The santorini to ios ferry is the shortest hop from the island: 35 to 55 minutes by catamaran, 18 to 55 euros, four to eight sailings a day, and the only crossing from Santorini that works as a genuine day trip. This page covers the boats, the timings and the island.
Visit Santorini during Autumn 2020
Santorini is famous all over the world and its enchanting sunset is seen up close by travelers from all over the world. It is one of the most popular islands in the world with its charm, magic and mystery. In Santorini Tours we know better than anyone that Santorini is worth visiting all year round! Besides, anyone who has visited it knows well that the wonderful Cycladic island is much more than a sunset.
The history behind Santorini island
There were many names: from Stroggili to Kallisti or Kallisto, then Thirameni and Rineia, to the classic Thira. Its current name is due to the passing Frankish Crusaders, who left it to Santa Irina and it was transformed into Santorini.
Legend has it that Santorini emerged from the depths of the sea. Signs of life date from the Early Bronze Age, to the middle of the third millennium BC. The most famous prehistoric settlement is the one in the area of Akrotiri, which was buried under ash in the great eruption of the volcano around 1600 BC.
Together with Thirasia and Apsronisi, Santorini are the remnants of the volcanic island of Strongyli. Parts of its volcano are Nea and Palea Kameni, among others. There are many boats that go around the Caldera, giving the visitor the opportunity to see up close the steep cliffs and the contrast of the black earth with the white of the Cyclades.
The tour of the island in land is also full of emotions. The cave houses in the volcanic soil which look like small tiles in the work of art that spreads in Fira, Firostefani, Imerovigli or the touristically prominent Oia, with the legendary sunset. In Fira, do not miss a visit to the museum of Prehistoric Thera, to make a virtual trip through time with a sigh of relief.
And in the minds of most it may be one of the ultimate summer destinations, but Santorini is irresistibly charming and wonderful in the fall as well.
Why visit Santorini during Autumn 2020?
Santorini is an island and people obviously visit it during summer, in order to enjoy the warm Greek weather and the sea. Nevertheless, this does not mean that the island is not great during other seasons too. You will be surprised by the number of people who visit Santorini during Autumn 2020.
First of all, you will be able to enjoy the amazing sunset which is known in all over the world. Why this is better in autumn? Because you will be having the sunset for yourself, as most of the tourists and the traffic are during the high season meaning July and August.
Generally speaking, doing bottom of the islands will be basically private to you as it is not as crowded. He will be able to bond with the local people who are staying there all year round. All of the restaurants and cafés that are still working during September and October will be not as crowded so this way you’ll be able to enjoy and taste the local delicacies.
The same goes for museums and archaeological sites which are still functional during September and October. You will not have to wait in lines to see your favorite sites and the museums visits will be almost private just for you!
You can take a tour of Santorini!
Visit the volcano and go hiking
The island of Santorini is known for the volcano and the many hiking routes. We believe that these activities are much more enjoyable during the fall time. Without the 35 degrees Celsius of July, everything seems easier. You can climb the volcano, pass by Kokkini and Mavri beach and enjoy the uniqueness of Santorini like no other.
The natural, cool breeze of the fall will let you hike around the whole island and enjoy the Santorini Sightseeing Private tour, Santorini South Part Private Tour, or basically any other tour that we offer!
Beaches of Santorini
Who said that people can not swim in the sea during Fall? Yes, we can admit that the sea gets a bit colder and this might be considered an extreme sport but it is not that bad!
There are a lot of people who prefer to swim all year round so this is the best choice for them. Actually, the colder water of the sea has got lots of benefits for the human body and it also boosts the immune system. So it would be a great way taking care of yourself and enjoy a great, private,
Take a tour in Santorini during Autumn 2020 with Santorini tours
One of the greatest things that will happen if you visit Santorini during Autumn 2020, is that you can still take any tour. In fact, it is even better because we offer our tours and there are many more available spaces in our schedule! This way you can see the archaeological sites, visit the volcano, have a private island tour all at your ease!
Our office offers a variety of tours which can be customized according to your needs and preference. You can contact us and book your own private tour anytime! Take the chance and visit Santorini during fall 2020 and enjoy the marvelous scenery of the most famous Cycladic island!
