Higher than the port and 2 km away, lies the town of Ios. Scenic and whitewashed is amphitheatrically built on the hill, which at its top, seems like the beautiful lady of the island! The view from Panaghia Gremiotissa is panoramic.
The whole village lies in front of her feet. On the right is the port, on the left the windmills, and on the opposite the neighboring islands Sikinos and Santorini. Whenever the weather allows it, off in the distance stands Crete.
The church of Gkremniotissa, is of Byzantine architecture and is dedicated to the Dormition of the Mother of God.
From the port, one goes to Hora either by the buses that stop in front of the bust of Homer, or on foot, following the traditional paved path.
Arriving at the village, the visitor sees the remnants of the ancient wall which, in older times, protected the main settlement of the island, then the Church of the Annunciation (Cathedral) and the entry of Hora, one of the most beautiful and characteristic of the Cycladic Islands.
The classic Cycladic architecture dominates in all the buildings of the village. Thick walls, made of stone in order to protect from heat and cold. The whitewashed houses reflect the sun, offering a unique island breeze. Among the oldest houses there are many small churches and of course in Hora there are many restaurants, hotels, apartments, shops, cafes, bars and everything else for a relaxing, comfortable and enjoyable stay.
From the midday and onwards, Hora is full of life (throughout the summer) and the visitor gets lost in the alleys, looking for his own separate images of the beautiful Hora of Nios.
At the endings of Chora, is the region of Windmills (12 in number), who several years ago were a component of the productive power of the island, and now an attraction for visitors. Going further, we reach Tsoukalaria where is one of the island’s treasures.
The stone-marble built, open theatre “Odysseas Elytis” (1000 seats), is built on the Aegean’s balcony, one of the favorite sites of our great poet, Homer, offering a magnificent view to the bay of Mylopotas and the magnificence of the whole Aegean.
Beaches
Ios has 87 km of coastline, of which 32 kilometers is sandy beach. It is worth to mention the endless golden sands of Mylopotas, with the deep blue sea, but also with all kind of facilities (water sports, dining, lodging ). One of the best is Manganari, a beach with a spectacular sequence of five bays - golden sandy beaches and above all crystal clear water. This magic place is worth visiting, so you can relive scenes from the "The Big Blue" movie, where it was shot.
