There’s a broad variety of amazing things to do in Ios, it’s certainly one of the best places to visit in Greece. This Greek Island is located in the Cyclades island group in the southern Aegean Sea.
With activities in Ios including hiking, viewing the fantastic sunsets, going to historic sites, and enjoying the laid-back lifestyle of Greece, you’ll never be bored!
Last September, I spent a month in Ios enjoying all the things to do on this beautiful Greek island, including exploring 75kms of beach.
This was my second visit to Ios as I had spent the year before sailing the Greek islands for two weeks, with Ios being one of the stops. With so numerous fun things to do in Ios, I returned to this Greek island to experience much more of what it has to offer.
Ios is one of the most beautiful islands in Greece. read on for much more about going to here.
Here’s my list of the top 25 places to visit, and things to do in Ios, Greece.
Table of Contents
1. visit Manganari Beach
2. Take a boat trip (one of the top things to do in Ios)
3. trip the Island On an ATV
4. visit Homer’s Tomb
5. walk to Agia Irini Church
6. eat at Grandma’s
7. Hike The numerous Trails
8. Do the Ios Bar Crawl
9. view the Sunset at Lorentzena Beach
11. Climb to the top of the Chora
12. party at far Out Club
13. shop In the Chora
14. Sunbath at Milopotas Beach
15. trip the Archaeology Museum
16. visit Odysseas Elytis Theatre
17. Do yoga at Harmony
18. See the Windmills
19. Take a photography Tour
20. Go Paddleboarding
21. view the Ferries Arrive
22. party in the Chora
23. eat at Octopus Tree
24. Hike the Footpath to the Chora
25. party at Pathos beach Club
Bonus!
Now You know What To do in Ios Greece!
1. visit Manganari Beach
Manganari beach is highly regarded as the best beach in Ios. The beach has earned blue flag status, which implies it has met standards for cleanliness, environmental management, and safety. Manganari beach is separated into five smaller beaches.
While these might not be the best beaches in Greece, they are still beautiful and worth a visit.
There are several restaurants located on the beach including Antonis Tavern and Venus restaurant and Bar, and if you’re searching for a peaceful place to stay in Ios, you could book a hotel room here.
The beach is 23 km away from Chora, which is the capital of this Greek Island, but it can be reached by bus that leaves from either the Port, Mylopotas beach or Chora. The bus is €6 return.
2. Take a boat trip (one of the top things to do in Ios)
Many beaches on Ios are only available by boat. Taking a boat trip allows you to visit several of the best beaches in one day.
We went to the Koumbara caves, Kolitsani beach and due to the wind, we went to the island of Sikinos. The boat trip I took served an outstanding Greek BBQ lunch on board. Yes, they had a grill on the boat!
The trip takes you to the best beaches based on that day’s weather. They had snorkel equipment for people to use as well. It was a great way to see much more of Ios and get to know some other travellers. The trip was about 6 hours and cost €45 per person. learn much more and reserve your spot here.
See Also: The supreme guide To travelling Greece & The Greek Islands
3. trip the Island On an ATV
One of the most popular things to do in Ios is to explore by ATV. some of the roads in Ios are dirt and this is the best way to see these parts of the island.
Traffic on Ios is limited to the Chora and the roads to the main beaches, so you won’t have to worry about sharing the road with too numerous cars.
Much of Ios is hilly, so make sure you rent an ATV with enough power.
A great thing about renting an ATV is that you can rent it for just the day. parking in the Chora will be fairly easy as well. You can rent an ATV from Jacob’s Rental best in the port and the cost is €40 to €45 a day.
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4. visit Homer’s Tomb
The well-known poet Homer is supposedly buried on Ios. Homer wrote both the Odyssey and the Iliad and chose to spend the last part of his life on Ios because his mother was from this Greek island.
While you do need a car or an ATV to get to Homer’s Tomb, it’s not to be missed.
The tomb is located on a hill in the northeast area of Ios overlooking the Aegean Sea and provides spectacular views. There are brown signs indicating the route to the tomb from the port and it’s totally free to enter.
5. walk to Agia Irini Church
A short walk to the entrance of the Iosport is the church of Agia Irini (Saint Irene). If you arrive by ferry in Ios Greece, you will see this spectacular church on your way in. This church was built in the 17th century in common Cyclades architectural style.
Not only does the location of the church offer spectacular views of the Port, but if you continue down the path past the church, this will take you to one of the beaches in Ios that’s only reachable by boat or by foot.
6. eat at Grandma’s
Grandma’s is one of the few choices for fine dining on Ios. Grandma’s is located inside the Liostasi hotel and provides modern Greek cuisine with a twist.
The restaurant is located next to the pool on an open-air deck. delight in a pre-dinner drink next to the pool and delight in the fantastic Ios sunset.
If you are searching for a special breakfast, Grandma’s provides a conventional Greek breakfast including locally made cheese. meals including an appetizer, entrée, dessert and a drink can range from €50 to €100.
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7. Hike The numerous Trails
If you’re wanting to get some exercise, hiking is one of the best things to do in Ios. There are 10 marked trails crossing many of this Greek island. Some are much more challenging as they cross the mountains.
Five of the hikes start in the Chora and several of them result in the much more secluded beaches. The hikes range in length from less than a kilometer to over 7km. look for the signs, or ask at your hotel for directions to the trailheads.
