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Enjoy the unique beaches of Ios through our journey to the island of Homer. From the port of the island to the north side, Ios is full of busy and deserted beautiful beaches. Unfortunately we only stayed for 3 days so we didn’t have time to see all the beaches of the island.
And there are many, so if you plan to explore the endless blue of the island, arrange your stay in Ios (opens in a new window/tab) for more days.
In Ios you will not have a hard time deciding where to stay as the main options are Chora, the port and the area between Chora and Mylopotas beach as well as the beach itself since behind the road there are options for all budgets.
Starting your short tour of the island and if you want a quick dose of coolness right after disembarking from the boat, you can swim in the harbour beach which is sufficient for a first quick dose. All you have to do is as soon as you disembark walk left for about 50 metres and you’re there. It doesn’t get any closer than that!
If you continue, not on foot, further down about 800 meters you will reach Tzamaria beach while the next option is Koumbara beach which did not impress us and we would not recommend it especially considering the alternatives you will find in Ios.
On the northwestern side of Ios it is worth mentioning Loretzaina beach. We didn’t swim because we arrived late but from above we saw it, it looked quite interesting with the high rock on the right and the clear deep waters. In a nutshell, this is the ‘heavy artillery’ of Ios as far as its beaches are concerned. Especially Mylopotas is one of the most famous and most photographed beaches several decades before the advent of social media and Instagram.
Mylopotas Beach
Of course this “cult” is completely justified as Mylopotas is a huge beautiful beach with easy access from Chora, with crystal clear waters, 24-hour entertainment options and quiet corners to relax after the famous intense nightlife of Ios.
On the other hand, Manganari was in the 80s and 90s (certainly even earlier) an exotic destination. It was said to be a beautiful beach with turquoise waters and golden sand, but most visitors preferred the ease and comforts of Mylopotas. Access was not available by car and only day trips by boat could reach the coast and not always.
Now the beach at Manganari is much more accessible. A road has been paved and you can reach it within 40-50 minutes by car. Not that 50 minutes is short but ( Manganari is located in the southern part of Ios) but there is definitely that possibility. So if you go to Ios, don’t miss the opportunity to visit the double exotic beach at Manganari.
In addition, the route by car offers alternative views of the island such as that of Mylopotas and Chora in the background as shown in the photo. We won’t say more, a dip but also the view from above as you arrive by car is enough.
So if you have reached Manganari and you have a vehicle, then you can go a little further up to see the view of the bay and the beaches at Tris Klisies (the photo at the beginning of the article is from there). When we went we couldn’t continue to the sea because the dirt road was closed. But it’s worth making a short walk from there for the view or even asking if there is another way to access it.
The next beaches that we will mention are accessible only by 4×4 because in June 2016 when we visited them there was only a dirt road that in some places was difficult (if it is still like this, do not attempt it with a conventional car or motorbike.)
Another beach we could not reach was where the construction of Calilo (exclusive suites) is now completed and from what we understood it is a private beach for Calilo’s clients.
Finally, once you have reached there instead of the beach in front of Calilo, you can continue left at the junction (see the map at the end of the article) and reach the large and deserted beach of Kalamos. Take a swim and continue if you have time a couple of kilometers to the end of the dirt road that leads to a beautiful and deserted bay (we are always talking about summer 2016 as in 3-4 years a lot can have changed. Hopefully no beach bars with deafening music or private villas have sprung up blocking access).
But the options for diving in the turquoise waters of the Cyclades do not stop here in Ios. Apart from the hidden small beaches that can only be reached by boat/sailing boat, there are a few more beautiful beaches that are definitely worth seeing before you leave the island.
One of them is Agia Theodoti, 20 to 30 minutes from Chora, in the eastern part of the island. One of the longest beaches of Ios with crystal clear waters, ideal for more relaxed situations and just for …spreaders :) (not that you will have a hard time with the rest of the beaches)
On the same side, the eastern side, with Agia Theodoti, you will find Psathi beach. Smaller and perhaps quieter, it is a good choice for relaxing dives with a view of Herakleia.
text/photos: Yannis Tsouratzis
Map with the beaches of Ios
840 01, Greece
In Ios you will not have a hard time deciding where to stay as the main options are Chora, the port and the area between Chora and Mylopotas beach as well as the beach itself since behind the road there are options for all budgets.
Hotels and rooms in Ios
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