Day trips from Ios: a caldera, and sand

We name the trips and say what each is. We print no ferry times, crossing durations or prices, because those change every season. Confirm the day’s sailings and check the last boat back before you commit to an afternoon anywhere.

Santorini, a short hop south

The obvious one. Santorini is a short crossing south and it is the reason many people are in this part of the Cyclades at all: the rim of a drowned volcano, with cliffs falling to the water and white villages strung along the top edge.

As a day trip it works, with one caveat: the port is a long way below the rim, so a chunk of your day goes on getting up and back down. Aim for the caldera villages and, if you can, the interior behind them, where the vineyards and the older villages are and where the island is much less crowded.

Skip the sunset crush at Oia unless you are staying the night. Santorini to Ios covers the crossing, and Santorini vs Ios works through the choice if you are still deciding where to base.

Naxos and Paros, north

North lie the two big all-round Cyclades islands, and they are the opposite of Ios in a useful way: long sandy beaches, green interiors, mountain villages and towns that are busy rather than loud.

Naxos is the bigger and the better day trip of the two, with the Portara on its islet a short walk from the port, a Venetian kastro above the town and a west-coast beach strip immediately south. You can do all of that on foot from where the boat lands, which is what makes it work in a day.

Paros is the ferry hub of the central Cyclades and its port town Parikia is right there when you land, with Naoussa the prettier village a bus ride north.

Sikinos, the quiet one next door

West lies Sikinos, which is tiny, quiet and almost visitor-free: a hilltop chora, one road, a handful of tavernas.

It is the antidote to an August week on Ios and it works as a half day if the sailings suit. There is very little to do, which is entirely the point. Check both directions carefully, because the connections are local and infrequent.

Folegandros beyond it is the better-known version of the same idea, with a Chora on the lip of a sea cliff, and it deserves a night rather than a day.

The far end of your own island

The best value day out, and the one most visitors never take. Ios is small enough to cross quickly, and the southern and eastern bays are a long way from the Chora by road and effectively empty.

Manganari in the south is a set of sandy bays reached by bus in season or by boat from the port, and Agia Theodoti in the east is quieter still. Half the day goes on getting there and that is the trade.

The order for the island itself is in the Ios itinerary.

Where this leaves you

From Ios: Santorini south for the caldera, allowing for the climb up from the port; Naxos north for the day trip that works entirely on foot from the quay; Sikinos next door if you want somewhere with nothing on it; and the far end of your own island for the emptiest beaches within reach. Being in the middle of the spine is the advantage, so use it.

Quick answers

Can you visit Santorini as a day trip from Ios?

Yes, the crossing is short and frequent in season. The one thing to plan for is that the port sits a long way below the caldera rim, so budget time for getting up and back. Aim for the rim villages and the interior rather than the Oia sunset.

What is the best day trip from Ios?

Naxos, if you want a day that works without transport: the Portara, the Venetian kastro and the start of the beach strip are all walkable from where the boat lands. Santorini if you want the view you came to the Cyclades for.

Is Sikinos worth visiting from Ios?

If you want somewhere very quiet, yes. It has a hilltop chora, one road and almost no visitors, and the appeal is that there is nothing to do. The connections are local and infrequent, so check both directions before planning.

Are there quiet beaches on Ios itself?

Yes, and they are the best-kept secret on the island. Manganari in the south and Agia Theodoti in the east are a long way from the Chora and stay empty even in August. Half a day goes on reaching them, which is exactly why they stay that way.