, we decided to write some suggestions for you. Our proposals may or may not fill your day. It depends how much time you like to dedicate to each one.
Day 1
On your first day in Ios, you can start your tour by visiting Odysseas Elytis open theatre. It’s located south of Chora, in Tsoukalaria area. It was designed by the architect Peter Haupt, a professor of Berlin University. As an Ios island enthusiast, he was elected as “honored citizen of Ios”.
The theatre opened for the audience in 1997. It has 1100 seats and the design is based on the ancient Greek theaters. Its south direction offers a magnificent view of Ios west coast. Today many cultural events are organized here during the summer. You should visit it before midday.
After visiting Odysseas Elytis theatre, it’s time to cool off. It’s time for swimming! You should set as a destination one of the nearby beaches. Mylopotas beach is quite close, Gialos (Yialos) beach is near to our hotel and the main port of Ios. Both organized with sunbeds umbrellas and water sports centers, are definitely places to relax and enjoy the Aegean Sea.
After your visit to the beach, you should return to the hotel for some quiet time, but not for long! About an hour before sunset, you should arrive in Chora, the capital of Ios, and start your journey up to the cliff. Your destination is the chapel on the top. This is the best spot on the island! Not only will you see other islands, like Paros and Sikinos, an amazing view of Chora and the surrounding area, but you will also be able to enjoy one of the most well-known sunsets of Cyclades. Step inside the church of Panagia Gremiotissa.
After the sunset and a lot of photos, walk down to Chora. There are a lot of places where you can stop for dinner and afterwards for a nice cocktail.
Day 2
You should dedicate the second day for Ios exploration. The southern part of the island is a nice daily venture. We suggest Manganari beach. This is a spectacular sight. Two large sandy beaches cut in half, form two small bays. There are sunbeds and umbrellas, if you are up to it there are also water sport centers. After a few hours of sunbath, if you get hungry, there is a couple of traditional taverns where you can enjoy delicious seafood. Near Manganari, few minutes on foot to the west, there are two small beaches totally unorganized. This is a suggestion if you want to be in a more quiet spot, although the main Manganari beaches don’t get enough visitors to be considered crowdy places.
After a long day at the beach, dedicate some time to relax in your hotel room before you start exploring the nightlife of Ios island. Many bars and nightclubs are available, but if you like to do something less energy consuming you can enjoy a cocktail in quieter place or have a drink by our pool bar.
Day 3
This is the day in which you should spend some time to explore the history of Ios island. You can start by visiting Skarkos archaeological site. It’s located about 20 minutes on foot from our hotel. This ancient settlement is one of the most important in Cyclades. Built in the 3rd century B.C. it used to be an archaeological marvel of its time with two store buildings and a rainwater drainage system. Definitely worth visiting!
As the findings of Skarkos archaeological site are in safe environment of Ios Archaeological museum, this is the next place you should visit next. Located in Chora, an exploration of the museum can be combined with gift shopping for your friends and your family back home.
But let’s not make the third day in Ios just about our island’s history. There is a wonderful place you haven’t visited yet. The area of Koumpara. This is a quite spectacular bay with a nice beach. If you are diving enthusiast, take your mask and flippers with you because this is the place to be! The sunset view from Koumpara is also breathtaking.
After your exploration it’s time to relax before exploring the alleys of Chora after you have your dinner.
Day 4
On your last day on Ios island, you should do whatever you discovered during your stay, that you might find interesting.
There are many choices. You can take a boat ride during which you will visit small and secluded beaches, unreachable by other means of transport. You can also visit the east side of Ios that hosts also beautiful beaches like Kalamos, Psathi and Plakes.
Of course, you can also go to Gialos beach near our hotel and spend all day swimming, relaxing and enjoying the summer sun of Ios island.
