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There’s all kinds of unimaginable issues to do in Ios, it’s undoubtedly the most effective locations to go to in Greece. This Greek Island is positioned within the Cyclades island group within the southern Aegean Sea.
With actions in Ios together with climbing, watching the wonderful sunsets, visiting historic websites, and having fun with the laid-back life-style of Greece, you’ll by no means be bored!
Final September, I spent a month in Ios having fun with all of the issues to do on this stunning Greek island, together with exploring 75kms of seashore.
This was my second go to to Ios as I had spent the 12 months earlier than crusing the Greek islands for 2 weeks, with Ios being one of many stops. With so many enjoyable issues to do in Ios, I returned to this Greek island to expertise extra of what it has to supply.
Ios is among the most stunning islands in Greece. Learn on for extra about visiting right here.
Right here’s my record of the highest 25 locations to go to, and issues to do in Ios, Greece.
1. Go to Manganari Seaside
Manganari Seaside is very thought to be the most effective seashore in Ios. The seashore has earned blue flag standing, which suggests it has met requirements for cleanliness, environmental administration, and security. Manganari Seaside is separated into 5 smaller seashores.
Whereas these may not be the finest seashores in Greece, they’re nonetheless attractive and price a go to.
There are a number of eating places positioned on the seashore together with Antonis Tavern and Venus Restaurant and Bar, and should you’re searching for a peaceable place to remain in Ios, you can guide a lodge room right here.
The seashore is 23 km away from Chora, which is the capital of this Greek Island, however it may be reached by bus that leaves from both the Port, Mylopotas Seaside or Chora. The bus is €6 return.
2. Take a Boat Tour (one of many high issues to do in Ios)
Many seashores on Ios are solely accessible by boat. Taking a ship tour lets you go to a number of of the most effective seashores in someday.
We visited the Koumbara caves, Kolitsani seashore and as a result of wind, we went to the island of Sikinos. The boat tour I took served a wonderful Greek BBQ lunch on board. Sure, they’d a grill on the boat!
The tour takes you to the most effective seashores based mostly on that day’s climate. They’ve snorkel tools for folks to make use of as nicely. It was an effective way to see extra of Ios and get to know another travellers — I actually loved this Ios exercise.
The tour is about 4 hours and prices round $50 per individual. Study extra and reserve your spot right here.
See Additionally: The Final Information To Travelling Greece & The Greek Islands
3. Tour the Island On an ATV
One of the in style issues to do in Ios is to discover by ATV. Among the roads in Ios are filth and that is the easiest way to see these components of the island.
Site visitors on Ios is proscribed to the Chora and the roads to the primary seashores, so that you received’t have to fret about sharing the highway with too many automobiles.
A lot of Ios is hilly, so be sure to lease an ATV with sufficient energy.
A wonderful thing about renting an ATV is which you can lease it for simply the day. Parking within the Chora will likely be pretty simple as nicely. You possibly can lease an ATV from Jacob’s Rental proper within the port and the price is €40 to €45 a day.
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4. Go to Homer’s Tomb
The well-known poet Homer is supposedly buried on Ios. Homer wrote each the Odyssey and the Iliad and determined to spend the final a part of his life on Ios as a result of his mom was from this Greek island.
When you do want a automotive or an ATV to get to Homer’s Tomb, it’s to not be missed.
The tomb is positioned on a hill within the northeast space of Ios overlooking the Aegean Sea and presents gorgeous views. There are brown indicators indicating the path to the tomb from the port and it’s free to enter.
5. Stroll to Agia Irini Church
A brief stroll to the doorway of the Ios port is the church of Agia Irini (Saint Irene). In the event you arrive by ferry in Ios Greece, you will note this gorgeous church in your means in. This church was constructed within the seventeenth century within the typical Cyclades architectural fashion.
Not solely does the placement of the church provide gorgeous views of the Port, however should you proceed down the trail previous the church, this can take you to one of many seashores in Ios that’s solely reachable by boat or by foot.
6. Eat at Grandma’s
Grandma’s is among the few decisions for wonderful eating on Ios. Grandma’s is positioned contained in the Liostasi Lodge and presents fashionable Greek delicacies with a twist.
The restaurant is positioned subsequent to the pool on an open-air deck. Take pleasure in a pre-dinner drink subsequent to the pool and benefit from the wonderful Ios sundown.
