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From YIALOS quayside, buses turn around just to the left, while Yialos beach - surprisingly peaceful and uncrowded - is another five-minutes' walk in the same direction. You might be tempted to grab a room in Yialos as you arrive: owners meet the ferries, hustling the town's accommodation , and there are also a couple of kiosks by the jetty that will book rooms for you. In shoulder season you can bargain for prices considerably lower than those listed below, but the town won't be in full swing. Hotel Mare Monte (tel 02860/91 585; 43-58), about halfway down the beach, has clean modern rooms and a small pool; Galini Rooms (tel 02860/91 115; 43-58), down a lane behind the beach, is a good quiet choice, if a little out of the way. One of the best choices is the quiet family-owned Golden Sun (tel 02860/91 110; 43-58), about 300m up the road to Hora, which has a large pool. There are more rooms on the stepped path from Yialos to Hora although they can be noisy at night: the Hotel-Bar Helios (tel 02860/91 500; 43-58) has a few simple, older rooms, and smarter options nearby include Armadoras (tel 02860/91 201; 43-58), with a pleasant pool and bar, and Hotel Poseidon (tel 02860/91 091; 43-58). Ios Camping (tel 02860/91 329) is friendly and clean and has a rather luxurious swimming pool and cafe area. Yialos has other essentials, including a reasonable supermarket and a few tavernas . The Octopus Tree , a small kafenio by the fishing boats, serves cheap fresh seafood caught by the owner, while on the front heading towards the beach the Waves Restaurant does good Indian food. A twenty-minute stroll over the headland at KOUMBARA , there's a smaller and less-crowded beach, with a rocky islet to explore, and the Polydoros taverna, one of the better places to eat on Ios - well worth the walk or bus ride. HORA (aka Ios Town), a twenty-minute walk up behind the port, is one of the most picturesque towns in the Cyclades, filled with meandering arcaded lanes and whitewashed chapels, though it's overwhelmed by crowds of young revellers in the high season. It divides naturally into two parts: the old town climbing the hillside to the left as you arrive, and the newer development to the right. There are plenty of basic rooms in the old part, although the bars can make sleep difficult. Your best strategy for a modicum of quiet is to wend your way up to the left where you find several establishments, including Francesco's (tel 02860/91 223; 34-42). Lower down there's the Hotel Filippou (tel 02860/91 290; 34-42), above the National Bank and next to the cathedral, and Yannis Stratis (tel 02860/91 494; 24-33) has a few very simple rooms next door. Your best chances for affordable rest will be found in the newer quarter: Markos Pension (tel 02860/91 059; 43-58; ask for the ten percent discount for Rough Guide readers), with a poolside bar; Lofos (The Hill) Pension (tel 02860/91 481: 43-58), to the right up from the Rollan supermarket; Katerina Rooms (tel 02860/91 997; 43-58), just out of town down a path past the Ios Club ; the new Village Twins (tel 02860/92 211; 43-58), up to the left before the Scorpion Club ; and the friendly Four Seasons Pension (tel 02860/91 308 or winter tel 02860/92 081; 43-58), up from Vangelis Bike Rental. Every evening in summer Hora is the centre of the island's nightlife , its streets throbbing with music from ranks of competing discos and clubs - mostly free, or with a nominal entrance charge, though drinks tend to be expensive. Most of the smaller bars and pubs are tucked into the thronging narrow streets of the old village on the hill, offering something for everyone - unless you just want a quiet drink - and you'll have no trouble finding them. A welcome exception to the techno-pop dancing fodder can be found at the Ios Club , perched right up on the hill, which plays quieter music, has reasonable food and is a good place to watch the sunset. The larger dancing clubs , include the Mojo , which plays techno and trance music, Scorpion and Cavos , on the main road to Mylopotamos. Eating is a secondary consideration but there are plenty of cheap and cheerful psistaries and takeaway joints: sound choices include the Italian restaurant Pinocchio , and the Lord Byron mezedhopolion in an alley up to the left in the old quarter - it's open year round and tries hard to re-create a traditional atmosphere, with old rembetika music and some good, unusual Greek food. Culturally things are improving with the recent opening of the Archeological Museum of Ios (Tues-Sun 8am-2pm; 1.50), on the second floor of the yellow town hall, which hopes to attract a more diverse range of visitors to the island. The outdoor theatre of Odysseus Elytis, behind the windmills, provides a beautiful setting in which to enjoy concerts and plays, details of which can be found at the travel agent/information booth next to the archeological museum.
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