Relaxing in Ios and Visiting Kolitsani Beach

Wednesday 24th July 2024

A Lazy Day Ahead

I woke up early once again, still sleeping fairly restlessly on my third night at Hotel Poseidon close to the port in Ios. My plans for the day were straightforward: get breakfast, sunbathe by the hotel pool, lunch and then walk to a beach in the afternoon.

A Proper Breakfast

Since my arrival, I’ve been economising on breakfasts by buying coffee and pastries from nearby Buongiorno Bakery. Today, I decided to treat myself to a proper restaurant breakfast, so after a quick shower I got dressed and headed down to the marina to find somewhere to eat. It was barely 8 am and the area was nice and quiet. Early mornings are one of my favourite times in Greece when most tourists are still in bed and everywhere feels very calm and relaxed. The locals were out setting up their businesses for the day ahead. The sky was clear and blue, though I noticed a slight breeze compared to the past couple of days, which was a welcome feeling against the intense heat.

I stopped to check the menu at Sailing Cafe Bar, but having eaten there on my previous trip to Ios, I was keen to try somewhere new if I could find a good alternative. Turning left towards the port, several tavernas in the main square were open and I was confident that at least one of them would have the breakfast I was looking for.

I checked a few more menus and settled on Isleno Pizzeria which, despite its name, serves a variety of meals including breakfast. The Google reviews were a bit mixed, but I decided to try it anyway. I ordered a set breakfast of yoghurt with honey and muesli, fruit, toast, coffee and orange juice. It cost €11 which didn’t seem bad value for what turned out to be an excellent meal:

I ate my food sat under the shade at the front of the restaurant, watching the few people walking by, many of which were boat owners getting their vessels ready for a day of sailing. Although I’ve never aspired to own a boat as I suffer from bouts of motion sickness, I love the idea of being able to explore the Greek Islands from the sea, visiting all the secluded beaches and coves that are inaccessible by land.

Sunbathing by the Pool

I took my time at breakfast with nothing to rush for, then strolled back up to the hotel to change into my swim shorts and lotion up for some sunbathing by the pool.

As expected, the pool area was deserted and I had my pick of sunbeds. I put my towel down and spent the next couple of hours in a state of bliss soaking up the sun while reading my Kindle. It was another very hot day, but the breeze I’d noticed earlier was a blessing and made it much less stifling than yesterday. Even so, I took regular dips in the pool to cool off.

Lunch at Tropicana Bar

Keen to continue the day’s theme of great food, I returned to my room shortly after midday to cool off and shower before heading off in search of a good lunch spot. I wanted some variety from my usual cheap gyros at Peri Anemon, so I set off towards Gialos Beach knowing I would pass several tavernas along the way.

As I reached the southeast corner of the beach, I spotted Tropicana Bar and recalled having a nice meal and drink there the previous year, so I decided to give it another try. It’s quite a popular spot, particularly with groups of young tourists, but I managed to find a table and quickly ordered some pulled pork tacos and a Mammos Beer.

The food was delicious and very filling – I couldn’t quite manage all of the last taco, despite them tasting amazing, and had to admit defeat. I sat for a while digesting the rich food and enjoying the view of the beach and across the bay back towards the port.

Kolitsani Beach Sunbathing and Swimming

I was keen to avoid spending the entire day at the hotel, so on my return from lunch I tried to decide what to do with the rest of the afternoon. I’d been to Mylopotas Beach yesterday for the boat tour and having just been at Gialos Beach for lunch, I didn’t fancy heading back there to sunbathe. Then I remembered Kolitsani Beach: a fairly quiet beach accessible on foot from Chora. The beach has limited natural shade and, since I didn’t have my own umbrella, I decided to wait a while and visit later in the afternoon when the sun was past its peak.

Rather than passing the time with more sunbathing at the hotel, I just chilled in my room and ended up having a brief nap to catch up on the sleep I’d been losing during the night. At 3 pm, I got my bag ready and walked over to the bus stop next to the port, taking the 3:15 pm bus to Chora. Rather than get off at the main bus stop next to the Archaeological Museum, I stayed on board until the Aegean Market. The bus won’t always stop here so make sure to let the driver or ticket conductor know if you want to get off. This just results in a slightly shorter walk to the beach.

