Walking, hiking and trekking on IOS

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GENERAL INFORMATION

LINKS IOS

BOATS IOS
   - Blue Star
   - High Speed   
   - Flying Cat 3 & 4  
   - Aqua Jewel and Aqua Spirit
   - Artemis
   - Vintsentsos Kornaros

MAPS

WALKS

(last update on February the 8th, 2013)

*** = very beautiful

**** = exceptional

NNN = new in 2013

1. Chóra ***

2. Chóra - Agios Ioánnis and back ***

3. Chóra - Agios Prokópios - Chóra ***

4. Chóra - Profítis Ilías - Agios Prokópios - Chóra ***

5. Chóra - Skárkos - Agios Ioánnis - Profítis Ilías and back ***

6. Mylopótas - Sapounóchoma - Klíma and back ***

7. Ormos - Chóra

With 108 km² and 1650 inhabitants the island of Ios can be considered as one of the medium-sized islands of the Cyclades. It belongs to the south-eastern islands and it is situated between Náxos and Santoríni. Ios is fairly barren and mountainous, and the highest summit is the Pýrgos (714 m). For their living, the inhabitants have always depended more on fishing than on agriculture. Over the last decades the island has become a tourist attraction; especially among youngsters Ios is known for its bustling nightlife.

Excavations tell us that already in the Cycladic (2800 - 2300 B.C.) and the Minoan (2000 - 1600 B.C.) eras there existed a highly developed civilization on Ios. According to tradition Homer was buried here.
In the Classical period (5th century B.C.), Ios, just like many other Cycladic isles, became member of the Delic Federation, the alliance of the city of Athens.
Later, in the Roman period, Ios became a place of exile and in the Turkish time it was also a place of refuge for pirates – that is where the name ‘Little Malta’ comes from.

Ios is located on the important boat line leaving from the Piraeus and going to Santorini over Páros and Náxos. This boat, the Blue Star, leaves the Piraeus around 7.30am and it arrives in the harbour of Ios at about 2pm. There are also the Aqua Jewel, Aqua Spirit and Artemis - successors of the Panagía Tínou and the Panagía Chozoviótissa: they care for frequent connections with Sýros, Páros, Náxos, Santoríni, Anáfi, Síkinos and Folégandros, sometimes with Kímolos and Mílos and even with Kýthnos, Kéa and Lávrio.

Although the busy nightlife in Chóra and on the beach of Mylopótas has somewhat harmed the reputation of Ios, one has to acknowledge that Ios is in fact a very beautiful Cycladic island – because of its great beaches and because of the typical Cycladic habitation of the town of Chóra.

The small harbour of Ormos is one of the safest anchorage places of the Cyclades.  Chóra itself is situated only 1 km inland and it is marvellously located on the side of a hill. Although tourism is threatening the traditional character of the town - especially at night - , you can still find some extraordinary Cycladic corners: the hill with the three churches high up, from where you have a wonderful panoramic view; the typical alleys; the mills north of Chóra, etc. In addition, there are also remains of the old Venetian kástro, a modern theatre with 1100 seats - every summer performances are given here within the scope of the Omíria-festival -, the Archaeological Museum and the Museum of Modern Art, etc.

The most famous beach is definitely the one-kilometre-long and cosmopolitan sandy beach of Mylopótas, which is extremely busy and very popular among young people. Just like the beaches of Paradise and Super Paradise at Mýkonos, also the Far Out Club at the far end of the beach of Mylopótas is known by young tourists who like to combine the beach with music, dancing and drinking. Much calmer are the beaches of Agios Theodótis and Psáthi, on the northeast coast of the island. Also the beach of Gialós or Ormos is famous, next to the harbour, and the naturist beach of Koumbára, more to the west. Finally, there are also some very beautiful, but more remote beaches on the southeast coast, such as the beaches of Manganári, Kálamos and Plákes.

As so often, a couple of beautiful hikes introduce the hiker to a totally different atmosphere than the atmosphere most tourists are looking for. The magnificent path above the valley of the Mylopótamos is very peaceful, contrasting sharply with the bustle on the beach of Mylopótas, which you can see all the time. Also the hike on the side of the Profítis Ilías to the small monastery of Agios Prokópios takes the hiker to the true interior of the island, still untouched by the summery commotion.

In spring 2009 a very good and very clear map came out in the Terrain Maps series; there are some 6-7 trails and on the back side, you will find 7 short descriptions of walks.
There exist an other decent map of Ios in the Road-series (no. 113), but no hiking trails are indicated on this map.

Since January the 1st  2004

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View on Chóra from the mills

Panoramic view on Chóra and the bay of Ormos

Agia Irini salutes the ships at the entrance of the bay of Ormos

General view on the bay of Mylopótas

The little monastery of Agios Prokópios