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No other island is quite like Ios , nor attracts the same vast crowds of young people, although attempts are being made to move the island's tourism upmarket. Buildings are now painted white with blue trim, instead of garish psychedelic hues; camping rough is discouraged; and Greece's early closing laws (3am except Fri & Sat) are enforced, and bars no longer stay open all night. (There is still, however, a lingering problem with bomba , a cheap local drink that gets you drunk fast and then makes you sick. It might be worth resisting drinks that are suspiciously cheap.) The only real villages - Yialos, Hora and Mylopotamos - are in one small corner of the island, and until recently development elsewhere was restricted by poor roads. As a result there are still some very quiet beaches with just a few rooms to rent. Yialos has one of the best and safest natural harbours in the Cyclades, with a newly paved esplanade, and there is talk of building a new yacht marina. Most visitors stay along the arc delineated by the port - at Yialos, where you'll arrive (there's no airport), in Hora above it or at the beach at Mylopotamos; it's a small area, and you soon get to know your way around. Buses constantly shuttle between Koumbara, Yialos, Hora and Mylopotamos, with a daily service running roughly from 8am to midnight; you should never have to wait more than fifteen minutes during high season, but at least once try the short walk up (or down) the stepped path between Yialos and Hora. Various travel offices run their own buses to the beaches at Manganari and Ayia Theodhoti; they sell return tickets only and are a bit expensive. To rent your own transport, try Jacob's Car and Bike Rental (tel 02860/91 047) in Yialos or Vangelis Bike Rental (tel 02860/91 919) in Hora; unlike most of the other islands, here you'll need a valid motorcycle license. Despite its past popularity, sleeping on the beach on Ios is discouraged these days. Crime and police raids are becoming more frequent as the island strains under the sheer impact of increasing youth tourism, and the police have been known to turn nasty. They prefer you to sleep in the official campsites and, given the problem of theft, you should probably take their advice.
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