General information:

Ios is an island belonging to the Cyclades, a Greek group of islands in the Aegean sea, east of the Peloponnesos archiple.

Ios lies north of Santorini and southwest of Naxos. In 2005 the island had 1820 inhabitants. The small picturesque bays decorate the coasts of this par excellence mountainous island with its numerous churches, olive- and vineyards and the bright atmosphere.

The crystal clear sea, fantastic beaches and a good touristic infrastructure draw many visitors every year. In the summertime, young people visit the island backpacking. Ios town is cosy and lively until the early morning in the summertime The island has Myzithra (a creamy cheese) as its specialty. Alongside the rocky coasts are more than 400 chapels and some very beautiful sandy beaches.

Ios does not have its own airport. The airport of Santorini is used to reach Ios. From Santorini a boat leaves for Ios. From Ios, boats leave to many Cyclades and Piraeus (harbour of Athens).

Ios town, the capital, is at the coast in the west of the island. The town itself does not have a harbour; Gialos harbour is northwest of the town. Ios town, Chora, is a typical Cyclade town with bright white houses, narrow streets and churches. The grandeur of the medieval castle and the windmills on top of the hill make this town even more beautiful.

Nightlife:

Ios town is the place to be on the island to take a plunge in the nightlife. There are incredibly many clubs, bars and discos. The Aftershock is very popular. Every club has its own specialty of drinks, varying from red bull mixes, 100 shots of beer in 100 minutes or special cocktails. There are large trance clubs, small rock cafes and hip hop R&B clubs. The party continues until the early morning and for the day after there are some nice places where they make you a smoothie or fresh fruit for breakfast. It is not strange that Ios is a popular party destination.

Sightseeing:

Psathi is a touristic place at the eastcoast of the island. The area around Psathi is the most fertile part of the island and the valley is very green there. In the village there are some taverns for a good Greek meal. At Psathi, remains have been found of an ancient temple, a Hellenic tower and a 14th century castle, which can be found at Paleokastro.

At Plakato, in the north of the island, the presumable grave of the worldfamous Greek poet Homerus (8th century B.C) is to be found. Ios is the island where Homerus' mother was born and one presumes that Homerus spent the last years of his life on Ios. The entrance to the tomb is below the square shaped Hellenic Psaropyrgos tower.

The Aghios Ioannis Kalamos monastery is at the highest mountain of the island (713 m). The Byzantine monastery dates from the 17th century. It was built on the remains of the antique temple dedicated to Apollo. On August 29, the most important religious holiday is celebrated at the monastery, the Aghios Ioannis celebration. The monastery is a sacred place for the inhabitants of Ios. East of the monastery is the long stretched and quiet beach of Kalamos. The beach is also a natural park and the water is crystal clear.

Nearby the town of Aghia Theodoti, the remains of an antique aquaduct and a tower from the Hellenic period can be found. Near the remains, there is also the beautiful Panagia Paleokastritissa church to be seen. The remains are definitely worth seeing and you have a wonderful panoramic view over the environs. A visit to these antique remains can be perfectly combined with an afternoon at the beach. The long stretched beach of Aghia Theodoti is a relatively quiet beach with fine sand and it is considered one of the best beaches of the island. The beach is by a beautiful bay with amazing clear water. At the beach is the oldest monastery of the island, the Aghia Theodoti monastery, which was built in the 16th century. Tracks of the pirates that tried to invade the monastery are still visible in the door. However, the inhabitants of the island stopped the pirates by pouring boiling oil over them, causing the death of the pirates. Every year, on September 8, festivities take place around the monastery to celebrate this victory.

The history of Ios:

The archeological finds at the excavation site of Skarkos proved that the island has been inhabited since the early Cyclade period. Proof comes from the well preserved walls and storage vessels that indicate a flourishing and important community. The remains of walls at the western and northern entrance to Chora has led to the conclusion that the castle has been inhabited since the archaic period.

The name Ios has been derived from the violets (Greek Ion) that blossom every spring in abundance in the inlands of Ios.

During the classical period, Ios allied with the Athenian Liga to prevent a Persian occupation, and became a democracy because of this coalition. Inscriptions from that period testify that the inhabitants spoke the Ionian dialect and worshipped the gods Apollo and Poseidon. In 338 B.C., after the battle of Cheronei, Ios was ruled by Macedonia and regained its independence in 315 B.C.. Then it became a member of the Community of Islands. Later, Ios allied with Philadelphus and the Rhodians, against the Macedonians.

In the 2nd century B.C., the Romans occupied Ios and included the island in their "provincia insularum," using it as a place of exile. During the Byzantine period, the Christians built many churches on the foundations of the previously built heathen temples, in which they used the old pillars, the marble and the inscriptions, in order to validate their new religion and safeguard the religious continuity.

Until Ios was ruled by the Franks, the island had suffered tremendously under the ransacking of the pirates. The natural harbour of Ios was a sheltered place for all ships. In those times, when the inhabitants saw an unknown ship, they sent the eldest women of the island to the harbour. If they came back, everything was ok. If not, they had to prepare for battle.

In 1204, Ios was occupied by the crusaders and under the rule of the Crispi family until the 15th century. It was part of the County of Naxos. The Crispi family rebuilt the castle on the ruins of the old castle, in order to protect the island against the pirates. However, in 1537, Hairedin Barbarossa, the infamous Turkisch pirate, occupied the county of Naxos together with Ios. During the coming years, Ios was under the rule of the Turks and destroyed by pirates, who continued to plague the entire Aegean region. The island kept its Greek identity and formed an alliance with the Russians in 1770, to become independent. In that time, the Russians were at war with the Turks. The island of Ios had approximately 1400 inhabitants then. In 1821, in the Greek War of Indenpence, Ios took part by sending 24 ships. In the same period, a war ship was built on the island, and 100 children went to school.

The eventual liberation of Ios took place on march 10, 1829, by the signature of the London protocol, when Ios became a part of the modern Greek state.

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