Sightseeing in Ios Island - what to see. Complete travel guide

Charming island of Ios is widely regarded as the most picturesque of all Cyclades. It’s very popular among young tourists and fans of beach vacations thanks to its famous night clubs and scenic beaches. Busy life is mostly limited to the island capital city, while outside of Chora it’s very calm and peaceful even in high season. Ios is also an excellent choice for those looking for landmarks. There's a number of interesting historical symbols on the island and visiting them will be excellent experience.

The best place to start exploring historical heritage of the island is Chore itself. Walking around it you can visit the Church of St.Irina, which is the symbol of the city. This charming and simple snow-white church is situated next to the port area and thus is usually a first stop of many excursions. It’s highly recommended to travel through Chora by feet; getting from port to the city center wouldn’t be a too difficult task.

This miniature town looks very colorful and original to foreigners thank to spots of bright colors on snow-white background of buildings. City streets are decorated with thousands of nectareous flowers, while colorful doors, shutters and window-ledges are distinctive feature of local houses. The capital is situated on a high hill and it's highly recommended to get to the very top of it. Copyright www.orangesmile.com

Along with spacious viewpoints, you can also find several traditional architectural landmarks, including elegant snow-white chapels with blue cupolas. Walking down the hill you can find the most interesting landmarks of Ios, the old windmills. They still work despite their age.

Paleokastro has another landmark to offer, the beautiful Venetian fortress built back in 15th century. Ios is commonly associated with Homer. It's widely thought that Ios is the place, where the poet has spent his latest years and has been buried. His burial tomb is located among the ruins of ancient town of Plakoto, which in turn is highly recommended to those fond of history.

Church of Saint Ekaterina located in Agea Ekaterini is another outstanding landmark of Ios. Saint Ekaterina is widely regarded as holy patroness of islanders and there are lots of legends associated with the church. For years island has been a point of interest for scientists and archeologists exploring it throughout. Results of these researches are represented in the local Archeological Museum that houses an impressive collection of findings.

Travelers interested in modern art should visit Museum of Modern Arts located In Kolitsani. It retains an extensive collection of works by modern painters and also regularly hosts various cultural events. There's also a bunch of Classic landmarks on the island, including an amazing amphitheater. It’s visible from Chora hill and its ruins are excellent place to walk around for fans of history.

Ios Island is the location of one of the most beautiful beaches in whole Greece – Mylopotas Bay. The length of this sandy beach is roughly 1,000 meters. It is a very calm and shallow place, so there is no wonder why this beach is an ultimate choice of family tourists. The beach has a well-developed infrastructure with numerous hotels, restaurants, and entertainment centers nearby. Ormos Village is also famous for its wonderful beach that never ceases to attract fans of relaxing in a comfortable setting.

A large number of vacationers is the main disadvantage of popular beaches. Fans of secluded and idyllic places usually prefer to relax in small bays. Some of them are accessible only from the water. The area near Psathi is particularly rich in wonderful wild beaches. Ios Island is also suitable for fans of scuba diving. Mylopotas and Manganari beaches are considered the best destinations for diving. There are several modern sports centers near the beaches where visitors can order water skiing sessions or learn to ride a scooter. It is also important to mention that Manganari Beach is distinguished by an excellent ecological index, so this coastal area was awarded a Blue flag several years ago.