Let's Go Europe 2011: The Student Travel Guide
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FRANCESCO’S
In town
HOTEL
228 60 91 223 www.francescos.net
This complex of buildings, a pool, cafe, and bar is a student traveler’s ultimate destination. The complex forms a social world unto itself in the sparkling white buildings, and at night the crew rallies together when they hit Blue Note. The rooms are quite clean, though sparsely decorated. Breakfast is served for the extended morning of 8am-2:30pm on a patio that overlooks the ocean, and the fully-stocked bar opens at 6pm for those who need only a few hours awake before beginning the party circuit again.
In the village. With your back to the bank in the main plateia, take the steps up from the left corner of the platei, then take the 1st left. Safety deposit boxes and luggage storage. Free pick-up at port. Free Wi-Fi. Computers €1 per 15min. Singles €28-55; doubles €33-70; triples €48-75; quads €60-80. Reception open 9am-2pm and 6-10pm.
FAR OUT BEACH CLUB
End of Mylopotas Beach
CAMPGROUND
228 60 91 468 www.faroutclub.com
Far Out is the epicenter of Ios’ daytime revelry. If you want to wake up in the early afternoon and head to the beach to be hit on by foreigners already on their third piña colada, this is the place to stay. Accommodations range from the bring-your-own-tent area to the “bed tent” (which looks like a giant dog house and holds two small, sheetless cots) to the bungalow (which comes with electricity, beds with sheets, and a fan). All the sleeping quarters are set up along a very steep hill, so be prepared to lug your backpack up. Bathrooms dot the ascent and are clean, though it’s best to check for toilet paper in the stall before sitting down.
At the end of Mylopotas beach. Take the public bus to Mylopotas beach. Laundry service available. Movies nightly 9pm. Computer station with internet €1 per 15min. Self-serve restaurant. Mini-mart. Connected to the Far Out Village, which has rooms from €12-55 per person. €5-11. Tents €6-15 per person. Bungalows €8-22 per person. Reception 24hr. Mini-mart open daily 8am-11pm. Restaurant open daily 8am-10pm. Pool open daily 11am-8pm.
SIGHTS
HOMER’S TOMB
Plakatos
TOMB
For those who like mountains or heroes or honor or beauty or harrowing death, those forced to read The Odyssey in high school and secretly loved it, or those just amazed by the idea that a blind man 2000 years ago was able to dictate two epic tales that are still around today, this grave will feel like holy ground. At the end of a dirt path, the tomb is a stone platform with a stunning view that looks down on a tiny island that is reminiscent of the Sirens’ island.
On the northern tip of the island. Wear comfortable shoes. Free.
SKARKOS
Main Road
RUIN
A ruin from the Early Bronze Age, the middle of Ios’ height as a Cycladic civilization, the site was first excavated in 1986 and is where most of the contents of the Ios Archeology Museum were found.
About 5min. outside town toward’s Homer’s Tomb. Free. Open Tu-Su 8:30am-3pm.
BEACHES
Ios is a beach and party island (if you didn’t already get the gist); there’s little to do here but eat, sleep, sunbathe, and copulate. Appropriately, there’s no shortage of sand. Mylopotas Beach is a 25min. walk from town and can also be reached by public bus, which leaves from the town center every 20min. Here, the music’s as loud as it can be and the bikinis are as small as they come. Saint Theodotis Beach, on the northeast side of the island, is the quietest of the beaches and remains impeccably clean. Lounge by the pool at the debaucherous Far Out Beach Club at the end of the stretch of sand to start your daydrinking early. This is the place to go if seeking scantily clad, young Aussies. Koumbara, just under 2km down the road that follows Gialos beach, draws a much smaller crowd to its large cove, which is a popular place for windsurfing. For those who want quiet and natural beauty, check out Manganari, accessible by bus. Locals head to Kolitsani, a crystal pool of water at the little bay. Those who want to forgo all pretense of bathing suits should head to Psathi, the nude beach on the eastern coast. The port beach Gialos, Mylopotas, and Manganari all offer watersports ranging from paddleboats to windsurfing and tubing.
