Many believe that Ios is the most beautiful island in the Cyclades archipelago. It’s a small mountainous island with a few small plains, several olives and vines.
The pretty little chapel of St. Irene at the entrance to the harbour, the town of Chora, climbing up a hillside with the chapel at the top- all this creates this beautiful scenery.
Then comes the exploring of Chora with its narrow alleys, shops, bars, pubs and taverns. Everything is on a charming, small, doll’s house scale.
This can be followed by a walk out of Chora to the level ground which has the old windmills standing in a line. After, there is a downhill walk to the beach, which is to the right of the town. A delightful bay with a wonderful beach lies before you.
This is the famous Mylopotas beach – one of the finest beaches in Greece. This is Ios, the island where Homer is said to be buried.
It lies between Naxos and Santorini and is 111 nautical miles from Piraeus. It has an area of 108 sq km, a coastline of 80 km and a population of 1500. The island can be reached from Piraeus by ferry all year round. From Ios you can sail to many other islands in the Cyclades, to Crete and to the Dodocanese.
History
It was originally called Phoinike, because it was inhabited by the Phoenicians. According to tradition, it was later given the name Ios by the Ionians who settled on the island at the end of 2nd millennium BC. In Roman times, it was used as a place of exile.
In the Byzantine period, the island was known under the name of Nios. During this period it fell into decline and was almost completely abandoned.
It was captured by the Venetians who built a strong castle in the 14th century on the hill of Chora to protect it from pirate raids.
Chora stands near the site of the ancient city of Ios. Tradition relates that Homer was buried on Ios. There is, in fact, a ruin in Plakoto which is called the tomb of Homer.
Getting around the island
The port (Ormos, as it is called) has a good beach to the north, but most visitors go to Mylopotas. There is an asphalt road- 2km- from the port to Chora and this continues to the Mylopotas beach. If you do not want to climb along the uphill path, it is possible to take the bus. There is a regular service. A stroll around Chora with its Cycladic churches and its marvellous views of the sea is a really unique experience.
Mylopotas bay is 3km away from Chora and can be reached by bus. It has a vast and excellent beach. Manganari is a settlement in a large bay with an excellent beach at the southern part of the island.
Aya Theodoti has a beach and a camping site. It is on the east coast of the island and can be reached by an earth road. It is also possible to go there by caique if the weather is good. Psathi is a small village on the east coast. It can be reached by car or caique