Tag: Ios (Page 5 of 6)

Greece holiday 2011: Checking in at the family-run Hermes Hotel at Agios Ioannis on Ios

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Hermes Ios Hotel

Hermes Hotel is conveniently located at Agios Ioannis on Ios, short walking distance from Chora and  gorgeous Mylopotas beach and bay

 

Comfortable and convenient: In my post on August 17 2011, I described arriving at Ios for the first time, and getting a brief glimpse of the island’s port area, Yialos. Here, I’ll pick up where I left off.

It was late afternoon and clouds were slowly starting to dissipate as a major thunderstorm system moved across the Aegean. It had been unseasonably chilly and windy when our ferry left Mykonos several hours earlier, and the highspeed catamaran was thrashed with driving rain almost the entire trip to Ios. Things looked bleak, especially when we stopped en route at Paros. Rain was pelting against the ferry windows so hard we could barely see the port village of Paroikia, but we did see incessant lightning strikes and hear thunder booming ferociously. Fortunately, by the time the Flying Cat 4 entered the harbour at at Yialos port on Ios, the storm system was clearing and the weather held better promise for our five-day stay on the island.

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Mylopotas, the marvellous big golden sand beach on Ios

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Mylopotas beach on Ios island

 The soft golden sand and wonderful turquoise water at Mylopotas beach

 

Golden arc: What a great beach! For years, I heard and read that Mylopotas regularly ranks as one of the top beaches in all the Greek Islands. In May I found out why, when I finally got to see it for myself.  My first glimpse of Mylopotas was from our hotel — the Hermes Ios — high up one of the mountains that ring Mylopotas bay, beach and valley. The beach’s broad golden arc of sand and the bay’s appealing clear turquoise water looked impressive enough from a distance. Up close, they looked amazing.

 

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Serene & secluded Kolitsani beach on Ios

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Kolitsani beach on Ios island

Overlooking Kolitsani beach and bay from a nearby mountainside

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Scene of tranquillity: Beach lovers would probably consider the accommodations where we stayed on Ios in May — the Hermes Hotel at Agios Ioannis — to be ideally situated. To the left of the hotel, and visible from its breakfast room and bar, is the island’s most famous beach: Mylopotas, a gorgeous curved strand of golden sand. About a 20-minute hike down the mountain valley to the right is Kolitsani, a  secluded small beach accessible only on foot or by sea.

Kolitsani beach spans the foot of a long, narrow bay with shallow turquoise water. There is a large white private villa and some 12-meter cliffs on one side of the bay, and a steep hillside covered with wildflowers, herbs and low scrub bushes on the other. The beach itself is divided into two separate sections by a rock outcropping and giant boulder that jut into the sea. One side has soft brown sand, while the other is covered in large stones and rocks.

 

Kolitsani beach trail on Ios

Sign at the top of the trail that winds down the mountain to Kolitsani beach

 

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Favourite tavernas: Drakos at Mylopotas for relaxed dining with beach, bay & sunset views

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Drakos Taverna at Mylopotas beach on Ios

Drakos Taverna at Mylopotas beach on Ios during sunset on May 23 2011

 

Seaside drinks & dining: We found our favourite taverna on Ios thanks to advice from a fellow Canadian traveller, Cathy, who visits the island regularly. Last March, I asked if she could recommend any reasonably-priced seaside restaurants that offered scenic views as well as tasty traditional Greek cuisine. At the top of Cathy’s list was Drakos Taverna at the far end of Mylopotas beach. “It’s a really good authentic restaurant,” she said.

We were at Mylopotas on May 20 when I started feeling peckish for a light midafternoon snack. I recalled that Cathy had suggested Drakos taverna, so that’s where we headed. CONTINUED ON PAGE 2

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