FOOD
POMODORO
South of the main plateia
RESTAURANT
228 609 1387
Walk up the marble stairs into Pomodoro—which means pomegranate in Greek—and you’re face-to-face with the restaurant’s Italian pizza chef. The food is out-of-this-world delicious, made with fresh ingredients and cooked by a diligent and smiling staff. The Halloumi salad (appetizer €5; entree €9) is made with a cheese from Crete that has been grilled, placed on a bed of lettuce, oranges, and hazelnuts, and topped with a honey-based dressing. Once you eat it, there’s no way you will be able to resist coming back the next night for another. The decor is equally irresistible, a classy concoction of stone archways, sparkling glasses, and a scenic rooftop garden.
From the main plateia, when facing the bank, walk down the street to the right and look for the Pomodoro sign above a side street. The entrance is about 20m up on the left side. Head upstairs to enjoy views of Ios’s town from the rooftop garden. Salads €5-9. Pizzas €12. Gnocchi €12. Brownies €7. Open May-Oct daily 6pm-1am.
ALI BABA’S
On the north side of town
ASIAN FOOD, COMFORT FOOD
228 60 91 558
Want to get 12L of cocktails served in two goldfish bowls with neon-colored straws for €35? Really craving that pad thai even though you’re in Greece? If so, Ali Baba’s is the place for you. The owner takes meticulous care of his restaurant, which started as an Asian food place but has recently expanded to include basic comfort food like meat and potato pie. Despite its location, make sure to try the Thai fare prepared by the chef straight from Thailand. And a brief warning: don’t do anything particularly embarrassing while you eat. When it gets late and the restaurant fills up, the waitstaff takes covert pictures and then flashes them up on the restaurant’s big screen.
From the bus stop, walk alongside the church into the archway by the Ios Gym. Take a right, and Ali Baba’s will be 2 blocks up on your left. From other parts of town, look at the maps posted around; Ali Baba’s has a star on the map. Most entrees from €9.50. Open daily May-Oct 6pm-2am.
NIGHTLIFE
At night, Ios Town erupts into a giant, cacophonous party. Any street is likely to have at least two full bars by 1am. Because everything is so close, there’s bound to be a bar just for you nearby.
BLUE NOTE
Off the main plateia
CLUB
228 60 92 271
Because Francesco, of Francesco’s, owns this club, it fills up every night with people from his hotel at around midnight. Dark with unexciting decor, this bar collects the liveliest group of partiers around. The doormen are chatty and announce entrances with seemingly genuine excitement. Smoke hangs in the air above the crowd, punctured only by fist-pumping dance moves.
Past the main plateia walking away from Disco 69, past the fast food joints. Scandinavian music after 2am. Shots €3. Cocktails €5. Long Island Iced Tea special 2 for €5. Open daily 11pm-3am.
JÄGER BAR
Off the main plateia
BAR
693 77 94 324
Jägerbombs—Jäger Bar—Jäger Bar. Hop on the Blue Note bandwagon when that bar’s early night crew swings around to Jäger Bar at around 1am. When they come the disco ball spins, the pine wood decor reflects light, and bodies pack in so tightly that you can’t help but find your arms wrapped around that beautiful girl or guy to your right. It’s not the best place to get your most elaborate dance moves on, but the bar is exciting and perfect for some sweaty dancing.
Walk through the main plateia away from Disco 69 and continue down the street to the right past Rock Bar; it’ll be on the left. Busiest from 1-3am. Jägerbombs €5, 4 for €10. Cocktails 2 for €5. Open daily 11pm-4:30am.
DISCO 69
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Main plateia
CLUB
228 60 91 064 www.disco69club.com
With the ever-subtle name of Disco 69, this place draws hordes of girls to its bartop and dance floor. While girls get in free all night long, guys need to pay a €6 cover charge, the result being that until late the girl-to-guy ratio is very favorable for the heterosexual males willing to pay the entrance price. The bartenders promote their “sex on the beach” cocktails with a two for €5 special during the extended happy hour.
