The short answer
Thirty-five to fifty minutes on a high-speed boat, and about an hour and twenty on a conventional ferry. Ios is the next island north of Santorini, and this is the shortest hop off the caldera.
It is also one of the sharpest changes of atmosphere in the Cyclades. Santorini is honeymoons, cliff-edge dinners and sunset crowds. Ios is a young island with a famous nightlife scene and one of the best beaches in the group. Forty minutes separates them.
Do it if you want both halves of the Cyclades in one week. Know what you are booking - these two islands attract very different people.
Santorini to Ios at a glance
Two islands, two crowds
| Crossing time | ~35-50 min high-speed, ~1h20 conventional |
|---|---|
| Full published spread | ~30 min to ~1h55 |
| Direction | Northbound, the next island up the chain |
| Carries a car | Conventional ferries |
| Arrives at | Ormos, the port. The town is up the hill |
Worth being plain about, because the crossing is so short that people bolt Ios onto a Santorini trip without checking what it is.
Ios in July and August is a young island. The Chora has a dense concentration of bars and the nightlife runs very late; Mylopotas is a long sand beach with a party end. If that is what you want, it is one of the best places in Greece for it, and this forty-minute hop is the easiest way in.
Ios outside high summer, and away from the Chora, is something else entirely - a steep whitewashed hill town that is genuinely beautiful, quiet beaches, and a walking island. Plenty of people who would not go near it in August love it in June or September.
Either way it is not a smaller Santorini, and the value of the crossing is precisely that it is not.
If you are choosing rather than combining, Ios vs Mykonos covers the party-island decision.
Fast boat or conventional
On a hop this short the difference is about forty minutes, so it comes down to price and what is sailing when you want to move.
High-speed is 35 to 50 minutes, enclosed, pricier, and the first service stood down when the meltemi blows in July and August - which is exactly when this route is busiest.
Conventional is around an hour and twenty, cheaper and steadier, with open decks, and it carries cars.
Whether you want a car on Ios: probably not. The island is small and the bus between Ormos, the Chora and Mylopotas is the spine of it. See which islands need a car.
The arrival, and the hill
Ferries dock at Ormos, the port. The Chora - the town you have seen photographs of - is up the hill above it, and Mylopotas beach is over the other side.
So unlike Paros or Naxos, arriving does not put you where you are staying. Buses meet the boats and run the triangle between the three, and it is a short hop, but know which of the three your accommodation is in before you land.
On the Santorini side you sail from Athinios, below the caldera towns up a steep switchback road. Arrange the transfer down in advance.
Where it fits
Ios sits between Santorini and Naxos on the main chain, which makes it a natural stepping stone rather than a detour. Working north: Santorini, Ios, Naxos or Paros, then Athens - or the reverse, finishing on Santorini and flying home.
The sequencing method is in the island hopping guide.
Diagram by Greece Trips. Free to reuse with credit - CC BY 4.0.
Frequently asked questions
How long is the ferry from Santorini to Ios?
About 35 to 50 minutes on a high-speed boat and roughly an hour and twenty on a conventional ferry, with the full published spread running from about 30 minutes to 1h55.
Is Ios worth visiting from Santorini?
If you want a change of pace, yes - and the crossing is short enough that it costs you almost nothing in travel time. Just know that in high summer Ios is a young, late-night island, which is a very different holiday from Santorini.
Where does the ferry arrive on Ios?
At Ormos, the port. The Chora is up the hill and Mylopotas beach is beyond it, with buses running between the three. Check which one your accommodation is in.
Do I need a car on Ios?
Usually not. The island is small and the bus covers the port, the town and the main beach.
Is Ios only for young people?
In the Chora in July and August, largely. Outside peak season, and away from the town at night, it is a quiet, steep, very pretty island with good beaches and walking.
Next
Read the Ios guide and the Santorini travel guide, or carry on north with Naxos to Santorini and the island hopping guide.