Ios Plage

If your ideal island base is a small hotel by the beach rather than a large resort with a timetable for everything, Ios Plage keeps things straightforward. You have a bar on site, a sun terrace, a garden and direct access to Mylopotas Beach, with the practical comforts that matter when your day has involved salt, sun and a fair amount of kit to carry around.

The setting suits couples particularly well, while the Triple Room with Sea View gives families or friends a little more room to organise the night. Free WiFi covers the hotel, daily housekeeping keeps the routine simple, and room service means you can take a quieter evening when the legs have had enough of island life.

You are in Mylopotas, on the island of Ios, with the hotel directly on the seafront and Mylopotas Beach immediately beside it. The beach is golden sand, with sun loungers and parasols available, so the sea is not something you need to schedule into the day. It is simply there.

Ios Town and the port are about 3.1 miles away. Far Out Village is close by for a meal, while the centre of the island gives you more places to eat and drink: Hermes Hotel is about 0.9 miles away on foot, and the bars Steps and Lost Boys are around 1.4 miles away. For a change of scenery, Katsiveli Beach is about 1.1 miles away on foot, and Kolitsani Beach about 1.8 miles.

The location also gives you access to a few cultural detours when you are ready to leave the beach. Skarkos archaeological site is about 2.1 miles away on foot, while Homer's Tomb is roughly 7 miles away by road.

The choice is usefully uncomplicated. Couples can look towards the Double Room with Sea View, where the balcony and the view give the room a proper island connection rather than leaving the sea as something you visit only at breakfast. Friends or a small family can choose the Triple Room with Sea View, with one double bed and one single bed rather than a sofa pressed into service.

Both room categories come with a private bathroom, shower, towels, linen and a wardrobe or closet. The beds are extra long, which is a modest but welcome detail when you have spent the day finning, climbing ladders or negotiating a boat deck. A fan helps keep the air moving, while the refrigerator is useful for keeping water cold for the return to your room.

Balconies, private entrances and views of the sea, garden or mountains give the accommodation a little variation. You also have free WiFi, a clothes rack and daily housekeeping. Non-smoking rooms are available, and room service gives you an alternative to heading straight back out when you would rather shower, stretch and let the evening arrive at its own pace.

Breakfast is served as a buffet, which is the sensible format for a diving day: you can build a proper plate before leaving, or keep it lighter if an early boat is on the agenda.

There is one bar on site. That matters in the practical way: you can sit down for a drink without walking into town, and the beach is still close enough for the sand to remain part of the evening. Room service is also available when you want food or drink brought to your room rather than making another expedition.

For a fuller choice of meals, Far Out Village is about 850 feet away, with further restaurants in and around Mylopotas and Ios Town. The hotel therefore works well if you like an easy first drink at home and the option of going out when dinner deserves a change of scene.

The main non-diving activity is already outside: direct access to Mylopotas Beach, with golden sand, sun loungers and parasols. You can spend the afternoon there without arranging transport or turning a lazy swim into a logistical exercise. The sun terrace, patio, balcony and garden add more places to sit when the beach has done enough for one day.

Table tennis gives you something mildly competitive to do between the sea and dinner. It is the right level of ambition for a post-dive afternoon: enough movement to settle the coffee, not enough to require a briefing. If you prefer to keep walking, nearby beaches include Katsiveli, Kolitsani, Valmas and Sapunochoma, each offering a different reason to leave the immediate stretch of coast.

For a day away from the water, Skarkos archaeological site and Homer's Tomb provide straightforward island excursions. Couples can also use the location as a simple split-day base: beach, terrace, a drink at the bar, then an evening meal nearby without turning every break into a full outing.

Check-in runs from 13:00 to midnight, and check-out from 08:30 to 12:00. A 24-hour front desk gives you a useful point of contact outside the usual arrival window, while the private entrance can make the transition from beach to room less formal. Free WiFi is available throughout the hotel.

Free public parking is available nearby, without reservation. It is public and off site, so you should expect to leave the car close by rather than directly at your door. Pets are welcome without an extra charge, which makes the hotel practical for travellers who do not want to leave four-legged company at home.

Children of any age are welcome, although children aged four and over are charged as adults. Cots and extra beds are not available, so the existing room layout matters when you are travelling as a family. Cash is the accepted payment method. Airport access involves island travel: Santorini International Airport is about 22 miles away, Naxos Island National Airport about 25 miles, and Paros National Airport about 22 miles.