So it’s time to start planning your trip to Greece and Ios is under your radar. You have come to the right place. Ios is one the most vibrant island in Greece where parties, beautiful beaches, and hidden bays are the order of the day.
Something that we liked about Ios is that it packs a punch of places in a close area. You’ve got the town of Chora with loads of bars and restaurants on the top of the hill and then the port to one side and Mylpotas beach on the other.
The Beaches
- Mylopotas
- Koubara
- Manganari
- Tzamaria
Contrary to Santorini and Mykonos, Ios has plenty of great beaches to choose where to get the beloved vitamin D. There many more beautiful beaches in Ios these are just the ones we went to. But, other beaches include Valmas, Theodoti, Tris Klisies, and Psathi.
Mylopotas
Let’s start with the most popular, Mylopotas. Here the water is beautiful and everything accessible from bars along the beach, mini-market, bakery, restaurants, to beach clubs including the crowds favorite, Far Out Beach Club. You can also do water sports and if the sun is hitting too hard rent sunbeds and umbrellas. This is the beach to be!
In the photos above you get an idea where most of the action happens on the island. You have the beach, the hotels close to it, and Chora on the top of the hill.
Koubara Beach
Koubara is located on the east side about 10 minutes from Chora. It is great to watch the sunset and has a seafood restaurant, and Beach Club with a pool and cool cabanas to rent at the beach.
If you are on a budget I recommend to buy drinks at the restaurant.
Manganari Beach
Manganari is on the southern tip of the island, about 30 minutes from Chora. The water here is al light beautiful turquoise color, the atmosphere is relaxing, and is good for snorkeling.
The beach has two sections, the small and the big one and each side has a restaurant where they come to you to get orders. On the small side, the cost of the umbrella and two sunbeds is €10. We stopped here after spending the morning at Never Bay and it was the perfect spot to get some food and recharge for the afternoon.
Tzamaria Beach
Tzamaria is a small beach on the same bay as the port, but across from it. It is easy to miss as it quite below the road. Although we did not get to go we did pass by it and it looked really nice.
Hidden Gems
We will call the next spots the Hidden Gems as they are not your traditional beach and are a bit harder to find. These are the places we love to go as most of the time you get them to yourselves and they give you the feeling of exploration and discovery.
Never Bay
Never Bay is a secluded bay with giant cliffs, cool rock formations, insanely crystal clear water, and phenomenal views. It is quite popular on Instagram as many big travel instagramers visit Ios every summer.
The bay is perfect for a couple of floaties, music, drinks, and food to make your own party. We spend half-day snorkeling, cliff jumping, taking photos, and swimming around.
If you want to know how to get here you can ask the boys at Lost Boys Bar or check us on Instagram and we will tell you in advance exactly where it is.
Flat Rock
With several rocks to jump off and beautiful crystal clear water, Flat Rock is another unspoiled paradise that most likely you will enjoy with no one around.
To get here is about a 30-40 minutes hike, maybe a little more if you get lost, as there isn’t a marked trail. However, I promise you it is worth it. Make sure to bring some snacks since there is nothing around. See below for instructions.
How to get to Flat Rock
You can park in the blue circle, which is at the end of Mylopotas Beach. Then walk towards the orange X. You will see a trail sign, follow it until you reach like a plateau (around where the green X is), turn right to go off the mail trail. A bit later you will see a small dead tree. Keep going until see the rock in the water.
Harmony Bay
Not sure if that is the name, but let’s go with that. This is the easier of the three to get to since it is just a few steps from Harmony Restaurant. There are many spots to lay down on the rocks and have a little corner for yourself. You also have the restaurant right there so you have easy access to food and drinks.
The guys from Harmony do an event here several times during the summer called Floatopia. Check their Facebook page and you might be able to catch one.
Where to watch the sunset?
Chora
The best place to watch the sunset in Ios is hands down on the top of Chora by the four churches. The views of the sun going down on the horizon, the bay, the town, nearby islands, and the countryside are pretty incredible. Another good thing is that after the sunset will be dinner time and you will have plenty of options in town to choose from.
Agia Irini Church
Agia Irini is the perfect place to have a quiet sunset. The church is beautiful and quite high by greek standards. Although you don’t get to see the sun going all the way down on the horizon, you still get to see the sky on fire.
Koubara Beach is another place we know is really cool to watch the sunset. Although we didn’t see the sunset here, we stayed quite late in the afternoon and it was looking promising.
Where to party?
Ah… Party, one of the fortes of Ios. In Ios you can party from noon til the next day if you want to.
If you want to start early then start at one of the hottest spots of the Cyclades Islands, Far Out Club. At night hit the town join a bar crawl or do you own. Start drinking with the Aussies at Lost Boys Bar, then watch a couple of tricks at Circus Bar, and then put on a helmet, have a shot, and get slammed in Slammer.
Another place that we have to mention is Harmony, our favorite place in Ios. Go at any time and you will have a good and chill time. The food is great, the vibe is great, and the people are great. Everything is great here hahaha.
Go during the day lay down on the hammocks, have some drinks with jalapeno and cheese rice balls (they are to die for!), jump in the water, come back and repeat. Or go for dinner during sunset to enjoy the view of Mylopotas beach, live music, and delicious Mexican food. Oh, and the little surprise you get with the bill.
Do you need to rent a vehicle?
To explore a lot of the island in a short time and go to Never Bay, you need a four-wheeler. If not, you don’t have to especially if you stay around Chora or Mylopotas beach. There is a bus that runs from the port.
And if you want to go to other beaches then you can take the bus to Koubara Beach and Tzamaria Beach. Or one of the daily buses to Manganari Beach or to St. Theodoti Beach and Psathi Beach.
Have in mind that renting scooters in Greece can be a little tricky if you don’t have a motorcycle license or an international driver’s license. Some places required both, others one of them, or none. Always ask if you are doing reservations online.
When to Go?
From mid-July to mid-September is when the water is warmer and the island’s atmosphere at its best. But if you want to escape the crowds and still enjoy the water, then you can go from the beginning of June until mid-July or from mid-September to mid-October.
We went at the beginning of July and loved it.
Where to Stay?
We recommend you to stay close to Chora so you have many options close to you. We stayed at the Galaxy Hotel. Nice hotel only a few steps from Mylopotas and not too expensive. There are a pool and a bar with a good view of Mylopotas.
If there is something else you want to know that I didn’t cover, let me know in the comments.
Thanks for reading
And keep exploring
j ⋀⋁ i e r ✧ ☽
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