Ios, Greece — A Hedonist’s Santorini

#Ios #hedonism #party #greek-islands 

After having overstayed in Santorini,  it was a relief to be stopping off in Ios for some brain cell relaxation. It was awkward for my buddy and I in Santorini,  where we stuck out like 2 swollen thumbs being 2 single guys amidst crowds of mostly – young couples. It had been beautiful. We had taken pics from all over the island traveling with the scooters we’d rented. It had been classy and clean. A bit overdone and too touristy. 

I got off at the small port. My  friend had continued on to Athens. Ios is a miniature, very miniature,  and less stressful version of Santorini.  I knew to speak Greek to one of those girls with a sign saying  “ROOMS TO LET ” or “ZIMMER FREI”. You also need to make sure she has a trusting face. She’d have to look wholesome,  an island native preferably. There’s nothing that can ruin a trip more than subpar lodging. Ios gives you no time to complain and you really need to just ask the location,  bed size, and price.  I picked the right girl. One that looked traditional and a native of the island. She tried looking me in the eye and gave me a good price for a room at Mylopotas, which is a nice quiet part of Ios where the beach is there to enjoy for the day.  I always like staying away from the chaos. In this case, it was about 5 minutes on the scooter away. 

The room was in front of the beach above. 

There are amazing little places belonging mostly to hotels that you can hang out at by renting a chair and /or buying a drink. This is one of the most relaxing places by day. Bar none. 

Another good thing about Ios is how easy it is to meet new people almost instantly. It seems people are all looking for the same thing. In general, it’s relax by day and party all night,  uninhibited.  And what happens in Ios stays in Ios. 

I decided to lounge on the chairs above and asked the girl serving me where a lot of people go during the day. She mentioned this beach,  Kolitsani beach,  and renting a scooter to go up the steep mostly-sand-covered hill. I decided to do all three. 

The beaches on the island near the main town  (almost always called Chora on each island) were pretty barren till after noon due to the hedonistic partying that took place every night.  I had a ridiculously cheaply-priced good-quality lunch and rented a scooter. I went to Kolitsani,  a nude beach. There were a couple dozen people here and I decided to enjoy this from a veranda overlooking the calm waters. 

I needed to relieve myself from the heat so I went for a dip. There were so many nooks and crannies that hid half the population of the beach. Uninhibited havens,  I’m sure. What I loved the most about the whole day so far was the almost dead calm of the island. Even Chora was quiet when I went souvenir shopping. 

The island has no real tourist attractions. Everything you may find interesting is bigger and better on a neighbouring island.  Except the nightlife. 

I took a 2-hour siesta and woke up hungry. I went to a nice taverna and had some delicious fish. Again, cheap. Then off I went up the hill from Mylopotas to Chora. It was still early. I met the girl serving me coffee in the morning along with a few more people. She was from Belfast. I’d never met anyone from Belfast before. The British clan showed me the hotspots. I don’t drink, but they started to. Heavily. Especially the guys. It was club after club after club. People started losing each other slowly but surely. But you eventually fall in with another group.  And so on,  till about 6 in the morning. I decided my limit would be 2 o’clock. I managed to have a Swiss girl of Italian descent come back to Mylopotas with me. 

We saw 2 groups of Swiss having a fight with each other.It seems German and Italian Swiss hate one another. Giovanna knew all about this and told me to press on the gas so that she doesn’t get seen by either group of clowns, as she put it. 

There were people drunk on the street. Others were cuddling. Others dancing. We saw the town postman treating his friends. Giovanna told me he hardly delivered any letters. 

Three days and nights were enough. People appearing and disappearing without making  appointments made the stay seem longer and it was certain more fun and stress-free. 

If you’re looking for a place with no tourist attractions but with great beaches and nightlife, then Ios is certainly for you. But only if you’re open-minded.