If you’re searching for a particular breakfast, Grandma’s presents a conventional Greek breakfast together with regionally made cheese. Meals together with an appetizer, entrée, dessert and a drink can vary from €50 to €100.
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7. Hike The Many Trails
In the event you’re seeking to get some train, climbing is among the finest issues to do in Ios. There are 10 marked trails crossing most of this Greek island. Some are harder as they cross the mountains.
5 of the hikes begin within the Chora and several other of them result in the extra secluded seashores. The hikes vary in size from lower than a kilometer to over 7km. Search for the indicators, or ask at your lodge for instructions to the trailheads.
Ios is usually barren however you’ll be capable of catch gorgeous views of Ios and the encircling islands from lots of the greater trails. Take into account that Ios is kind of scorching in the summertime and there’s no shade so take loads of water and put on a hat when climbing right here.
8. Do the Ios Bar Crawl
If partying is extra your factor to do, then don’t miss the Ios Bar Crawl! You’ll go to six bars in Ios. The fee features a complimentary drink, free admission to the bars, six photographs and a singlet.
This can be a nice approach to meet folks from all around the world and have a enjoyable time. In the event you determine to do the crawl a second time, you get a half-price low cost. The worth adjustments every season, however final season it was €60. The worth of this night time out is definitely worth the value.
9. Watch the Sundown at Lorentzena Seaside
This remoted Lorentzena or Loretzaina seashore presents the proper view of the Ios sundown. The placement of the seashore on the west facet of the island, and the rocks surrounding it make the sunsets right here image excellent.
There are not any services at this seashore, so carry sufficient water and meals in case you are staying awhile. It was not very crowded after I visited in September, nevertheless it’s not a big seashore.
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10. Go to the Ruins of Skarkos
For such a small Greek island, there are many historic issues to see on Ios. Skarkos is an early Bronze Age settlement not removed from the port of Ios. It is among the best-preserved prehistoric websites within the Aegean.
After I was there, the one different individual was the caretaker!
The fee is €4 for entry and it’s normally closed on Monday. I additionally suggest getting a better vantage level of Skarkos from the Chora on the north facet to know its huge measurement. You possibly can stroll there from the Chora down a path close to the windmills.
11. Climb to the Prime of the Chora
One of many first issues you’ll discover upon arriving in Ios is the church buildings positioned on the highest of the hill above the Chora. Climbing to the highest is one among my most beneficial issues to do in Ios.
The trail takes you thru the gorgeous village, rewarding you with gorgeous views once you attain the summit.
Many individuals prefer to climb up right here to look at the sundown over the Aegean Sea. Because the space is small it’s best to arrive early in case you are in Ios throughout the excessive season, which is from Could to September. An alternative choice could be to go for dawn over the hills.
12. Celebration at Far Out Membership
Ios is thought for its epic celebration scene and the Far Out Membership is the place to be. It’s positioned on Milopotas Seaside, which means you possibly can go from sunbathing to dancing very quickly! In the event you’re searching for issues to do in Ios within the night, that is the place to be.
Even higher, Far Out has a hostel, lodge and tenting website so that you don’t must go far should you’ve had a couple of too many drinks, or need to keep nicely into the night time. One thing to bear in mind is that Ios operates seasonally and Far Out Village could solely be open from Could to September.
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13. Store Within the Chora
There are such a lot of distinctive retailers on Ios, particularly within the Chora (predominant village). A lot of them are clothes shops, however you may as well discover housewares and memento retailers.
My favourite store is Votsalo, which has a location within the village and on the port. In the event you’re into purchasing, this is among the high locations to go to in Ios.
Probably the greatest Greek skincare strains is offered in pharmacies in Greece. The model is Korres and the physique lotions are nice for recovering from the Greek solar. Additionally they have an incredible sunscreen product.
14. Sunbath at Milopotas Seaside
One of the in style issues to do in Ios is to work in your tan!
Milopotas is an exquisite golden sand seashore, positioned only a brief bus experience from the port or the Chora. Many eating places have sunbeds and umbrellas for lease and a few received’t cost you should you order meals or drinks from them.
If you’re prepared to chill off, simply stroll a couple of toes to the refreshing water of the Aegean. The water is deep sufficient to swim right here and is calm more often than not. This seashore additionally presents some wonderful people-watching alternatives.
