Ios Beaches Greece - Greek Holiday Destinations
Cyclades Islands: Amorgos > Andros > Folegandros > Ios > Kythnos > Milos > Mykonos > Naxos > Paros > Santorini > Serifos > Sifnos > Sikinos > Syros > TinosMore on Ios - Accommodation - Car Hire - Day Trips - Night Life - Introduction
Along with its infamous "anything goes" nightlife, the beaches of Ios are without doubt its biggest attraction. Mylopotas is by far and away the busiest and most popular beach - the island's liveliest daytime party spot where loud music blares for the benefit of young revellers who warm up here before heading for Hora's frantic night scene. The place is awash with bars, tavernas and fast food joints along with plenty of watersports and leisure activities.
But steer clear of Mylopotas (officially called Mylopotamus) and you'll find the island also offers plenty of beautiful unspoilt beaches where drunken teenagers fear to tread. You can reach them on foot, by bus, water taxi, rental car or moped.
If you're like the vast majority of other visitors to Ios (under 30 and hell bent on being at the centre of the action), you'll want to make a beeline for Mylopotas, one kilometre down the hill from Hora. It's a 20-minute walk or you can catch one of the regular buses which connect the port of Gialos with Hora and Mylopotas (you'll rarely have to wait more than 10-15 minutes in high season).
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The beach's aptly named Far Out camp site is a mega-resort in itself with a 24-hour bar, two swimming pools, a restaurant.and bleary-eyed backpackers seemingly oblivious to the music which blasts most of the time. Note that the previously popular habit of sleeping rough on the beach is these days frowned on by the local cops who are likely to disturb your alcohol-induced slumbers if you attempt it.
At Mylopotas Water Sports Centre you can hire snorkelling gear, canoes and windsurfers. Water ski-ing and various other beach activities are also available in high season.
Probably the most beautiful beach is Manganari in the south east corner of the island, a 25 minute bus ride from Hora. You can also reach this relatively quiet stretch of fine white sand by water taxi from Ormos Port or hire a speed boat (a fast by expensive way of getting there). The beach is popular with nudists, offers a variety of water sports and some good quality tavernas.
The beach at Koumbara, to the north west of Hora, is officially nudist and largely overlooked by foreign tourists. There's a rocky islet to explore and the excellent seafront Polydoras Restaurant which is a culinary secret local residents prefer to keep to themselves.
Valmas and Kolitsanis are two secluded beaches with crystal clear waters and few tourists, both within easy walking distance of Hora going south from the port.
Local travel agents arrange transport to Ayia Theodoti Beach on the east coast of the island - a favoured haunt of wealthy Athenians hence the somewhat pricey tavernas. Further south along the coast is unspoilt Psathi Beach, a naturists' haunt accessible by moped via a rather hazardous track. You'll find another lovely secluded beach at Kalamos, in Plakes Bay between Psathi and Manganari Beach.
You can book a sailing trip around the island and to the nearby island of Sikinos through one of the local travel agents.
Greek Guide
North Eastern Aegean Greek Islands 
