Manganari beach in Ios

Manganari is located on the south coast of Ios. The road there passes through a very beautiful landscape. The views are, to say the least, magnificent. At the monastery of Kalamos you can make a detour to the beaches of Papa, Kalamos and Plakes. All three are unexploited, and will remain so until the road is paved. The gravel road is in a very bad condition. The last distance to Manganari passes through a barren stone landscape, which is similar to a moon landscape. Greeks often say Magganari beach instead of Manganari beach.

Manganari beach on southern Ios in the Cyclades.

Among the many stone walls along the road to Manganari lives this rock-eating stone.

Part of Manganari beach on southern Ios.

No matter how I try, I can not think of any beach in Greece reminiscent of Manganari. I never forget the Robinson-Crusoe-feeling I got the first time I came here. At that time, you could only go by beach boat to Manganari, and the only ones on the beach were those who came with the boat, and there were not many because the boat departed in the morning, when most people slept off theirs drinks.

Magganari beach, as the Greeks say.

I remember one year in the mid-1980s when there was only a boat to Manganari, and when it was time to go home, no boat came. Everyone going back on the boat went to the only taverna and ordered beer. We were having so much fun that we hoped the boat would never come. But the beer ran out in the taverna, and then we all wanted to go back, and then the boat came.

Here at Taverna Panos we sat and waited for the boat and drank all the beers.

Today, about firty years later, it is easy to get to Manganari. But Manganari is still like virgin soil. More houses have certainly been built, and also several tavernas, and there are both sun beds and water sport facilities for rent, but the beach is still almost unexploited. You can go here with your own vehicle, or by boat or bus from the port of Ios.

Venus Restaurant Bar is one of the tavernas above the beach.

There is another road to Manganari. It starts at the end of Mylopotas beach and it ends in misery. The road is in a miserable condition, and there have been plans of paving it for many years, but nothing has happened yet.

Tris Ekklisies beach which is located just before Manganari.

A kilometre before Manganari lies a photogenic bay with a beautiful sandy beach called Tris Ekklisies. The beach is reached via a path leading from the road. No taverna and almost no shade. It is an ideal place for snorkelling. After Tris Ekklisies the road forks, both leads to Manganari, the one on the right is preferable since it ends at the middle beach.

No matter which way you choose, you will come down to the beach.

As you understand, Manganari is not an ordinary sandy beach, it is not even a beach, it is five beaches that are on a string of pearls one after the other. The beach on the far left is semi-circular and looks like a lagoon. The fine sand and the shallow bottom make this the most child-friendly of the beaches on Ios.

Manganari consists of five beaches that lie on a string of pearls one after the other.

The beach ends at a small isthmus where the next beach takes over. If you continue a bit, you will reach the longest beach. The sand and sandy bottom are as fine as on the first beach, but here it is a little deeper. At the far end of the beach, the beach boats dock. At the jetty, a path leads to the last two beaches. There are also nice rock baths here if you get tired of the sand.

One of the beaches in Manganari.

The farthest beach. Here there is a taverna and rooms for rent.

The wide bay of Manganari.

This part of the beach is most child-friendly.

Here, even really small children can play in the water.

Sunbeds and parasols are available for rent on parts of the beach.

If Manganari had been located in Rhodes or on Kos, there would have been large hotel complexes here, and the package holiday tickets would sell like hot cakes. Luckily there is no airport on Ios. But there is advanced plans to develop Manganari. Land has been sold to rich Greeks in recent years. Thanks to the Greek financial crisis and Covid 19, it will be long before something dramatic will happen.

Hotel complex that has never opened. It is almost invisible from the beach.

The beach boat to Manganari. Just kidding, thought it was fun with an orange fishing boat. :-)

ACCOMMODATION IN MANGANARI

If you want to escape everyday life and experience this amazing place in the evening, you should stay overnight. I have not stayed here, but I would love to and there are several good places to choose from.

Book Magganari View Village here »

Book Magganari Moments 3 here »

Book Magganari View Villa here »

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