Deep Blue

Deep Blue is a small guest house sitting directly above Mylopotas Beach on the island of Ios, one of the Cyclades' most visited shores. With 15 rooms split between doubles and triples, it operates at a scale where service stays personal and the sea view from most balconies is genuinely the first thing you see in the morning.

The property earns a 4.7-star rating across 110 Google reviews — a consistent score for a place this size, which suggests the basics are reliably delivered: clean rooms, working air-conditioning, and a position that puts you steps from the sand. The beach strip at Mylopotas runs directly below, lined with restaurants, cafes, mini-markets, and water sports stations, so you don't need a car to eat well or stay occupied.

For visitors who want the energy of Ios Town's nightlife without staying inside it, Deep Blue offers a practical middle ground. The main village is a five-minute bus ride away, and the road between the two runs frequently during summer. You sleep within the sound of the sea rather than the bars.

What to Expect

Deep Blue has 15 rooms in total: 10 doubles (several configured with double beds for couples) and 5 triples. Every room comes with a private bathroom, fridge, balcony, air-conditioning, flat-screen TV, and free Wi-Fi. A number of rooms also include a kitchenette — useful for longer stays or if you want to skip paying for every breakfast out. Select rooms look directly over Mylopotas Beach and out to the Aegean, and those views are the property's strongest selling point.

The renovation of all rooms means the interiors are clean and functional rather than dated. Don't expect a resort lobby or a pool — this is a guest house, and it presents itself honestly as one. The value is in the location, the room quality relative to the price point, and the straightforward hospitality that typically accompanies family-run properties on the Cyclades.

Reception hours run daily from 8:00 AM to 11:00 PM, so late-arriving ferries from Piraeus or Santorini may require advance coordination if you're checking in after 11:00 PM.

Facilities and Location

The address places Deep Blue directly at Mylopotas, the long sandy bay on the southern side of Ios roughly 3 km from Ios Town (also called Chora). Mylopotas is the island's main beach and one of the busiest in the southern Cyclades during July and August, drawing a young crowd largely because of Ios's reputation for summer nightlife.

The beach strip immediately in front of the property includes a full range of day-to-day facilities: tavernas, beach bars, cafes, a mini-market, and water sports hire. Jet skiing, pedal boats, and windsurfing equipment are available along the same stretch. You have essentially everything you need for a beach-focused holiday within easy walking distance of the front door.

For anything beyond the beach — the Cycladic streets of Chora, the hilltop windmills, the archaeological museum — the local bus connects Mylopotas with the main village throughout the day and into the evening.

How to Get There

Ios is reached by ferry from Piraeus (roughly 7–8 hours on slow ferries, 4–5 hours on high-speed catamarans), or by shorter crossings from Santorini (about 45 minutes by fast boat), Naxos, or Paros. The island's main port is at Gialos, the harbour at the base of the hill.

From Gialos port, a local bus runs up to Chora and on to Mylopotas Beach throughout the day in summer, and the journey to Mylopotas takes around 10–15 minutes. Taxis are available at the port. If you're driving, follow the main road south from Chora toward Mylopotas; parking is available near the beach, though it fills quickly in peak season.

The coordinates for Deep Blue (36.7150624, 25.2951255) place it at the eastern end of the Mylopotas bay. There is no ferry or boat access directly to Mylopotas; all arrivals use the port at Gialos.

Best Time to Visit

Ios's high season runs from late June through late August. During this window, Mylopotas Beach is busy from mid-morning onward, and the bus between Chora and the beach runs frequently. Rooms at Deep Blue should be booked well in advance for July and August, particularly the sea-view doubles.

Shoulder season — late May through mid-June and September — offers calmer conditions: the beach is less crowded, the Aegean is still warm enough for swimming, and rates at small guest houses typically drop. The island's famous nightlife winds down considerably after mid-September, which makes the tail end of the season better suited to travelers who prefer the beach without the party crowd.

Ios faces the prevailing Meltemi winds that sweep the Cyclades in July and August. At Mylopotas, the bay's orientation provides some protection, but afternoons can still be breezy, and the sea picks up chop. Morning hours are typically calmer for swimming.

Tips for Visiting

• Book the sea-view rooms early. Not all 15 rooms face the beach. If the Aegean view matters to you, confirm the specific room type when you book and ask about balcony orientation.
• Coordinate late arrivals in advance. Reception closes at 11:00 PM. If your ferry docks after that, call or email ahead (+30 2286 091742 / [email protected]) to arrange key handover.
• The kitchenette rooms are worth requesting for longer stays. Having a fridge and basic cooking facilities reduces dependence on the beach restaurants for every meal.
• The bus to Chora is reliable and cheap. There is no need to rent a car solely to reach the village; the bus runs frequently and the journey is short. A scooter or quad is useful if you want to explore the rest of the island.
• Water sports are walkable. The hire stations along Mylopotas are a short walk from the property, so you can book a session spontaneously rather than planning ahead.
• Pack earplugs if you're a light sleeper in peak season. Mylopotas is lively at night in July and August; while the property is quieter than Chora itself, the beach strip does not go entirely silent.
• The beach becomes very crowded by 11:00 AM in high summer. Getting down to the sand before 9:30 AM means better positioning and fewer people.
• Verify check-in and checkout times directly. The website is the best source of current policy; contact details are listed above.