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The most popular stop on the island's bus routes is MYLOPOTAMOS (universally abbreviated to Mylopotas), the site of a magnificent beach and a mini-resort. Due to the large number of young travellers in Ios, camping is a popular option. Far Out (tel 02860/91 468), the better of the campsites also has bungalows (up to ?24); it has an attractive setting and excellent facilities, including an air-conditioned cafeteria, but it's very popular and can get noisy and crowded. The Purple Pig (tel 02860/91 302, purplpig@otenet.gr ), a friendly Australian-run backpackers' complex, by the road up to Hora, has clean bungalows up to ?24-33, good camping facilities and plenty of other pleasurable distractions, including its own club and a poolside bar. Up the road at the far end of the beach, Gorgona (tel 02860/91 307; ?43-58) and Dracos (tel 02860/91 281 or 91 010; ?43-58) have reasonable rooms, and Dracos also has a good taverna on its own little quay, serving freshly caught fish. The Far Out Hotel (tel 02860/91 446 or 91 702; ?43-58), on the road down from Hora, and the luxurious Ios Palace Hotel (tel 02860/91 269; ?59-72), above the near end of the beach, are the most upmarket choices. On the rocks, beyond the Ios Palace , the Harmony Restaurant is one of the better places to eat, serving pizzas and Mexican food. The restaurants and self-service cafes behind the beach are uninspiring, and only the Faros Cafe rates a mention for staying open through the night to cater for the crowds returning from Hora in the early hours. Mylopotamos itself has surprisingly little in the way of nightlife. From Yialos, daily boats depart at around 10am (returning in the late afternoon) to Manganari on the south coast, where there's a beach and a swanky hotel; you can also get there by scooter. There's an expensive speedboat (?12) from Yialos to Manganari, but most people go by private buses run by travel agencies (?5 return), which leave Yialos about 11am, calling at Hora and Mylopotamos and return later in the afternoon. Predominantly nudist, Manganari is the beach to come to for serious tans, although there's more to see, and a better atmosphere at Ayia Theodhoti up on the east coast. There's a paved road across the island to Ayia Theodhoti - the daily excursion bus costs ?3 return. A couple of kilometres south of Ayia Theodhoti is a ruined Venetian castle which encompasses the ruins of a marble-finished town and a Byzantine church. In the unlikely event that the beach - a good one and mainly nudist - is too crowded, try the one at Psathi , 14km to the southeast. Frequented by wealthy Athenians, this small resort has a couple of pricey tavernas, making it better for a day-trip than an extended stay. The road is very poor and not really safe for scooters, although there are plans to improve it. Another island beach is at Kalamos : get off the Manganari bus at the turning for Kalamos, which leaves you with a four-kilometre walk. "Homer's" tomb can be reached by motorbike along a safe unpaved road (turning left from the paved road to Ayia Theodhoti 4.5km from Hora). The town itself has long since slipped down the side of the cliff, but the rocky ruins of the entrance to a tomb remain, as well as some graves - one of which is claimed to be Homer's, but which in reality probably dates only to the Byzantine era.
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