Ios, Greece

Ios is a Greek island in the Cyclades group in the Aegean Sea. Ios is a hilly island with cliffs down to the sea on most sides, situated halfway between Naxos and Santorini.

Chora, the main village on Ios, is a white and very picturesque cycladic village, full of stairs and narrow walks. The main path through this village is completely taken over by tourism in terms of restaurants, boutiques, bars and discotheques.

The sites of Ios include a Hellenistic tower at Plakotos and the remains of an ancient aqueduct at Aghia Theodoti; traces of an ancient temple at Psathi; a ruined Venetian castle at the spot known as Palaeokastro.

The Archaeological and folkloric Museum in Hora and the Museum of Modern Art at Kolitsani must also be mentioned. Lovers of the sea will enjoy the superb beaches of Ios, such as Milopotas and Manganari.

Things to See & Do

* Village of Chora
* Beaches and water sports
* Palaeokastro – Venetian Castle
* Aghia Theodoti - ancient aqueduct

General information

Cruise Season – Feb to Dec
Currency - Euro (€)
Language – Greek
Land Area – 105 km²
Population – 1,900
Electricity – 2 round pins European style
Time - GMT/UTC plus two hours
International Country Telephone Code – 0030

Port Location – The Port of Ios is at the head of the Ormos harbor in the northwest. From there the bus or 15-minute walk up the steep donkey path takes you to the village, known as Chora.

Transport Links – Ios can be reached best from Santorini or Paros or directly from Piraeus. Ferry boats and Highspeed catamaran services run daily from Piraeus. The cheapest lines is Hellenic Seaways , but there are many others like BlueStar(more expensive)or GA ferries.

The island has three major villages : Ormos (where the ferry port is), Hora (main city) and Milopotas a beach (one of the most beautiful beaches on Ios) close to Hora. In summer buses operate between those three villages. Additionally you can rent cars and motorcycles in Hora. Boats also run between major coastal towns on the island.