15. Tour the Archaeology Museum
The small archaeology museum is so small it doesn’t have a reputation apart from “Archaeology Museum”. It’s positioned on the bus cease within the Chora. The museum’s hours are posted on the door, however they often change since they’ve only a few employees.
The Archaeology Museum is among the finest small island museums I’ve visited. The museum incorporates historic artifacts discovered at Skarkos and within the Chora, together with pottery, statues, cash, and jewellery. The doorway charge is €4.
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16. Go to Odysseas Elytis Theatre
This open-air theater was in-built 1997 to characterize the fashion of historic Greek theatre. It will probably maintain 1100 folks. To seek out it, head previous the Chora and the windmills.
You possibly can go to anytime even when there isn’t a efficiency taking place. It presents an epic view of Milopotas Seaside from the seats.
17. Do Yoga at Concord
After all of the partying you might be doing on Ios, you might need to unwind with some yoga. Concord presents yoga courses within the mornings that will help you get better out of your nights out. As a bonus, it’s additionally a wonderful Mexican restaurant.
Even should you don’t must get better from something, the views from the hillside location at Mylopotas Seaside will be seen whereas training yoga. Lessons are provided Tuesdays and Thursdays at 9:30am and are €5.
18. See the Windmills
One of many conventional issues to do on Ios is to go to the windmills.
There are 12 weathered windmills positioned excessive up within the Chora on the high of the mountain slope, which was an awesome spot for them to catch the wind. Up to now, the power produced by these windmills was used to grind grains, which was a meals staple on Ios.
The windmills are not operational however are an awesome piece of Ios historical past. Some are extra intact than others, however regardless, they nonetheless make for an awesome picture.
19. Take a Images Tour
All the Greek Islands are nice locations to take images, however discovering the appropriate spots will be overwhelming. I made a decision to take a images tour with Mark Wilman. He has been taking images on Ios for a few years and has been visiting Ios since he was 10 years outdated.
He is aware of Ios extraordinarily nicely and presents 12 totally different tour choices. He guides you on what to shoot and helps evaluation your photographs alongside the best way. Since I used to be there within the low season, I used to be the one one on the tour! The half-day tour was €60.
20. Go Paddleboarding
Paddleboarding appears to be very fashionable nowadays and Ios is a good place to present it a attempt. The water is calm most days, however should you do fall off your board, it’ll be a reduction from the recent solar.
You possibly can lease a paddleboard from Meltemi Water Sports activities on Mylopotas or Manganari Seaside. That is another choice for exploring the areas you possibly can’t attain by automotive or foot.
21. Watch the Ferries Arrive
Considered one of my favourite issues to do in Ios is to look at the ferries arrive. You possibly can sit at one of many cafes within the port and watch folks get on and off the ferry. It’s the final people-watching expertise. When you have ever taken the ferry in Greece, you realize it’s organized chaos.
You possibly can spot who has come to celebration, who has come to chill out, and see the Greeks drive their automobiles off the ferry. Not solely are the ferries for passengers, however most Greek islands depend on the boats for meals and different provides. With no airports, the ferries are the lifeline of the islands.
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22. Celebration within the Chora
For many younger folks, the most effective factor to do in Ios is celebration! The Chora is full of bars and golf equipment. Many of those bars and golf equipment don’t open until at the very least 1:00am. Among the hottest bars are Site visitors, Click on, Coo Bar and Candy Irish Dream.
The very best factor about that is you possibly can celebration all night time, sleep late and nonetheless benefit from the seashore within the afternoon. Individuals come from all around the world to celebration in Ios and it’s an effective way to satisfy new folks from totally different cultures and make new mates.
23. Eat at Octopus Tree
This tiny restaurant is positioned within the Ios port and solely appears to have out of doors seating. Because the climate is normally nice, most nights you’ll need to eat exterior in Greece anyway.
Every little thing I had right here on the Octopus Tree was wonderful, however the fried zucchini fritters had been the most effective factor I had — so good I went again a second night time in a row to eat them.
You realize it’s a good place to eat when many of the patrons are Greeks. They normally have contemporary fish as a particular and you could attempt one among their salads, however I counsel sharing the salad because it’s big.