In the main plateia. Cover €6 for men; includes 2 shots and 2 drinks. Shots €3. Cocktails €5. Open daily 11pm-6am. Happy hour 11pm-2am.
ARTS AND CULTURE
OPEN THEATER FESTIVAL PROGRAM
Theater of Odysseus Elytis
CULTURAL EVENTS
Every summer, a series of events take place at the Theater of Odysseus Elytis, a modern venue designed to look like an ancient theater. Events range from concerts to plays, and informational pamphlets with the schedule are available at the Ios Archeological Museum and tourism offices.
By Scorpios Bar on the right on the way to Mylopotas. Some events free. Price varies.
ESSENTIALS
Practicalities
• BUDGET TRAVEL OFFICE: Acteon Travel provides ferry and flight booking. (228 60 91 343 by the port; 228 60 91 004 in town; 228 60 91 005 by the supermarket. www.acteon.gr Also has a branch by the port and across the street from the bus stop. Main port office open daily 8am-11pm. Town office open daily 9am-11:30pm. Supermarket office open daily 9:30am-10pm.)
• CURRENCY EXCHANGE AND ATM: National Bank provides currency exchange and a 24hr. ATM in the main plateia. (228 60 91 565 Bring a passport for currency exchange. Open M-Th 8am-2:30pm, F 8am-2pm.)
• LAUNDROMAT: Sweet Irish Dream Laundry provides wash and dry by the club with the same name on the main road from the port. (228 60 91 584 Cash only. Open daily 10am-9pm.)
• INTERNET: Acteon Travel, Francesco’s, and Far Out Beach Club provide Wi-Fi and computers with internet access in the port, at the end of Mylopotas, and in the town, respectively. (228 60 91 343 in the port; 228 60 91 468 at the end of Mylopotas; 228 60 91 223 in the town. All charge €1 per 15min. of computer use. Cash only.)
• POST OFFICE: Post Office provides mail service and stamps on the main road coming from the port. (228 91 235 Open M-F 7:30am-2pm.)
• POSTAL CODE: 84001.
Emergency!
• POLICE: The police station is on the road to Kolitsani beach. (228 60 91 222 Open 24hr.)
• HOSPITAL/MEDICAL SERVICES: The Medical Center provides routine health care and emergency services, located about 200m from the dock. (228 60 28 611 Specializes in drunken mishaps. Open M-F 8:30am-2:30pm and 6-8pm for emergencies only.) The local doctor provides emergency and routine medical help on the main road next to Fun Pub opposite the bus stop. (228 60 91 137; 693 24 20 200 If the door is closed, bang loudly in an emergency; Yiannis sleeps inside. Open 24hr.)
Getting There
By Ferry
Ios is accessible by ferry. The price and time ranges vary according to ferry line and type of boat. Inquire at travel agencies throughout the port and town for specific timetables and prices. To: Mykonos ( €35. 2hr., 1 per day.); Naxos ( €12-22. 1-1½hr., 1-4 per day.); and Santorini ( €7-16. 1½hr., 2-4 per day.)
Getting Around
While in Ios Town, the best and only way to navigate the twisty streets, often narrow and fraught with steps, is by foot. To get from Mylopotas beach to the town, or to reach some of the more distant beaches, board the bus at Mylopotas beach, the port, or the parking lot in town. Tickets are purchased once on board. To get to Homer’s tomb and a few of the farther beaches, rent a car or four-wheeler, or shell out the cash for a cab. To get back to Far Out Camping late at night, wait opposite the bus stop in town by the 24hr. food shops and hail a cab.
By Bus
Frequent buses shuttle between port, village, and beach. ( Every 10-20 min. 8am-midnight €1.40.) There are clearly marked stops in all three locations: near the square of the port, along the main road in town, and all along the beach road in Mylopotas. Bus schedules are posted outside the bus stand in town along the main road in front of the church.
By Taxi
Taxis can take you where you need to go at any time during your stay on Ios. (697 87 34 491; 697 70 31 708; or 697 77 60 570 Cash only.)
santorini
22860
Santorini has had its share of catastrophes—it acquired its present shape in one of the biggest volcanic eruptions in recorded history, and an earthquake in 1956 razed many of the island’s buildings. Since then, tourism has allowed for Santorini to rebuild itself; in fact, most of the island’s annual income is still earned during its high season. Many establishments close for the winter, and people have to live off money earned in August—partially explaining why Santorini is one of the most expensive islands in Greece.
