Posted by Gialos Ios (also spelled Yialos) is the port town on the island of Ios in the Cyclades. The town has a beautiful beach, a campsite and some good restaurants and cafes. Gialos is much quieter than Chora (Ios town), 2 km away above the port, which is probably the most famous party place in Greece. While Chora and Milopotas (beach town with many discos and nightclubs) tend to attract younger Ios visitors, Gialos attracts slightly older holidaymakers. Quite a few of them are regulars who spent their youth in the bars and discos of Ios and now prefer a quieter place.
Tip: Our favorite guesthouse on Ios: Pension Galini
All Ios visitors arrive in Gialos by boat. There is no airport or other port on Ios. Sometimes there are some yachts worth seeing in the port of Gialos. There are a few tavernas along the port, all of which are pretty good (average price range). However, in recent years some of the tavernas in Gialos have specialized in ripping off young tourists waiting for the ferry. Prices of 12 to 14 euros are sometimes charged for a plate of spaghetti with Coke. It is important to always look at the menu beforehand.
In the centre of Gialos by the pier there is a small square with a few fast food shops. We enjoyed the gyros pita and it is ideal for a small meal while waiting for the ferries. To the left of the pier there is a good beach which is much quieter in summer than Milopotas (the party beach of Ios and one of the most famous beaches in Greece).
Many of the tourists who stay in Gialos are campers. The campsite 200 metres to the right of the jetty, “Ios Camping”, has been around for decades. Unfortunately, it is only open from around June to the beginning of October. The price-performance ratio at the campsite is still OK. There is a self-service restaurant and a good bar. There is a large, inexpensive supermarket between the town and the campsite. The campsite can get quite noisy at night when the bar-goers return from Ios town, as camping is not possible up in the Chora. The rooms at the Brothers Hotel, not too far from the Gialos ferry port, are very cheap and good.
You can find more hotels in Gialos on Booking.com.
Ferries to and from Gialos on Ios
For several years now, there have been more and more fast catamarans. These travel daily from Ios to Santorini and Heraklion (Crete) as well as to Paros, Mykonos and Piraeus (Athens). The trip to Crete, for example, takes less than 3 hours but costs over 50 euros one way. The normal ferries are half the price, half the speed and, unlike the fast ferries, do not always have the same schedule every day. These connect Gialos on Ios with Naxos, Santorini, Athens and Paros every day. There are also frequent connections to Folegandros, Milos, Sikinos and Sifnos. In front of the large travel agency Acteon (directly at the port) there is a board listing all the ferries for the next seven days. In Acteon, which is, to our knowledge, the best travel agency in the Cyclades, you can buy tickets or get lots of other information. Outside of the absolute peak season, the ferries are practically never full. Then you buy the tickets directly before departure. There are only ferries to Crete from Ios in summer and only fast and expensive catamarans directly.
Distances and buses from Gialos (port of Ios)
Clear distance board in Gialos (harbor)
All year round, buses run from Gialos to Chora and then on to Milopotas. While the buses only run to Chora every hour in winter (or every 2 hours to Milopotas), the frequency of departures increases significantly in the season. In addition, there are daily buses to the beaches of Agios Theodotis and Manganari (in the south of Ios) in summer. A ticket for a trip to Chora and Milopotas costs 2 euros (in 2016). Tickets for beaches further away are a little more expensive, but definitely affordable. The buses in Ios, like everywhere else in Greece, are operated by the state company KTEL.
You can also walk to Chora Ios. It takes about 20 minutes on the former island path. It is steeply uphill in places.
Map of the island of Ios (Greece Cyclades)
Rent a car or moped
You can of course also rent a vehicle on Ios. Since the distances are not too great, many holidaymakers rent a moped or something similar. A car is a bit more expensive, but more people can ride in it.
Driving a vehicle and drinking alcohol is strictly prohibited in Ios, as everywhere in Greece. There are now frequent checks everywhere in Greece, including on the islands. We have seen many terrible accidents in which alcohol played a role. There are many taxis in Greece that are not too expensive.
Guggenheim Venice entrance fee
Ios Island ( 
German version)
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