Chora Ios

Chora od Hora or better known as Ios Town, is the capital and the largest inhabited center of the enchanting Ios island. Also here is the main port that connects it with the rest of the Greek Islands.

We find it on the north western side, a real jewel in the shape of an amphitheater between two rocky hills, offering a unique and exciting panorama. It fascinates its visitors with its architecture of whitewashed cubic houses with flat roofs and deep blue windows and doors, its paved and white painted streets between large flat stones that wind creating a labyrinth, arches, arcades, stairways squares, chapels and balconies framed by colorful flowers that contrast with the almost blinding white and then turn a corner and voilà a different perspective with a shop or a courtyard that seems almost designed, that's what to expect from the Chora.

Full of small bars, taverns, jewelers, boutiques and nightclubs, it will surely satisfy anyone without ever colliding with the atmosphere and rhythms of the island still linked to ancient traditions and habits. At the Chora you can also find the perfect accommodation for your holiday in Ios, you can choose between simple and independent apartments or studios, rather than hotels of all levels and budgets.

To better enjoy it, take a walk during the day when everyone is at the beach or still in the arms of Morpheus, you will be able to better grasp the magic of this picturesque town considered among other things one of the most beautiful of the Cyclades Islands. Note that the area is almost entirely pedestrian, no cars or scooters for most of the village.

Do not miss the Panaghia Gremiotissa one of the twenty four churches present, the highest point in the country where you can enjoy a panorama that will leave even the most skeptical speechless, especially at sunset when everything is tinged with warm and sparkling colors. The Church is dedicated to the patron saint of the island and her name in Greek means "Our Lady of the Steep Rock".  Built in 1797, it is a small sanctuary with white walls, a classic blue dome and a tall bell tower flanked by a large palm tree visible from every part of the Hora. On August 15th the Virgin is celebrated with a very beautiful celebration, participate if you will be on Ios for your holiday in Greece.

At the end of the main road that reaches the square, there are the iconic windmills where once the grain was ground while today some have become real houses with their well kept garden. The mills in theory were once twelve, some are now hidden among private houses but those that remain are the identifying symbol of Ios. At night both the whole village and the mills are lit up, a unique show with a touch of magic.

Interesting are the Venetian Castle ruins on the tip of the hill overlooking the village, dating back to the 10th century. Made of marble, it surrounds a Byzantine chapel  and was built to protect the inhabitants from the continuous attacks by the marauders of the seas, the pirates.

And yet the Archaeological Museum in front of the cathedral on the main road which preserves the precious stele of Homer and a collection of testimonies mainly from the archaeological Skarkos site.

And finally it is impossible not to mention the lively nightlife of the Chora, which after sunset becomes sleepy and brilliant with its clubs where you can party until dawn, all accompanied by colorful cocktails and a crazy view.

By virtue of its nightlife, to visit this beautiful part of Ios, it depends a little on what type you are, if you are a night owl it is certainly better to come there at sunset and then discover it in the middle of the night wandering through its mazes, or if you do not like the confusion when the sun shines and everyone is at bed.

Without a doubt one of the stops to be included among the things to do and see in Ios.