Today, Santorini is close on the heels of Mykonos and Ios in its popularity with partiers, who come to revel nights away on the steep cliffs of the caldera in Fira. The island is also popular with honeymooners who come to gaze at sunsets in Oia and window-shop in the town’s jewelry stores and art galleries. The island’s black sand beaches are perfect places to tan the day away, while hiking trails up to the ruins of Ancient Thira and boat tours to active volcanoes elevate any adventure seeker’s heart rate. Due to this versatility, armies of tourists pour into Santorini from across the world. Because of the popularity and cost of importing its water and produce from the mainland, however, the prices of the island are about as steep as the cliffs of the caldera.
ORIENTATION
Fira is Santorini’s principal town, set against a steep caldera, or volcanic cliff. Its center is Plateia Theotokopoulou, a small square with plenty of travel agencies, banks, and cafes. To get here from the bus station, walk uphill through the taxi park and then turn right. 25 Martiou is the main road, running through the plateia and toward the town of Oia. Above the plateia is a web of small streets that connect to the Golden Street, which is parallel to the cliff and is home to many pay-us-for-the-magnificent-view restaurants and hotels. Ethnikis Stavrou (or simply the “bar street”) can be found above the plateia and is home to some of Fira’s liveliest restaurants and bars. A cable car further up the caldera connects the town with its port.
Oia is a town in the very north of the island. The central plateia is just above the town’s beautiful main church. To get here from the bus station, turn away from the sea and zigzag your way uphill to the right. The main street runs both ways from the plateia along the cliffs—westward toward the Ammoudi Beach and eastward toward the small village of Finikia.
ACCOMMODATIONS
LETA HOTEL
Fira
PENSION
228 602 2540 www.leta-santorini.gr
An alluring swimming pool is in the center of this colorful pension. The rooms are big and clean, and while they may get rather pricey during the high season, they are a safe bet for a comfortable stay. Enjoy the view of the Aegean from some of the balconies, or head down to the plateia to join the crowds.
To get here from the plateia, walk along the main road in the direction of Oia, past Pelican Tours and the food court; the pension will be to your right. Breakfast included. Swimming pool. Shuttle service to and from the port and airport. High-season doubles €70. Low-season singles €35-45. Reception 24hr.
PENSION PETROS
Fira
PENSION
228 602 2573 www.villapetros-santorini.gr
With its convenient location and glittery-clean interiors, Pension Petros is one of the best accommodation options in Fira. Try to stay here outside of the month-long high season, when the price doubles. The pension’s small swimming pool isn’t the liveliest spot on the island, but you probably didn’t come all the way to Greece to spend time in a pension’s pool.
From Pelican Tours in the plateia head downhill. When you reach the end, make a
left and then an immediate right; Petros is further down the hill on the left. Breakfast included. Swimming pool. Shuttle service to and from the port. High-season doubles €60; low-season €30-45. Reception 24hr.
SANTORINI CAMPING
Fira
CAMPING, HOSTEL
228 602 2944 www.santorinicamping.gr
One of the most affordable accommodations in Fira is the no-frills Santorini Camping. It’s a bit of a walk away from the center, but its popular pool and loud party music make it pretty lively. You can find better private rooms elsewhere, so come here if you want to camp, stay in a dorm, or stay in one of their tents equipped with a bed. The most hardcore of budget travelers can simply bring a sleeping bag and crash on their campgrounds (€6-10).
The camping is about 400m from the plateia. From Pelican Tours, walk downhill until the end of the road, turn left, and then take the 1st right; continue down the hill until you reach the camping. Swimming pool. Free shuttles to and from the port. Locks €2. Internet €3 per hr. Double rooms have free A/C, Wi-Fi. Bed tents €8-20; dorms €10-20. Doubles with bath €30-70. Reception 24hr.