Greece - Korina Miller [337]
New Dive Diving Centre ( 22860 92340; www.ios-sports.gr; Mylopotas) runs a PADI ‘discover scuba diving’ session (€65), plus more intensive PADI courses from €290 to €795. Speciality courses range from deep diving to underwater photography, fish identification and underwater navigation (€250 to €350). There are also daily diving and snorkelling trips, with shore dives (from €25).
Windsurfing (per hour/day €15/40) is on offer at Meltemi Water Sports ( 22860 91680; www.meltemiwatersports.com; Mylopotas) at the beach opposite Far Out Camping. Laser sailboats (per hour/day €30/65) are also available for hire, as are canoes and pedalos. Tube rides cost from €15 to €30. Meltemi runs a similar scene at Manganari Beach and has a water taxi from Mylopotas to other beaches.
Sleeping
ORMOS
The port has several good sleeping options, reasonable eating places, a couple of handy beaches and regular bus connections to Hora and other beaches.
Ios Camping ( 22860 92035; fax 22860 92101; camp sites per person €8; ) Tucked away on the west side of Ormos, this site has good facilities, including a restaurant in high season. Head all the way round the waterfront.
Golden Sun Hotel ( 22860 91110; www.iosgoldensun.com; s/d/tr incl breakfast €70/80/90; ) The road from Gialos to Hora may not seem ideal sleeping territory, but this pleasant family-run hotel is located just up from the port and lies well down from the road. It overlooks open fields towards the sea. The good-sized rooms are well cared for.
Hotel Poseidon ( 22860 91091; www.poseidonhotelios.gr; s/d/tr €71/88/112; ) A very pleasant family-run hotel that lifts you high above the bustle and noise of the port, the Poseidon has terrific views from its front balconies. A flight of steps leads up to the hotel where rooms are immaculate and well equipped and there’s a pleasant swimming pool.
GIALOS BEACH
Hotel Helena ( 22860 91276; www.hotelhelena.gr; s/d/tr/apt €50/70/90/120; ) Set a short way back from the midpoint of the beach is this quiet and well-run place. It has a cool patio, kindly owners and bright, clean rooms.
To Corali ( 22860 91272; www.coralihotel.com; d/tr incl breakfast €95/105, apt €120; ) These sparkling rooms are in a good position right opposite the beach and are attached to the restaurant of the same name. There’s a colourful garden at the rear and the owners create a happy atmosphere.
HORA
Francesco’s ( 22860 91223; www.francescos.net; dm €15, s €40-45, d €50-60; ) Long established and very well run, the famous Francesco’s has clean dormitories and rooms, and is in an enviable position with great views of the bay. It’s away from the centre but is a lively meeting place for the younger international set. There’s a busy bar and terrace and a big aprés-beach Jacuzzi. Francescos is reached by going up right from the cathedral for about 30m and then going left along Odos Scholarhiou for a couple of hundred metres.
Skala Hotel ( 22860 92027; skalahtl@otenet.gr; d/tr €85/100, apt €90-160; ) A short hike uphill from the centre of town takes you well above the action zone to this well-situated hotel with great views over Hora. Good-sized rooms are bright and half of them have kitchenettes. Guests also have access to the pool and Jacuzzi.
MYLOPOTAS
Purple Pig Stars Camping & Bungalows ( 22860 91302; www.purplepigstars.com; camp sites per person €9, dm/d €20/45; ) This pleasant camping ground is right at the entrance to the beach and has a relaxing tempo while being close to the action. It’s shaded by trees.
Far Out Camping, Village Hotel & Beach Club ( 22860 91468; www.faroutclub.com; camp sites per adult/child €12/6, bungalows €12-22, studio €90; ) There’s plenty of action here, backed by wall-to-wall facilities. Meltemi Water Sports (Click here) is just across the road, and a diving centre has been established in recent years. There’s a bar, restaurant and four swimming pools. The ‘bungalows’ range from small tent-sized affairs to neat little ‘roundhouses’ with double and single beds. The studios are in a separate