See more about Santorini tours:
- Santorini Sightseeing Private Tour
- Exclusive Shore Santorini Private Tour
- Impressive Caldera Santorini Private Tour
- South Part Santorini Private Tour
- North Part Santorini Private Tour
- Santorini Historical Private Tour
- Santorini Sunset Private Tour
Santorini to Ios Ferry: The Short Answer
The santorini to ios ferry is the shortest island hop available from Santorini, and the only one close enough to do as a genuine day trip. Ios sits forty-five minutes north on the main Cyclades line, and the crossing is short enough that it changes what is possible rather than just where you sleep.
Crossing time. The santorini to ios ferry takes roughly 35 to 55 minutes on a high-speed catamaran. Roughly 1 hour 15 to 1 hour 45 on a conventional ferry.
Santorini to ios ferry fares. Roughly 30 to 55 euros a person one way on the fast boats, and roughly 18 to 32 on the conventional ferries.
Frequency. The santorini to ios ferry runs four to eight sailings a day through high summer, two to four in the shoulder months, and a few a week in winter on the year-round Piraeus line.
Santorini to ios ferry operators. Blue Star Ferries on the conventional service, with Seajets, Golden Star Ferries and Minoan Lines running high-speed vessels across the season.
Santorini to ios ferry ports. Athinios on Santorini, at the bottom of a hairpin road below the caldera, and Ormos Ios, the harbour at Gialos, about two kilometres below the hilltop Chora.
Distance. Around 18 nautical miles north, which is the shortest crossing from Santorini to anywhere inhabited except Thirasia.
The day trip. Genuinely possible, unlike every other route from here. A morning santorini to ios ferry out and an evening one back gives you seven or eight hours ashore.
Why Ios. Mylopotas, one of the best beaches in the Cyclades, a hilltop Chora that is among the prettiest in Greece, a famously young nightlife, and prices a third below Santorini.
The wind. The meltemi cancels fast craft between June and September, and on this route there is almost always another boat within a few hours.
The honest summary. The easiest crossing from Santorini, the cheapest island at the other end, and the only one you can sensibly visit and return from in a day.
Fast Catamaran or Conventional Ferry
On a crossing this short the difference matters less than on any other route out of Santorini, and it still decides the price.
The high-speed catamaran. Thirty-five to fifty-five minutes, air-conditioned, assigned aircraft-style seats and usually no open deck. On a forty-minute santorini to ios ferry there is barely time to sit down.
The conventional ferry. An hour and a quarter to an hour and three quarters on a large Blue Star ship, with open decks, a cafeteria and lounges. Slower, cheaper, and the more pleasant way to do it if the timetable suits.
Motion. Both fine. The crossing is short and partly sheltered, and this is the least likely route from Santorini to make anybody seasick.
Cancellations. Fast craft are restricted at a lower wind threshold, and Blue Star sails in almost anything.
Price. A fast santorini to ios ferry costs roughly double, which on a short hop is a weaker argument than on the longer routes.
Stops. Direct in both directions. Conventional sailings continue to Naxos, Paros and Piraeus after Ios.
Vehicles. Conventional ferries only.
Deck space. Worth having for the first fifteen minutes, because the santorini to ios ferry leaves the caldera with the cliff and the villages above you, which is the best view of Santorini there is.
Luggage. Free on both, handled by you.
Which we would take. The conventional ferry, because on a forty-minute saving the open deck is worth more than the time.
Fares, Tickets and Booking
Conventional economy. Roughly 18 to 32 euros a person one way, which makes this the cheapest santorini to ios ferry and one of the cheapest crossings in the Cyclades.
High-speed economy. Roughly 30 to 55 euros a person one way.
Business and VIP. Available and pointless on a crossing this short.
Children and infants. Reduced fares for children, and infants generally free without a seat.
Vehicles. Conventional ferries only, at roughly the cost of two extra passenger fares. Santorini hire cars almost never permit leaving the island.
Where to book. Direct with the operator or through an aggregator covering every line. On a route with this many daily sailings the aggregators make the day-trip timings much easier to see.
How far ahead. Two to three weeks for July and August, and a few days in the shoulder months. The santorini to ios ferry has more capacity than most routes from here and rarely sells out in economy.
Paper tickets. Some operators still require collection from a port kiosk or an agency in Fira. Check when you book.
Changes and refunds. Changeable for a fee up to a cut-off, then non-refundable, with weather cancellations handled separately.
Santorini to ios ferry boarding. Thirty to forty-five minutes before departure, which on a short hop is longer than the crossing itself.
The day-trip booking. Book both legs at once and leave at least ninety minutes of margin on the return, because a missed evening boat means an unplanned night on Ios.
Sailing Times and Frequency
Morning departures. Roughly seven to eleven, and the santorini to ios ferry you want for a day trip or for an arrival with the afternoon intact.
Midday. A mix of fast and conventional, arriving early afternoon.
Afternoon and evening. Several, including the returns that make a day trip work, and the departures most exposed to the afternoon wind.
July and August. The santorini to ios ferry runs four to eight sailings a day across all operators, with a real choice of vessel and of timing.
June and September. Three to five a day, lower fares, and September is the calmest month on the water.
May and October. Two to four a day, with the santorini to ios ferry timetable thinning at the edges of the season.
April. Building, and worth checking rather than assuming.
November to March. A few sailings a week on the year-round Piraeus line, weather-dependent.
Santorini to ios ferry day-trip pairs. In high season there is usually a departure between seven and nine in the morning and a return between six and nine in the evening, which is the combination that makes Ios a day rather than a stay.
Delays. Knock-on rather than original, and more likely later in the day.
How to check. The operator’s own site a week before and again the day before, because the santorini to ios ferry schedule is revised without notice.
Athinios: Leaving Santorini
Where it is. Athinios, on the caldera side about ten kilometres south of Fira, at the bottom of a road of hairpin bends cut into the cliff.
Journey times. Twenty minutes from Fira, twenty-two from Firostefani, twenty-five from Imerovigli, twelve from Megalochori, twenty-five from Kamari or Perissa, thirty-five from Oia. Add half again in August.
The port. A narrow quay, a handful of agencies and cafes, no shade, and chaos when several boats load together.
When to arrive. Thirty to forty-five minutes before a santorini to ios ferry departure in peak season, which is longer than the crossing takes.
By bus. 2.30 euros and twenty-five minutes, timed against the ferry schedule rather than a clock, and it fills early.
By taxi. Around thirty taxis serve the whole island. Not a plan for a boat with a fixed departure.
To the santorini to ios ferry by private transfer. Booked, door to quay, priced per vehicle, and the sensible answer for an early day-trip departure.
Luggage. Uneven quay, steep ramps, no trolleys. For a day trip, take a small bag and nothing else.
Finding your boat. Vessels go by name and berth wherever there is space. Watch the hull and ask staff.
The return. An evening santorini to ios ferry lands you at Athinios in the dark with no bus, so book a vehicle for the pick-up as well as the drop-off.
Gialos and Chora: Arriving on Ios
The santorini to ios ferry arrival port. Ormos, also called Gialos, a horseshoe harbour on the western side of the island with tavernas along the waterfront and a beach at the far end.
Getting up to Chora. Two kilometres and about 150 metres of climb. A bus every twenty minutes in season, a taxi, or the old stone staircase which takes twenty-five minutes and is the better option if the heat allows.
Chora. A hilltop village of whitewashed lanes and windmills that is a genuine rival to anything on Santorini, and far less visited by day. Most people off the santorini to ios ferry see it at lunchtime and have it largely to themselves.
Mylopotas, twenty-five minutes from the santorini to ios ferry. The island’s main beach, a long sweep of pale sand fifteen minutes from Chora by bus, with loungers, water sports and beach bars. One of the best beaches in the Cyclades.
The other beaches. Manganari in the far south, Agia Theodoti and Psathi on the east coast, Koumbara next to the port for sunset.
Homer. The tomb attributed to Homer at Plakoto in the north, which is a modest site with an enormous claim and a spectacular position.
Buses from the santorini to ios ferry. Frequent in season on the port to Chora to Mylopotas line, which covers almost everything a day visitor needs.
Taxis and hire. A handful of taxis, plus cars, scooters and quads at the port and in Chora at well below Santorini prices.
Where to stay. Chora for the lanes and the nightlife, Mylopotas for the beach, Gialos for the ferries, and Manganari for genuine isolation.
The contrast. Flat, compact and easy after Athinios, with everything a day visitor wants inside a three-kilometre triangle.
The Day Trip, Hour by Hour
This is the thing the santorini to ios ferry makes possible and no other route from Santorini does. The figures below are a high-season day and they work.
06:45. Leave the hotel by booked vehicle. No buses run that early.
07:20. At Athinios, ticket in hand, boat found by name.
08:00. Departure. The first fifteen minutes out of the caldera are the best view of Santorini available.
08:45. Ormos, Ios. Off the boat and onto the bus or the staircase.
09:15. Chora, empty, with the shops opening and the lanes to yourself. An hour is enough to walk all of it, including up to the windmills and the church at the top.
10:30. Bus down to Mylopotas. Loungers, a long swim, and water that is warmer and shallower than anything on Santorini.
13:30. Lunch on the sand or back in Chora, at roughly two thirds of Santorini prices.
15:30. Either a second beach, or Koumbara, or the tomb of Homer if you have hired something with wheels.
18:00. Back to Gialos. A drink on the harbour while the boats come in.
19:30 to 21:00. The evening santorini to ios ferry back, and a vehicle waiting at Athinios.
What the santorini to ios ferry day costs. Roughly 60 to 110 euros a head for two return fares, two transfers, loungers and lunch.
The risk. One cancelled return boat and you are staying the night. Check the forecast, leave margin, and know where the later sailing is.
Day Trip or Stay the Night
The case for the santorini to ios ferry day trip. It works, it is cheap, it adds a completely different island to a Santorini week, and it gives you the best beach day available within an hour of the caldera.
What the day trip misses. The nightlife, which is the thing Ios is most known for, and the hour after sunset in Chora, which is when the village is at its best.
The case for one night after the santorini to ios ferry. Chora in the evening is genuinely excellent: lanes full of small bars, a young crowd, and an atmosphere Santorini does not have. One night turns the santorini to ios ferry from a beach excursion into a proper second island.
The case for two or three nights. Mylopotas, Manganari, Agia Theodoti and the Chora evenings, at a third below Santorini prices. Ios is a three-night island and not much more.
Who should do the day trip. Couples and families on a Santorini week who want a beach day and a change of scene.
Who should stay. Anybody under thirty, anybody who wants a night out, and anybody on a budget, because the accommodation saving over Santorini pays for the crossing twice over.
Who should skip Ios. Travellers looking for quiet in August, when Mylopotas and Chora are both loud.
The reverse trip. Plenty of people base on Ios and take the santorini to ios ferry in the other direction for a day in the caldera, which is cheaper overall and means an early start and a long day.
Our recommendation. One night, not a day trip, if the itinerary has room. The island is better in the evening than in the afternoon.
And a word on why this route is different. Every other crossing from Santorini is a transfer between holidays. The santorini to ios ferry is short enough, frequent enough and cheap enough to be an excursion, which makes it the one route on this island that can be added to an existing plan rather than built around. Forty minutes each way, eighteen to fifty-five euros, four to eight sailings a day in summer, and a beach at the other end that Santorini cannot match at any price. For anybody on a Santorini week who has done the caldera, the boat day and Akrotiri, and who wants one completely different day, this is the best value available from Athinios.
The counter-case, stated fairly. A day spent on a santorini to ios ferry is a day not spent on Santorini, and Santorini has more in it than three days can hold. If this is a first visit of four nights or fewer, stay put: Ancient Thera, the Profitis Ilias ridge, Thirasia and the inland villages are all still unseen, and none of them needs a ferry ticket. Ios earns its day on a second visit or on a week.
Santorini and Ios: What You Are Swapping
Landscape. Santorini is a flooded caldera with a cliff. Ios is rounded, bare hills with a hilltop village and long sandy bays.
Beaches. Worth the santorini to ios ferry on their own: Ios, decisively. Mylopotas alone is better than anything on Santorini, and Manganari and Agia Theodoti are both excellent.
Spectacle. Santorini, by a distance.
Price. Ios is a third to a half cheaper for rooms, food and drinks, which is the other reason the santorini to ios ferry is so well used.
Nightlife. Ios, and it is a different kind: younger, denser, concentrated in Chora’s lanes, and louder.
Village. Ios Chora is a serious rival to Oia, with a fraction of the visitors by day.
Food. Santorini, on the strength of its wine and its own produce.
Crowds. Ios is busy in August and nothing like Santorini at any time.
Families. Ios has the flat sandy beaches; Santorini has the better logistics and the more varied days.
Which to give more days to. Santorini, unusually for these comparisons. Ios is a three-night island and Santorini is a four-night one.
Wind, Cancellations and Continuing North
The meltemi. A dry northerly blowing two to four days at a stretch from June to September.
Why this route copes well. The crossing is short, partly sheltered, and served by four to eight sailings a day, so a cancelled fast boat usually means a wait rather than a lost day.
What gets cancelled. High-speed craft first. Blue Star sails in almost anything.
The day-trip risk. The one real exposure on the santorini to ios ferry. If the wind builds through the day the evening fast boat can go while the conventional one runs, so know both options before you leave.
Continuing past the santorini to ios ferry to Naxos. An hour to an hour and a half beyond Ios, directly on the line.
Continuing to Paros. An hour and a half to two and a half hours, also direct.
Continuing to Mykonos. Two to three hours.
Continuing to Piraeus. Four to seven and a half hours depending on the vessel.
The classic chain. Santorini, Ios, Naxos, Paros, each hop under two hours, which is the best island-hopping sequence in Greece and starts with the shortest crossing of the lot.
The booking rule. Book each leg separately and leave a night either side of anything that connects with a flight.
Ios Beach by Beach
The beaches are the main reason to take the santorini to ios ferry rather than stay on the caldera for another day, so they are worth setting out properly.
Mylopotas, the reason for the santorini to ios ferry. The island’s headline beach and one of the best in the Cyclades: a kilometre of pale sand in a wide bay, shallow and clear, with loungers, beach bars, water sports and a bus every twenty minutes from Chora. Fifteen minutes from the village and twenty-five from the port.
Koumbara. Ten minutes west of Gialos, a small sandy cove with rock at one end and the best sunset position on the island. The locals’ choice and the right answer for anybody off a midday santorini to ios ferry with a few hours to spare.
Gialos beach. At the far end of the harbour, shallow and sheltered, and good enough that you do not have to move if the day is short.
Manganari. Four sandy coves in the far south, about forty minutes by road or reachable by a small boat from Gialos. Quiet, beautiful and the furthest thing on the island from its nightlife reputation.
Agia Theodoti. On the north-east coast, long, sandy and backed by tamarisks, with a single taverna and almost nobody there.
Psathi. Further south on the east coast, a long exposed sweep of sand that catches the meltemi and is superb on a still day.
Kalamos. Remote, pebbly, and one of those beaches that exists mostly so that people can say they got there.
Tris Klisies and Loretzaina. Small western coves reachable by track or boat, and genuinely empty.
Which to choose off a day trip. Mylopotas, without hesitation. It is the closest, the best served and the best, and it is why the santorini to ios ferry works as a beach day at all.
Which to choose on a longer stay. Manganari or Agia Theodoti, both of which need wheels and repay them.
Compared with Santorini. Pale sand against black, shallow entry against a shelf, and a warmer sea. On beaches the comparison is not close.
Where to Stay on Ios
Chora, above the santorini to ios ferry harbour. The hilltop village, and the best base if the evenings matter. Whitewashed lanes, windmills above, bars and restaurants at every turn, and a bus down to the beach every twenty minutes. Loud after midnight in August in the central lanes and quiet two streets out.
Mylopotas. On the beach itself, with hotels and a large campsite along the bay. Convenient, unglamorous in places and exactly right for a beach week.
Gialos and Ormos. Around the harbour, which is where the santorini to ios ferry arrives. Practical for a short stay, quiet at night, and with a handful of good tavernas on the water.
Koumbara. A few small hotels above the cove, quiet and with the sunset in front of them.
Manganari. One or two properties in the far south, genuinely isolated, and needing a vehicle for everything.
Prices after the santorini to ios ferry. Roughly 60 to 180 euros a night in high season for a good room, against 150 to 700 on Santorini’s rim. Hostels and the campsite at Mylopotas from 25 to 50.
Booking. Four to eight weeks for July and August. Ios has far less accommodation than Santorini and Chora in particular fills.
What Ios does not have. Caldera views, cave suites or infinity pools hanging over a four-hundred-metre drop. It is a cheaper, simpler island and it does not pretend otherwise.
The honest recommendation. Chora for two nights if you are arriving on a santorini to ios ferry with any intention of seeing the island properly, and Mylopotas if the beach is the entire plan.
Ios Nightlife, Honestly
Ios has a reputation and it needs context, because a great many people arrive off the santorini to ios ferry expecting something either more or less than what is there.
What it actually is. A dense cluster of small bars in the lanes of Chora, packed between midnight and four in high summer, with a young and international crowd. Walkable end to end in five minutes.
The scale. Smaller than its reputation. This is thirty or forty small venues in a village rather than the beach-club industry of Mykonos.
The hours. Restaurants until eleven, bars from midnight, the busiest hour around two, and the last of it between four and five.
Mylopotas by day. Beach bars with music from the afternoon, which is where the evening starts for a lot of people.
Prices. 6 to 12 euros for a drink, which is roughly half what a caldera terrace on Santorini charges.
The season. July and August at full volume, June and September noticeably calmer, and almost nothing from November to April.
Who it suits. Travellers in their twenties, groups, and anybody who wants a night out that costs a third of Mykonos.
Who it does not. Light sleepers in the central Chora lanes in August, and anybody looking for a quiet dinner followed by bed at eleven. Stay at Mylopotas, Koumbara or Manganari instead.
What gets missed. Chora at eight in the evening, before any of the above starts, when the lanes are lit and almost empty and the village is at its best. A day-tripper off the santorini to ios ferry who leaves at seven never sees it.
The fair summary. A very good night out in a very pretty village, confined to a small area and a few hours, and far more manageable than the island’s reputation suggests.
Ios Practicalities for a Short Visit
Money for a santorini to ios ferry day. Cash machines in Gialos and Chora, cards accepted almost everywhere, and cash preferred at the smaller beach tavernas. Bring fifty euros a head for a day trip.
Water. As on Santorini, the tap supply is not for drinking. Buy bottles at the harbour before you head up.
Shade. Almost none, like every island in this group. Chora’s lanes are narrow enough to give some relief at midday and the beaches have umbrellas.
Shoes. Chora is a hill village of steps and cobbles, so the same rule applies as on Santorini: flat and grippy.
Pharmacy and medical. A pharmacy and a health centre in Chora. Anything serious goes to Santorini or Athens, which is one more reason the santorini to ios ferry matters to the island.
Luggage storage. Nothing formal at Gialos. A taverna on the harbour will usually watch a bag for an hour if you are eating there.
Phone signal. Good across the inhabited parts and patchy in the southern valleys towards Manganari.
Opening hours. Chora’s shops open late, close for the afternoon, and reopen at six. A day visitor arriving at nine will find the village asleep and beautiful.
The santorini to ios ferry season. Late May to early October for everything, with July and August at full volume and almost nothing open in winter.
The one thing to get right. The return sailing. Every other decision on a santorini to ios ferry day is reversible and that one is not.
Santorini to Ios Ferry: Frequently Asked Questions
How long is the santorini to ios ferry? About 35 to 55 minutes on a high-speed catamaran, and 1 hour 15 to 1 hour 45 on a conventional ferry.
How much does it cost? Roughly 30 to 55 euros a person one way on the fast boats, and 18 to 32 euros on the conventional ferries.
How often does it run? Four to eight sailings a day in July and August, three to five in June and September, and fewer at the edges of the season.
Which port does it use on Ios? Ormos, also called Gialos, on the western side of the island, two kilometres below the hilltop Chora.
Which companies operate it? Blue Star Ferries on the conventional service, with Seajets, Golden Star Ferries and Minoan Lines on the high-speed sailings.
Can I do Ios as a day trip from Santorini? Yes, and it is the only island from Santorini where that genuinely works. A morning departure and an evening return gives seven or eight hours ashore.
Do I need to book ahead? Two to three weeks for July and August. Economy on the conventional ships rarely sells out.
Can I take a car? Only on conventional ferries, and Santorini hire agreements almost never permit taking the vehicle off the island.
Will I get seasick? Unlikely. This is the shortest and most sheltered crossing from Santorini.
Does the santorini to ios ferry get cancelled? The fast boats occasionally in strong wind, and with four to eight sailings a day there is usually another within hours.
How do I get from the port up to Chora? A bus every twenty minutes in season, a taxi, or the old stone staircase in about twenty-five minutes.
Is Ios cheaper than Santorini? Yes, a third to a half cheaper for rooms, food and drinks.
Is Ios just a party island? No. Chora is one of the prettiest villages in the Cyclades and Mylopotas is among the best beaches. The nightlife is concentrated in a few lanes.
Can I continue to Naxos or Paros? Yes, both are directly on the same line, an hour to two and a half hours beyond Ios.
Mistakes People Make
Treating it like the longer routes. The santorini to ios ferry is forty minutes. People allow a whole day for the crossing and then discover they had seven hours spare on the other side.
Booking the last return santorini to ios ferry. One cancellation and you are staying the night. Take the second-to-last sailing.
Not booking the Athinios pick-up. An evening arrival at the port in the dark, with no bus and around thirty taxis on the island, is the commonest way this day goes wrong.
Walking up to Chora at two in the afternoon. A hundred and fifty metres of climb with no shade in thirty-two degrees. Take the bus up and walk down.
Assuming Ios is only for the young. Chora by day and Mylopotas are entirely mainstream, and the nightlife is confined to a few lanes after midnight.
Taking too much luggage for a day trip. The Athinios quay has no trolleys and Gialos has a bus with limited space.
Hiring a quad off the santorini to ios ferry. The same advice as on Santorini: the roads are narrow, the gravel is real, and it is the commonest source of holiday injury on both islands.
Missing Chora in the evening. The best hour on the island, and the thing a day trip cannot give you.
Planning the crossing for a flight day. A short hop is still a hop, and Athinios is still twenty-five minutes from the airport on a single-lane road.
We Handle Both Ends of the Day
We are a local operator on Santorini with our own vehicles and our own drivers, and an Ios day trip has exactly two weak points: a seven in the morning departure when no bus runs, and a nine in the evening return when none run either.
Tell us your sailing times and where you are staying and we will cover both, so the only thing you have to think about is which beach. We can also build the rest of the week around it: Akrotiri, a winery, a caldera cruise, and the airport or the port at each end.
Prices are per vehicle rather than per person, hotel pickup anywhere on the island is included, we guide in twelve languages, and an 80 EUR deposit confirms a date.
See the personalised tour, the private transfers, or contact us.
Every Village and Site on the Island
Any of these can be built into a private day. Each has its own page with what to see and how long to allow.
Caldera villages: Fira · Firostefani · Imerovigli · Oia · Finikia · Baxedes
Inland villages: Pyrgos · Megalochori · Emporio · Mesaria · Karterados · Vothonas · Vourvoulos · Exo Gonia · Mesa Gonia · Pigadia
Beaches: Perissa · Perivolos · Kamari · Vlychada · Monolithos · Red Beach · White Beach · Agios Georgios · Agia Paraskevi
Sites and landmarks: Akrotiri · Ancient Thira · Akrotiri Lighthouse · Nea Kameni · Palia Kameni · Thirasia · Athinios Port
All our tours: All Santorini tours · Full day tour · Sightseeing tour · Personalised tour · North part tour · Horse riding · South part tour · Sunset tour · Shore excursion · Caldera tour · Food experience · Wine tour · Historical tour · Small group tour
Planning and services: Famous sights tour · Private transfers · Transfers to Oia and Finikia · Transfers to other villages · Villages of Santorini · History of Santorini · Tours near you · Languages we guide in · Food and fun tours · Gay friendly tours · Our tour buses · Daily tours · Day tours · FAQ · Gallery · Tour photo gallery · About us · Contact · Blog
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