Getting to Kolitsani Beach is fairly straightforward, though Google Maps usually tries to send you down a private access road so I’ve put some detailed directions on that beach page link.

The beach is ‘nudist friendly’ so you’ll understand the lack of photos, but this is usually confined to the western half of the beach, with the eastern side (where you’ll arrive at the end of the access path) generally where people stay fully clothed.

On arrival, I noticed that the beach seemed to have been eroded since my visit last year: it used to be possible to walk entirely on the sand between the eastern and western halves, but now the smooth rocky outcrop that splits the beach in two protrudes into the shallow water. It is possible to climb up and over to reach the western side, or you can wade through the thigh-deep water instead. I chose the latter option, being careful not to fall over and get my bag wet.

The beach was fairly quiet, though it does seem to get more popular each year as more people seem to ‘discover’ it while looking for a more secluded sunbathing destination. This is to be expected, and although it requires a little effort to access, it’s not so out-of-the-way that it puts people off.

I found a flat spot on the sand and laid out my towel, securing it with some large stones as the wind had picked up a bit and threatened to blow any untethered items down the beach. I’d brought my goggles with me, knowing it was a great spot to swim in the calm and shallow bay. As soon as my lotion was dry, I headed into the water and spent a while gently swimming back and forth.

Back on dry land, I sunbathed and read my Kindle, enjoying the relaxed and quiet atmosphere. Although there were other groups around, everyone seemed to appreciate the peaceful nature of the beach so it was very tranquil and a great way to spend the afternoon.

More Swimming then Back to the Hotel

I swam and sunbathed at the beach until nearly 6 pm, by which time the sun was starting to disappear behind the hill west of the beach and many of the earlier visitors had packed up and left. Tempting as it was to stay longer and make the most of the beach at its quietest, I had caught sunstroke the previous year at this very beach from overexposure due to the lack of shade. I still had a 20-minute walk back to the bus stop in Chora as well and didn’t want to repeat my previous mistake.

I packed up my bag, got dressed and made sure to put my hat on to protect my head from the sun on the way back. I’d had a fantastic afternoon and already decided to return before the end of the week.

The walk back to the bus stop in Chora is all uphill and requires a bit of effort, but I was in no hurry and was in such a good mood that I happily strolled up the dirt track and then onto the small road back towards the island’s capital. I made it to the bus stop a little before 6:30 and only waited a few minutes before the bus arrived. One of the best things about Ios is how regular the bus service is between Mylopotas, Chora and the port – you never really have to plan your journey as there’s usually a bus waiting or one arriving within a few minutes.

Shower Time and More Amazing Food

The first thing I did on returning to my room was take a long, cool shower to wash off the salty sea water and sand from the beach. I then dressed for dinner and decided to head straight out as it was after 7 pm and I usually eat quite early by Greek standards.

For my evening meals, I’d been rotating between Mylopotas, Chora and the port area to get some variety. In theory, today should have been a return to Mylopotas, but having just used the bus I decided to stay local and eat near the port or Gialos Beach.

One thing I’m admittedly pretty bad at when I’m on holiday is trying new restaurants once I’ve found a few tavernas I really like. As a result, despite looking at several menus as I walked from the hotel towards Gialos Beach, I felt myself drawn back to Coralli Kitchen for more delicious arancini balls!! The only difference today was I went for pasta instead of pizza, ordering their ‘pasta alla vodka’. It was very tasty, though I prefer a white cream sauce with my pasta and this was more of a tomato base.

I also resisted ordering a 0.5-litre carafe of wine, as I felt quite tired from the sun exposure at the beach and knew the alcohol would make me very drowsy. I ordered a glass of wine and a can of Sprite instead – my idea of a compromise!

Feeling very full but grateful for an excellent day, I strolled back to the hotel and straight off to sleep.