24. Hike the Footpath to the Chora
As you head up the highway from the port, you will note a white-lined staircase. That is the outdated donkey path from the port to the Chora, and is a good hike as nicely. In the event you take this path, you’ll move by the traditional Chora partitions and see many native Greek homes
Not solely is that this a pleasant stroll, however many motels or hostels are positioned alongside right here. Watch out strolling at nighttime as the trail isn’t well-lit and is uneven.
25. Celebration at Pathos Seaside Membership
This celebration place jogs my memory of Ibiza, Greek-style. Pathos has a restaurant, a pool and a bar. It’s the most effective locations to catch the sundown as nicely.
There’s a €10 entrance charge, however you can actually keep right here all day. Come for lunch, swim within the pool, watch the sundown, have dinner and celebration the night time away.
Bonus Issues To Do in Ios, Greece
Listed here are a few additional issues to see in Ios.
26. Go to the 365 Church buildings
Ios is called the island with a church for every single day of the 12 months.
Though this may increasingly simply be a well-liked delusion as nobody has ever counted all of them. Visiting church buildings is among the high issues to do in Ios, and there are actually sufficient church buildings right here to make visiting each a problem.
Some church buildings are massive just like the one on the entrances to the Chora and a few are so small it appears just one or two folks might match inside. Most of those are privately owned and are not often open, however they’re all stunning and picturesque.
27. Pattern Native Wine
Greek wines date again round 6,500 years, with Greece being one of many oldest wine-producing areas on the earth. So, it is sensible that the most effective issues to do in Ios is to pattern the native wine.
Many Greek wines can be found within the grocery shops on Ios, with my favourite being the Ihthe wine.
Ihthe has each white and crimson wines, with the crimson being the most effective for my part. Search for the wine with the little tugboats on them and you’ve got discovered it.
FAQ’s About Ios
Solutions to incessantly requested questions on visiting Ios, Greece.
What do you do in Ios throughout the day?
There are various issues to do in Ios throughout the day. Whereas at night time it’s identified for enjoyable events, throughout the day you possibly can go to the seashore, be part of a enjoyable boat tour of the attractive islands, do some purchasing, pattern the tasty meals and wine, or (if it’s not too scorching), do one of many hikes.
Is Ios value a go to?
Sure, Ios is value a go to for positive. It’s an underrated island in Greece and an ideal vacation spot to go to for a couple of days, or as a day journey from Santorini (which takes round 35 minutes).
Is Ios nonetheless a celebration island?
Sure and no. You possibly can undoubtedly discover enjoyable events on Ios, however there’s a chilled-out scene right here as nicely.
Is Ios island protected?
Ios is a protected island. As with anyplace, be aware of your belongings when strolling in crowds, or when leaving your belongings on the seashore. Maintain hydrated once you’re within the solar (or once you’re partying!), and at all times put on a hat and sunscreen.
Is Ios or Santorini higher?
This can be a matter of non-public desire. Santorini is extra in style and is costlier than Ios. Each are stunning and each have one thing to supply travellers. In the event you’re searching for a quieter choice, Ios is it.
Which is best Mykonos or Ios?
Once more, it is a matter of non-public opinion. Ios is sandwiched between Santorini and Mykonos, and whereas all three islands are attractive, Mykonos is extra often known as the celebration vacation spot. The seashores could also be a bit nicer on Ios, and it’s a extra reasonably priced vacation spot. Mykonos has extra occurring and likewise has an airport.
How lengthy is the ferry from Santorini to Ios?
It takes about 35 minutes to get from Santorini to Ios by ferry. See the ferry timetable right here.
Now You Know What To Do in Ios Greece
My finest tip is to take the early ferry from Piraeus, if coming from Athens, so that you will be in Ios by the early afternoon. This fashion you possibly can arrive and begin exploring all of the thrilling issues to do in Ios instantly.
As you possibly can see there are various issues to see and locations to go to in Ios. You possibly can spend your days on the seashore getting a tan, study native historical past, and celebration all night time lengthy. I like to recommend doing all of these items to get the total Ios expertise. Have enjoyable!
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Goats On The Street makes use of and recommends Reserving on account of their superior cancellation coverage, reductions and offers. Click on right here to see properties obtainable in Ios. Airbnb is a good guess should you’re searching for villas and residences.
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In the event you’d prefer to lease a automotive in Ios or another Greek Island, we suggest testing the costs on Expedia.com. Once more, Goats On The Street at all times makes use of Expedia for our automotive leases!
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