Honestly… I had no idea what to expect from this island. But here I am, so spend 4 days on Ios with me 🇬🇷✨ When people talk about Ios, they usually say one thing: “It’s the party island.” And yes… that’s true. But it’s also one of the biggest misconceptions about Ios. Because what surprised me most is how authentic it still feels. It was simple and stayed simple! Until a few decades ago there wasn’t even electricity, and when the first tourists came it was a big time hippie island, and so they kept the low key vibe as well. Nothing is overbuilt, half the island is completely empty basically. The sleepy harbor of Gialos has a handful of restaurants, cafés and beautiful sandy beaches. It almost feels like a sailing village, with catamarans moored in the bay and a super relaxed atmosphere. From there, a bus runs every 20 minutes to Chora for just €2.20. Honestly, everyone takes it because walking up in the summer heat isn’t much fun 😅 Chora is absolutely beautiful. White alleys. Blue-domed churches. Little boutiques. Great restaurants. One of the most beautiful sunset spots in Greece. And here’s the thing… The famous nightlife is basically concentrated in ONE street. The clubs only really come alive late at night, so if you’re wandering around between dinner and sunset, you hardly notice the party scene at all. If you are coming to party, you’ll probably end up at Far Out Beach Club on Mylopotas Beach before heading into Chora later that night. If you’re not? You simply don’t have to. There’s other beaches to choose from, and even another side of Mylopotas to sit at. The northern beaches are wild and unspoiled. And some even have a bus going there once per day. What I also loved is how affordable Ios still is compared to islands like Mykonos, Santorini or even Paros. Beach clubs, restaurants and accommodation are much more reasonably priced. One thing I definitely recommend is doing a boat trip early in your stay. I did the 4-hour speedboat tour with Meltemi Watersports (invited), which gives you a great overview of the southern coastline and all the beaches that can only be reached by boat or by hiking. Afterwards it’s much easier to decide whether you want to return to places like Manganari by bus, rent a car, hike or even rent a boat yourself. Just one tip… Maybe don’t book the speedboat the morning after a big night out 😅 We also visited the Diaseli Cheesery & Museum, where you learn about traditional cheese making and finish with a tasting, and afterwards had dinner at Vilaeti Taverna, famous for its grilled meat. So… would I recommend Ios? Absolutely. Not just for 20-year-olds looking to party. But also for anyone looking for beautiful beaches, an authentic Cycladic atmosphere and a surprisingly relaxed island that somehow still hasn’t lost its soul. It has a fairly short season, it was just starting up half June when the first youngsters arrived. And runs till half August. So if you come in the first half of June or late August and September there won’t be much going on at all and you’ll have the most relaxed vibe ever. But if you’re mainly interested in the nightlife side of Ios, definitely check out @jetsetting_jacki on TikTok. She worked on the island for several summers and knows everything about the party scene. #ios #iosisland #greekislands #iosgreece#CapCut — TikTok @tzatchickie