Greece: Milopotas (Ios)

Santorini, Greece: best taxi driver on santorini
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Ios, Ios, Ios.

First, we almost didn't even make it to the hedonist den.  Since there are only about 20-30 taxis on the entire island of Santorini, we had a difficult time procuring one for the ride down to the port.  And the public bus wasn't going to happen.

Party Capital of the World

We stood around the taxi stand for at least 40 minutes until we finally got picked up, thankfully, by the best taxi driver on the island.  The gentle old man was friendly and not a con artist.  He even whacked Phil when he saw him sleeping in the front seat.

Ios, Greece: phil on milopotas
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The guys got a quick pic with the driver and we had a few minutes to spare before our ferry to the neighboring island of Ios, a short 45 minute trip.  As soon as we got settled in on the HighSpeed ferry, we had arrived in my heaven for a week (!) of debauchery.

This being my third visit to the island of Ios and my first since my near-death accident the previous summer (which I will not go into detail about), I knew what was in store for us.  The other guys did not.

Ios is one big nonstop party.  Bars and clubs open until 7 a.m. during the week, and later on the weekends.  A beautiful Cycladic village, often overlooked by the drunken throngs.  One of the best beaches in all of Greece, protected by Milopotas Bay and lined with the Far Out branded campground and village, a legendary backpacker party spot.

Ios, Greece: hora
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There is not much to offer the elderly tourist on Ios, save for the supposed tomb of legendary author Homer (although no one knows for sure if he even existed).  The charming Hora would be wonderful for the average tourist until dusk settled and the inebriated masses took over.

We checked into the Far Out Campground, where we would be sharing two large bungalows near the beach.  Perfect accommodation for me since I'm not picky, but not ideal for my friends, who weren't quite used to the campground "facilities."

Ios, Greece: quiet alley
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I gave the guys a tour through the town, and, after Mark and Phil returned down the hill to the beach, Mike and I climbed to the top of the village.  At the windy, rocky summit stands three petite churches, each commanding stunning views over the port and the surrounding islands.

I honestly believe, having visited numerous Greek island villages, that Hora is one of the finest, most beautiful towns in all of Greece.  After our slow jaunt through town, we returned to the beach and met up with the guys.

Ios, Greece: scary kitty
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Once the sun sets, the Far Out campground turns into a pool side party.  It gets loud and rowdy, especially when the massive group of Italians put back their cheap beer.  This week was no exception.  The Italians were in full force, singing their obnoxious World Cup anthem to the tune of that White Stripes song.

We hung out by the pool, took in the scene, returned to our bungalows and got ready for our first night on the town.  Every night would follow the same routine - begin at Red Bull Bar, my favorite haunt from my previous visits, consume numerous Red Bull and Vodka drinks (2 for 5 Euro!), hop around to a number of different bars and clubs, and return home at sunrise.

Ios, Greece: that door has character
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For an island with a permanent population of about 1800, it is amazing to think how many bars and clubs there are, at least 50, if not more.  The whole town turns into an open-air pub crawl every single night, doesn't matter if it's Monday or Saturday.

Some of the clubs open late - one of our favorite signs was, "Free Entry before 3 a.m."  Um, in Boston, we would have been asleep for an hour before normal entry fees even began.

There's really not much to say, except we had a good time and got back to the Far Out around 6 a.m., thus continuing the string of consecutive sunrises.  And it wasn't going to end soon.