Ios is a schizophrenic place. At first glance it is just a village port, once a popular target for pirates. The main town, Hora, is actually a couple of kilometres inland.
Ios: View over the port from the town
By day peace reigns. The throngs of tourists spread out and the beaches are bedecked with slowly browning bodies.
At night, however, the tone of the island changes and the nightclubs and bars pound out the latest tunes and the streets are filled with hedonistic night owls seeking solace in a bottle of chartreuse.
Fortunately for sailors wanting a more peaceful time, the party action centres on Hora, not the port. And the party season is short; it starts in late June and is finished by the end of August. So don’t be put off; Ios has a lot more to offer.
Ios Harbour is more of a ferry terminal than a pretty Greek village. The best place to moor in the harbour is the eastern quay. Some lazy lines are available but it can be a bit of a cat’s cradle to sort out which line goes where. If you have to use your anchor try and drop it long to avoid the various mooring chains on the sea bed.
The whole harbour is subject to ferry wash so stay as far off the quay as possible to prevent disasters. It is also possible to moor stern or bows-to the north quay. My least favourite spot is the seaward side of the fishing harbour to the south. It can get very bouncy here as the ferry wash and swell from the prevailing wind seem to be concentrated in this area. Power and water is available on the town quay.
Ios is remarkably sheltered from the meltemi and can be a great place to spend a couple of days relaxing if the wind is getting to you.
Around the harbour there are a number of cafes, bars and restaurants. A good bakery is also close at hand. For a wider selection of eateries you will have to walk, taxi or bus into Hora. The bus runs every 15 minutes.
Ios: Ferry quay with yacht harbour right
Hora is a surprisingly pretty village with a maze of narrow cobbled streets and a small attractive main square.
Like most of the main towns on the Cyclades, Hora was built inland to avoid detection by pirates. The layout is meant to confuse would be invaders. Just because you didn’t over indulge on liquid refreshments doesn’t mean you won’t get lost!
There is a good selection of shops, restaurants and bars etc. At night the place comes alive and can be fairly rowdy but rarely gets out of hand. It is said that at midnight the main square becomes so congested you couldn’t fall down even if you wanted to! The harbour is relatively peaceful by comparison.
Ios’s main claim to historic fame is the so called Tomb of Homer. Having made the effort to see it I was rather disappointed by the jumble of broken and graffitied rocks but the trip there was very enjoyable. Drive carefully as I did notice a number of cars that had failed to complete the journey!
If the crew is clamouring for some beach time head for Milopotas Beach where younger generation party hard and a wide range of watersports are available. For the more liberal members of the crew, Koubara Beach is the official nudist beach of Ios.