Blue-green waters and a wonderful seabed make this Ios beach ideal for those who wish to escape the crowds.
Decades ago, before the internet came into our lives, changing (among many other things) modern travel reporting, Ios had gained considerable international fame as the "island of wild fun" - an alternative destination for youth coming from the mainland and France, Italy, Sweden, Australia, and the USA, especially those looking for a more economical Cycladic island compared to Mykonos or Santorini.
The beautiful island, between Naxos, Santorini, and Sikinos, maintains its character even as the 21st century rolls around. It appears in many international reports as a "party island", but this is not always true.
After all, every summer, Mylopotas—the most famous beach of Ios, close to the capital Chora, where the most popular bars and beach clubs are located—receives crowds of people who flood their Instagram and TikTok profiles with photos and videos.
At the same time, with an 87-kilometre coastline, Ios also has its most hidden corners—or, at least, those that require some effort to discover.
One is the triple beach that Niotes (the island's inhabitants) call Pikri Nero. It is aimed at those who wish to escape the crowd before returning to the frenetic nightlife.
Sand, blue-green waters and a wonderful seabed
Pikri Nero is located in the southwestern part of Ios, and it is easily accessible after passing more well-known holiday locations, such as Sapunochoma or Klima.
Of course, many travel reports describe it as a "double" beach, but anyone who has visited it or arrives there for the first time realises that it is actually triple: the area's rock formations divide it into three.
Geomorphologically, Pikri Nero is a small and somewhat isolated cove, which gives the beach natural protection from the strong winds of the Aegean and from the summer meltemia (dry north winds of the Aegean Sea), keeping the sea in the area calm.
The landscape here is typically Cycladic, with low vegetation, while the triple beach is covered by white and yellowish-coloured sand mixed with fine pebbles in places.
The waters in Pikri Nero are blue with some green tints in places, shallow (getting deeper in, but in a smooth way) and very clear. In fact, due to the several rocks, which (as we said) are also responsible for the triple layout of the beach, a wonderful seabed is formed, meaning you should bring a mask and snorkel!
Of course, Pikri Nero is a beach without any organisation, so you must plan your visit. Bring an umbrella for shade, good sunscreen, plenty of cold water, and something to eat. Also, think about hats and some mats.
How to get to Pikri Nero
Those who regularly come to Pikri Nero do so not only for its natural beauty but also for the sense of isolation, thus giving the opportunity to escape from the crowds that distinguish Ios and its most famous beaches.
The distance from Chora is short - only 12 kilometres. However, access from land is quite difficult. Most people prefer to come to Pikri Nero by sea, either with their own boat (if they have one) or with the boats that run regular routes in the summer from Gialos, the picturesque port of Ios.
Of course, those who love hiking dare go there by land, although this is only for some: the old, traditional path you must follow from where you will park is narrow and has several ups and downs. This means you should have good physical health as well as relevant experience, especially since you'll also be carrying beach gear.
This profile, of course, does not seem to be maintained for much longer because Pikri Nero has been at the centre of an ambitious development plan.
According to what has been made public, a strategic investment is planned in the area, with the aim of creating a large 5-star hotel and holiday homes on an area of 938 acres.
In fact, anticipating the start of the relevant works, the responsible company has opened a dirt road, which appears to touch the old path in some places, altering a part of it. For now, however, some objections have been expressed by a part of the local community, as there is concern about the environmental footprint that such actions will have.
The article first appeared on Travel. Translated by Paul Antonopoulos.
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