Is there more to the Cancun of the Cyclades than the bar crawl?
“Where are you headed this summer?” our koumbaros (best man in Greek) asks.
“Serifos, Ios, and Limnos” we reply.
“Ios?” He contorts his face, before relaxing back into a laugh.
Ios has a reputation. As backpackers began to discover the supremely dreamy beaches of Cycladic islands like Mykonos and Ios in the freewheeling 70s, Mykonos got sophisticated popping champagne showers, while Ios carved out a scene more akin to the riotous bar crawls of Bangkok.
We were not here for that. We came for its beaches. And a particular seafront hideaway we found at the priceless confluence of: 50 meters from a beautiful beach, a location within a village and its amenities, and other child-friendly features. So Ios it was, hoping Homer’s eventual resting place held some respite for harried parents.
As we drove off the boat towards our Airbnb, names you don’t usually find on a Greek island flashed by -“Tropicana”, “Fun Pub”, and “Sweet Irish Dream”… Meandering down the hill to Mylopotas, fluorescent lights radiated from the far corner of the beach. And strolling back from dinner to our apartment rental, a group of girls belted out in song as they danced on the balcony. I started to question the wisdom of our island choice.
Thankfully, Mylopotas did not morph into a thumping outdoor club as morning came. In fact, it was pretty chill. Around sunset, sunkissed sirens move steadily from beach to bus stop. Dressed in their scanty, sequinned best, they are on their way to the Chora (main village) where classic Ios bars like Slammer (funny story to its name if you care to look it up) await.
While the ritual remains, Ios has evolved from my husband’s blurry memory of a time in his youth when half its Chora smelled of vomit and pee. It’s the first Chora I’ve seen with WC signs and arrows – perhaps that helped. On the rise are swanky hotels (including the splashy Calilo) and a sophisticated dining scene. “Authentic” and “enchanting” may not be words I’d use to describe the island, but it’s still got its bounty of natural Greek island beauty, Cycladic blue and white architectural charm, a rich history, and apparently, a very good cheese factory (we were too caught up in languid island rhythm to visit and report on this).
WHERE TO STAY (AND WHAT TO DO)
In spite of its reputation, Ios is largely undeveloped. There’s the Chora, Mylopotas, and Ornos Port. The rest? An expanse of bare rocky mountains dotted with sweet Cycladic churches, and scalloped by a feast of gold sand beaches.
The benefits of staying in Mylopotas are manifold. A five-minute drive from the Chora, I quickly fell into an idyllic routine of mornings at Maria’s pilates studio (alternating days for my husband to windsurf), followed by a latte at Agora cafe opposite. Agora also happens to make the only latte I can drink on the island, without foaming everything as they have a habit of doing in Greece. Rejoining the family at lunch, an array of child-pleasing menu items line the seafront: pizzas and paninis (Karma), smashed burgers (Salt), cucumber makis and tempura rolls (Elpeace, with the best view on the strip), or honey-sweet pad thai noodles (Sawadee). All is decent.
Then, there’s the standard afternoon swim. You can also pedal boat and kayak on active beach days. As it’s too hot on summer afternoons to be roaming village streets, we head to the Chora for the sweet of the day after dinner. At Koukoutsi, paper-thin, crisped crepes float arrive through blue shuttered windows. With seating nooks built into church walls directly opposite, plop onto a cushion pad as you tuck into your crepes before roaming the village streets. There may not be a toy shop on the island, but there are enough sparkly bracelets and miniature Cycladic souvenir houses on display for the girls and I to have our fill of a shopping spree.
A cluster of beach houses have mushroomed on dreamier Mangannari as an alternative locale to stay. The fine print? A 30-minute drive through mountain wilderness from the Chora, Magganari has just 3 restaurants (they provide sunbeds and umbrellas on the beach for €15-20 per pair) and no amenities in the area. Not even a mini mart. It’s mandatory to visit at least once, however. With four dreamy pools carved into the southern coast, its position escapes waves generated from prevailing meltimi winds that blow over the region. Calm and shallow, you can walk out for more than 50 meters before crystalline waters get waist high. The best part? It was surprisingly quiet on the day of our visit in mid-July, in spite of its reputation.
DINING WITH KIDS
It is no small feat to be able to find satisfying sustenance close to where you will swim and sleep. These were our favourites in and around Mylopotas with complicated company in hand:
— SAINIS (CHORA) —
Space is always tight within Greek village walls. Fortunately, the 2-person tables that line the alleyways at Sainis lead into a spacious indoor kitchen of wood and stone. Black and white photographs from the early 1900s speckle its walls, including images from the 60s when Ios was used as a filming location. The menu goes deeper beyond touristy taverna – delicate cheese-stuffed eggplant rolls, dolmades (wine leaves stuffed with veal and rice) in a velvety egg-lemon sauce, and pork tigania (tender cubes fried with honey and peppers). The highlight for me? Their oven-baked baby pork, also in honey, was so lusciously fatty and sweet it reminded me of Chinese “char siew”.
Prefer an outdoor venue with space for the kids to run around while you enjoy your meal? Try The Mills, set below the public parking lot under the windmills. You’re likely to have better luck parking here then in the lots beside the main church.
— METHYRA (MYLOPOTAS) —
An inventive take on Greek cuisine, flavour dense dishes arrive in atypical construction. Like their dakos salad – a beautiful assembly of marinated tomatoes mixed with barley rusks and dollops of local cream cheese. Creatively spiced, their food might be a little exotic for children, but they can also fry-up some chicken nuggets if nothing else works.
— SALT (MYLOPOTAS) —
Island-chic Salt has a spread of seating options to choose from: Sofa nooks for laid-back coffees, large stone tables for long lunches, and bar counters for cocktails. The menu is limited, but well-executed mix of refined regional favourites and child-pleasing staples including flat breads and smashed burgers.
— MAGEIRO (TAKEAWAY & DELIVERY FROM THE CHORA) —
The name of a type of eatery in Greece where you will find ready-cooked dishes for takeout or delivery, Mageiro is for when you tire of “restaurant food” and crave a taste of home. Albeit a Greek home. A menu plan for the week is on their website.
— KOUKOU (AGIOS THEODOTIS) —
At family-run Koukou’s, papou (Greek grandfather) sets the rhythm sitting at a table by the entrance, staring far into the distance. Here, the feel is that of Greek island wilderness. A garden at its entrance is in full bloom with tomatoes, eggplants, and peppers that will go from farm-to-fork. The dishes that were good, were very good (a gorgeous moussaka and oven-baked goat). While their yemista (tomatoes and peppers stuffed with rice) probably had better days. Combine with a swim at Agios Theodotis.
BEST TIME TO VISIT
“September!” the local pilates crew agree emphatically is the best month of the year on Ios. When the seas are still warm enough for swims, and when the island returns to them after main tourist hordes have left. August is the worst, because apart from foreign party-goers to battle with, its the month when local Greeks to have their holidays. Although Ios is not unbearingly busy in general, the shoulder season is always the best months for the Greek islands.
GETTING THERE
A 5-hour high–speed ferry away from Piraeus port in Athens, Ios is a bit of a pain to reach. There is no airport on the island, so locals have to endure the 9-hour slow boat to Athens in winter months. Santorini, Paros, and Naxos, are all near neighbours with airports, and can be combined with Ios for an easy island-hopping itinerary.
FIND FERRIES
Click on your planned date of travel for a view of the ferry schedule to Ios from Pireaus as provided by Ferryhopper:
