CalmBeach Greece
Beaches in Ios
All 40 beaches in Ios, in one list. 19 of them are not exposed to the meltemi, which gives them the better odds on a windy day. Open any of them for live wind and waves.
The beaches
- Foniadiko Sandy - Difficult access (path)
- Gero Aggeli Sand & pebbles - Passable dirt road
- Kalo Avlaki Sand & pebbles - Difficult access (path)
- Plakotos Sand & pebbles - Passable dirt road
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Agia Theodoti
Sandy - Easy road access
The horseshoe below the Byzantine chapel — Agia Theodoti is on the northeastern side of Ios, about 10 kilometres from Chora, at the head of an open, horseshoe-shaped bay of golden sand.
- Agia Kyriaki Sandy - Easy path
- Almyros Sandy - Easy road access
- Antonarou Pebbles - Moderate access
- Vathy Rema Sand & pebbles - Difficult access (path)
- Valmas Sand & pebbles - Easy path
- Diammoudia Sand & pebbles - Easy path
- Kalamos Sand & pebbles - Passable dirt road
- Kampaki Sand & pebbles - Passable dirt road
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Karatzas
Pebbles - Passable dirt road
A small cove below the "Tomb of Homer" — A very small cove at the northern tip: sand with large pebbles and dark blue water. It is exposed to the northerly Meltemi…
- Katsiveli Sandy - Easy path
- Klima Sand & pebbles - Difficult access (path)
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Kolitsani
Sandy - Difficult access (path)
Access by car to a small parking area then a ~20-minute downhill path, or by kayak/boat-taxi from Mylopotas. Unorganized.
- Koumpara Sand & pebbles - Easy road access
- Lorentzaina Sandy - Easy road access
- Louka Avlaki Sandy - Moderate access
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Manganari
Sandy - Easy road access
The coves of The Big Blue — Manganari sits at the southern tip of Ios, about 23 kilometres from Chora, and is formed by a series of consecutive coves of fine golden sand.
- Manousou Sand & pebbles - Boat access only
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Mylopotas
Sandy - Easy road access
The river of the mills — Mylopotas lies on the western side of Ios, about two kilometres from Chora, and is considered the largest beach on the island. A long ribbon of fine…
- Neraki Sandy - Easy path
- Domino Pebbles - Difficult access (path)
- Pepa Sand & pebbles - Boat access only
- Papas Sandy - Difficult access (path)
- Pikri Nero Pebbles - Difficult access (path)
- Plakes Sand & pebbles - Boat access only
- Roussou Pebbles - Moderate access
- Santoriniko Sandy - Easy path
- Sapounochoma Sand & pebbles - Difficult access (path)
- Sofias Avlaki Pebbles - Moderate access
- Tzamaria Sand & pebbles - Easy road access
- Tris Klisies vorios Sandy - Difficult access (path)
- Tris Klisies megali Sand & pebbles - Difficult access (path)
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Tris Klisies mikri
Sandy - Difficult access (path)
A secluded beach near Manganari — Access by boat, or by car then a 10-15 minute footpath. Unorganized, with only a few trees for shade.
- Trypiti Pebbles - Difficult access (path)
- Chalara Pebbles - Moderate access
- Psathi Sandy - Easy road access
Pick by what you are looking for
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Meltemi options
The coves that face away from the prevailing wind — the shortlist for a windy day.
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Snorkeling
Rockier seabed and clearer water, where there is something to look at underwater.
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Organized
Sunbeds, umbrellas and somewhere to eat or drink nearby.
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Secluded
Quieter and harder to reach — dirt track, a walk, or boat only.
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Sunset
West-facing, so the sun goes down over the water in front of you.
- Sandy
- All beach guides →
Good to know
Which beaches in Ios are more sheltered from the wind?
19 of the 40 face away from the meltemi, meaning less open water in front of them for a wave to build across when it blows. It is not a guarantee — the same beach changes character when the wind turns. Check the live reading before you drive out.
Which side of Ios is windier?
When the meltemi blows (from N/NE), the beaches facing north are the most open to it: none of the 7 is sheltered from it. The more sheltered side faces south: all 9 of its beaches have land between them and the wind. When the wind turns, the picture turns with it, so check live wind and waves before you go.
How is this list ordered?
By which beaches have the best conditions at that hour, so the order changes through the day: a beach that leads in the morning can drop down the list in the afternoon, once the wind picks up. When there is no live weather data, they are listed by how well known each one is — not by a score of ours.
When is the sea calmest here?
Across 40 of the beaches on this page, the open water in front of them is typically 0.83 m in June, 1.02 m in July and 1.02 m in August when the meltemi is at its strongest, and 0.91 m in September. June is the calmest month of the season. We calculate these figures ourselves from European Copernicus wave-model data at 4.2 km resolution. They describe the sea offshore, not the shelter of an individual cove — a bay protected by a headland will usually be calmer than this.
How warm is the water, month by month?
Off 40 of the beaches on this page the sea is typically 19.0 °C in May, 22.1 °C in June, 23.7 °C in July, 24.4 °C in August and 23.9 °C in September — ideal at the height of summer, mild in June. By October it is 22.0 °C. August is the warmest month. Satellite measurements, 1995–2024, from a sea cell about 5 km offshore; shallow bays usually run warmer than this.
When does the meltemi blow in Ios?
Over the last 20 summers, the hardest week in Ios starts around 10 July: 51 days in 100 had wind of 5 Beaufort or more. When it blew hard, it came from the north 100% of the time — the meltemi. In a week's holiday between 3 July and 3 September, strong wind on about 3 of the 7 days. Once it starts, it lasts about 3 days. Even then, the most sheltered side was the south coast, with beaches fit for a swim such as Antonarou, Pikri Nero and Trypiti. These are typical figures from 20 summers of European reanalysis (2006–2025), not a forecast for any single day.
How busy does it get, month by month?
August is the busiest month. When it fills and empties is measured for the Cyclades as a whole, not for this place on its own: in October it drops to 20% of that peak, while in May it sits at 36%. From official overnight-stay figures 2024-2025: it counts whoever sleeps in the area, not day trippers or cruise passengers. It is a historical average, not a forecast for this year.
Weather and sea conditions change. CalmBeach uses the app view for live beach recommendations.