Ios is mostly barren but you’ll be able to catch spectacular views of Ios and the surrounding islands from numerous of the higher trails. keep in mind that Ios is quite hot in the summer and there is no shade so take plenty of water and wear a hat when hiking here.
8. Do the Ios Bar Crawl
If partying is much more your thing to do, then don’t miss the Ios Bar Crawl! You will visit six bars in Ios. The cost includes a complimentary drink, totally free admission to the bars, six shots and a singlet.
This is a great way to meet people from all over the world and have a fun time. If you decide to do the crawl a second time, you get a half-price discount. The price changes each season, but last season it was €60. The value of this night out is worth the price.
9. view the Sunset at Lorentzena Beach
This isolated Lorentzena or Loretzaina beach provides the ideal view of the Ios sunset. The location of the beach on the west side of the island, and the rocks surrounding it make the sunsets here picture perfect.
There are no facilities at this beach, so bring enough water and food if you are staying awhile. It was not very crowded when I went to in September, but it’s not a large beach.
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10. visit the Ruins of Skarkos
For such a small Greek island, there are plenty of historic things to see on Ios. Skarkos is an early Bronze Age settlement not far from the port of Ios. It is one of the best-preserved prehistoric sites in the Aegean.
When I was there, the only other person was the caretaker!
The cost is €4 for entry and it is typically closed on Monday. I also recommend getting a higher vantage point of Skarkos from the Chora on the north side to understand its large size. You can walk there from the Chora down a path near the windmills.
11. Climb to the top of the Chora
One of the first things you will notice upon arriving in Ios is the churches located on the top of the hill above the Chora. Climbing to the top is one of my many recommended things to do in Ios.
The path takes you through the pretty village, gratifying you with spectacular views when you reach the summit.
Many people like to climb up here to view the sunset over the Aegean Sea. because the area is small you ought to arrive early if you are in Ios during the high season, which is from may to September. another option would be to opt for sunrise over the hills.
12. party at far Out Club
Ios is known for its epic party scene and the far Out Club is the place to be. It’s located on Milopotas Beach, implying you can go from sunbathing to dancing in no time! If you’re searching for things to do in Ios in the evening, this is the place to be.
Even better, far Out has a hostel, hotel and camping site so you don’t have to go far if you’ve had a few too numerous drinks, or want to stay well into the night. Something to keep in mind is that Ios operates seasonally and far Out village mayonly be open from may to September.
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13. shop In the Chora
There are so numerous distinct shops on Ios, especially in the Chora (main village). numerous of them are clothing stores, but you can also find housewares and souvenir shops.
My favorite shop is Votsalo, which has a location in the village and at the port. If you’re into shopping, this is one of the top places to visit in Ios.
One of the best Greek skincare lines is sold in pharmacies in Greece. The brand is Korres and the body lotions are great for recovering from the Greek sun. They also have an fantastic sunscreen product.
14. Sunbath at Milopotas Beach
One of the most popular things to do in Ios is to work on your tan!
Milopotas is a beautiful golden sand beach, located just a short bus ride from the port or the Chora. numerous restaurants have sunbeds and umbrellas for rent and some won’t charge you if you purchase food or drinks from them.
When you’re ready to cool off, just walk a few feet to the refreshing water of the Aegean. The water is deep enough to swim here and is calm many of the time. This beach also provides some outstanding people-watching opportunities.
15. trip the Archaeology Museum
The small archaeology museum is so small it doesn’t have a name except for “Archaeology Museum”. It’s located at the bus stop in the Chora. The museum’s hours are posted on the door, but they in some cases change because they have very few staff.
The Archaeology museum is one of the best small island museums I have visited. The museum includes ancient artifacts found at Skarkos and in the Chora, including pottery, statues, coins, and jewelry. The entrance fee is €4.
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16. visit Odysseas Elytis Theatre
This open-air theater was built in 1997 to represent the style of the ancient Greek theatre. It can hold 1100 people. To find it, head past the Chora and the windmills.
You can visit anytime even if there isn’t a performance happening. It provides an epic view of Milopotas beach from the seats.
17. Do yoga at Harmony
After all the partying you may be doing on Ios, you may want to unwind with some yoga. Harmony offers yoga classes in the mornings to help you recover from your nights out. As a bonus, it’s also an outstanding Mexican restaurant.
Even if you don’t need to recover from anything, the views from the hillside location at Mylopotas beach can be seen while practicing yoga. classes are provided Tuesdays and Thursdays at 9:30am and are €5.
18. See the Windmills
One of the conventional things to do on Ios is to visit the windmills.
There are 12 weathered windmills located high up in the Chora at the top of the mountain slope, which was a great spot for them to catch the wind. In the past, the energy produced by these windmills was used to grind grains, which was a food staple on Ios.
The windmills are no longer operational but are a great piece of Ios history. Some are much more intact than others, but regardless, they still make for a great photo.
19. Take a photography Tour
All of the Greek Islands are great places to take photographs, but finding the best spots can be overwhelming. I chose to take a photography trip with mark Wilman. He has been taking photographs on Ios for numerous years and has been going to Ios because he was 10 years old.
He knows Ios incredibly well and provides 12 different trip options. He guides you on what to shoot and helps review your shots along the way. because I was there in the off-season, I was the only one on the tour! The half-day trip was €60.
20. Go Paddleboarding
Paddleboarding seems to be very popular