Village views: Exploring Chora on Ios

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We have had entire streets all to ourselves in many villages and towns, including Skala, Chora and Kambos on Patmos; Adamas and Plaka on Milos;  Apollonia, Artemonas, Kamares and Kastro on Sifnos; Chora on Folegandros; Egali, Chora, and Katapola on Amorgos; and Chora on Astipalea. We have even walked empty or nearly empty streets during afternoon walks through villages and towns on bigger and more popular tourist islands, including Naxos Town on Naxos; Ano Mera and Mykonos Town on Mykonos; Fira and Oia on Santorini; Vathi and Kokkari on Samos; Paroikia on Paros; Heraklion on Crete; Rodos Town on Rhodes; and Kos Town on Kos.

Lat year, the same was true on Ios, where we encountered precious few people during daytime walks through Chora and Gialos. Cats actually outnumbered humans by a wide margin!

The best thing about the lack of crowds is that you don’t get people walking or standing in front of your camera while you’re lining up a shot; you don’t have to jostle other tourists for a brief turn standing at a spectacular, scenic lookout point; and you don’t have to line up to get into a museum.

So if you have been looking at my Greece travel photos and wondering: “Where are all the people?”, now you know why!

Below are some photos we shot during our walks around Chora on Ios. Don’t expect to see many people in the street scenes!

 

Church of Agia Ekaterini in Chora on Ios

A scooter parked next to the Church of Agia Ekaterini

 

a lane in Chora on Ios

 Geraniums and steps in a narrow hillside lane

 

a passageway in Chora on Ios

Afternoon sunshine illuminates stairs in a passageway near Panagia Gremiotissa church on the mountainside above Chora

 

houses in Chora on Ios

Bold blue balcony doors accent two bright white cube buildings

 

building construction site in Chora

A hotel construction site on south hill overlooking Chora

 

a neoclassical building in Chora on Ios

A neoclassical building near the basketball court cries out for renovation

 

Porky's Gyro Shop Ios

The mural on the wall of Porky’s Gyro Shop

 

church in Chora on Ios

The four churches on the mountain above Chora at dusk

 

Steep steps in Chora on Ios

A flight of steep steps near The Mills taverna in Chora

 

the Cathedral of Ios

The impressive blue-domed Cathedral of Ios

 

a narrow lane in Chora on Ios

You can’t walk very far in Chora before you encounter stairs!

 

the main square outside the Cathedral of Ios

A monument in the main square outside the Cathedral of Ios

 

a house on the mountainside in Chora

Laundry day at a house on the mountainside in Chora on Ios

 

a souvenir and clothing shop in Chora on Ios

A souvenir and clothing shop in Chora on Ios

 

Hotel Sunrise Ios

 The Sunrise Hotel overlooks Chora from the hill on the south side of town

 

Chora on Ios

A view of Chora from a hillside to the east of the town

 

Panaga Gremiotissa Church sign

A sign points the way to Panaga Gremiotissa, the biggest of the four churches on the mountain above Chora

 

Panagia Gremiotissa

Steep steps lead from Chora to the church of Panagia Gremiotissa

 

Panagia Gremiotissa church at night

Spotlights illuminate the Panagia Gremiotissa church at night

 

a purple door on a house in Chora

A cobblestone alley leads to a house with a purple door

 

Flames nightclub Ios

A “flaming Lamborghini” is a fiery cocktail specialty at Flames Bar

 

a street in Chora on Ios

A passageway offers a cool but brief break from the hot afternoon sun

 

An old domed church in Chora on Ios

An old domed church

 

main square in Chora on Ios

A woman walks through the square near the Cathedral of Ios

 

a building in Chora on Ios

Blue doors are common throughout the Cyclades, but it’s rare to see orange window and door frames like the ones on this building in Chora

 

a street in Chora on Ios

One side of a narrow street glows in late afternoon sunshine

 

a turkey in Ios Greece

A turkey in a yard next to a house on the edge of Chora

 

The Church of Agia Ekaterini in Chora on Ios

The Church of Agia Ekaterini

 

the ancient city wall on Ios

A car parked outside the ancient city wall

 

blue staircases and a green gate

A green gate between two blue staircases

 

houses in Chora on Ios

Blue and gold trim on houses on both sides of a narrow street

 

six cats in Chora on Ios

Six cats laze away their afternoon in a doorway

 

the Cathedral of Ios at sunset

The Cathedral of Ios at sunset

 

a walkway in Ios

Patterned tiles on a walkway on the south hillside above Chora

 

bars in Chora on Ios

Many of the bars in Chora don’t open their doors until close to midnight

 

a street in Chora on Ios

A quiet cobblestone street below the Panagia Gremiotissa church

 

a walkway leading to the Cathedral of Ios

A walkway leading to the Cathedral of Ios

 

A view of Chora from the Moonlight Cafe

A view of Chora from the terrace at the Moonlight Cafe

 

A passageway on a hillside street

A passageway on a hillside street

 

a shopkeeper in Chora on Ios

A shopkeeper outside her fashion accessories boutique

 

Francesco's hostel and hotel

The sunny swimming pool terrace at Francesco’s hotel and hostel

 

Dolce Vita cafe in Chora on Ios

Evening at the Dolce Vita café

 

a road in Chora on Ios

That’s me walking the long road down the hill from the Lofos Village Hotel

 

The Lofos Village Hotel in Chora on Ios

The Lofos Village Hotel buildings

 

a snack bar in Chora on Ios

A snack bar behind the Cathedral of Ios

 

a street in Chora on Ios

Another narrow street full of steps

 

a street in Chora on Ios

Late afternoon sun illuminates a narrow terrace next to a street

 

a cat in Chora on Ios

A cat relaxes on a ledge outside a house

 

a dog in chora on Ios

A dog rests outside a women’s fashion shop

 

OiOi Geeza retro clothing shop Ios

My friend, Mark, poses for a photo outside his retro clothing shop, OiOiGeeza

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1 Comment

  1. This is my favorite place in the world! That I know of.

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