Ios: May 2018
Ahh Ios! My second time to this infamous party island. A place I simply cannot resist. Here is my guide to the best things to do on Ios Island!
My friend, Ruth, and I stayed on the Island for just under a week towards the end of May, just as the Australian’s began to descend on the island for the season.
We came to Ios to enjoy the beaches and churches and also check out the social scene- no intention of having a string of all-nighters, which inevitably happened!
So lets go, here are my top recommendations for Ios!
1. Stay at Hermes Hotel!
We stayed at Hermes Hotel, we got our room for a steal. We paid around ยฃ10 each per night, lucky us because the week after we left prices literally tripled because it was the official start of the season.
The rooms were simple but perfectly fine and came with a fridge! The best part, however, was the pool and bar which had multiple seating options and a beautiful blue pool with sweeping views over the ocean.
The bar is also run by young Australians who we soon became friendly with which led to the string of classic Ios Island benders!
Days in Ios typically involve waking up late, lounging by the pool at Hermes (or Far Out Beach Club), swimming at Myoplatas beach, eating, showering, predrinking, then bar hopping to all the hot spots until 6am, sleep and repeat. We followed this routine for about 3 days!
2. Take a boating day trip!
We took a boat trip with Meltemi which took us to some caves and beautiful secret beaches and even to a ship wreck!
Meltemi is based on Mylopotas beach This was really fun and beautiful and all the people in the group were very friendly and social. They provided us lunch and good vibes.
3. Hire a car and drive around the Island
One day we hired a car and drove around the Island to some of the quieter beaches and we also hiked to a church up in the mountains with amazing panoramic views. I can’t for the life of me remember the name of the church but if you ask around the Island people will tell you.
4. Explore the cute Cycladic churches and streets of Chora at sunset
Ios is very famous for its Cycladic streets in the main town of Chora as well as the churches scattered over all the hills which create sunset Instagram gold!
A couple of nights we hiked up the hill in Chora and visited all 4 churches on the way up in search of the best perspective. Chora is a charming little town and will certainly give you your classic white greek town fix!
5. Hang out on Mylopotas beach
Mylopotas beach is the closest beach to Chora, just walking distance down a hill. Its a beautiful long beach with crystal clear blue water. The beach is lined with bars and restaurants and has plenty of options for sun loungers and umbrellas if that’s your thing.
My favourite part about Mylopotas beach is Far Out Beach Club! I stayed here when I visited two years ago. It’s got 2 beautiful pools that are open to the public and amazing hang-out areas. They also do day parties in the afternoon which is really fun. It’s a good place to cure your hangover during the day!
6. Party your ass off!!
Now the real charm of Ios comes from the fact that when summer hits the Island bascially turns into a colony of Australia. A lot of the bars and cafes there are owned and run by Australians so they all flock there to rage. Australians know how to party and they also know how to run bars and clubs exceptionally (I secretly love them!).
From Harmony overlooking Myoplatas beach to all the tiny themed bars scattered throughout Chora pumping til 7am, there are endless options. Most of the bars do drink specials and shot challenges where you get a singlet for doing 10 shots.
This is basically compulsory as every one of the Island has these really cool singlets so you will want one too! The special shots and cocktails at most of the places are excellent and significantly cheaper than Mykonos.
My top picks for bars in Ios
Some of my favourite spots to go are:
- Pathos Sunset Lounge to feel fancy,
- Fun Pub to begin the night,
- Lost Boys for the singlets,
- Alt Bar for the crazy shots,
- Slammers to get your head knocked in,
- Circus for incredible live music and amazing cocktails and,
- Escobar to dance til the sun comes up. Escobar also has excellent cocktails.
7. Avoid eating at overpriced ‘Australian’ restaurants
The only thing that Ios is lacking is good Greek food for a reasonable price. There are a few cafes that try to cater to the Australian crowd, where the menus read beautifully but I find them to be very expensive and poorly executed.
The best food is at the 24-hour bakery close to the main road in Chora, Yummy had the best pita I think I ever had and Thai Smile had really good authentic Thai Food. You can always get a Gyros fix at any hour from shops in Chora.
Tips for visiting Ios
- Transport: If you are staying in Chora or Myoplatas beach you can walk between the two and not need any other transport. However, if you want to go further you can hire a car to see the island. You can hire from on the island for around 30 euros per day. It’s much easier to find a car if you drive a manual! Also make sure you have an international drivers licence as this is what the law in Greece requires so if you don’t have one and get in an accident your travel insurance with be void.
- Cash: You can withdraw cash easily in Ios. A number of shops also accept card but for paying for small things in shops and restaurants it’s much better to carry cash. Get a prepaid travel card before you go and save money on exchange rate and ATM fees. If you are in the UK, Europe or Australia I recommend Revolut. You get ยฃ200 of free ATM withdrawals a month (only 2% after that) and the exchange rate they give is the market rate. I have used their online account and prepaid MasterCard for over three years and I love it. I have saved a fortune on fees.
- Ferries:ย If you are visiting Ios as part of an Island Hopping trip, plan your itinerary carefully in line with the ferry schedule and book in advance. It takes quite a lot of coordination to ensure there are routes & ferries operating on the right days for your trip to work out!
- Sunscreen: Sunscreen is really expensive on the Greek Islands so bring some with you from home!
- Visit during shoulder season: I recommend making your visit to the Greek Islands in May or September on either side of peak season. The weather is perfect and not too hot, there are way fewer crowds and everything is a lot cheaper. There are still enough people still there to give the islands an amazing vibe during the shoulder season.
There you have the best things to do on Ios Island! Overall I had an incredible time in Ios. I had SO MUCH FUN staying up all night dancing and spending the days in an actual beach paradise with awesome company.
Next stop: Karpathos!
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