Íos

Beginning in the late 1960s, Íos was a magnet for throngs of young people who spend their days lounging on one of the best beaches in the Cyclades and their evenings staggering from one watering hole to another. The seasonal Irish invasion was so great that the island’s name has been re-interpreted as the acronym for ‘Ireland Over Seas’.

Íos has become quite smart of late, with a vibrant art scene, galleries very upmarket resorts and gourmet restaurants. But there are still the campsites of the old hippie days, including the legendary Far Out club, which is still going strong... but now offers luxury suites with private pools!

In early spring, however, when the locals reclaim it, you might find Íos as Lawrence Durrell did, full of ‘silences, fractured only by some distant church bell or the braying of a mule’. Although if you hire a car, you can find another world altogether.

History