Address: Yialos Beach, Ios
Website
Email: info@galini-ios.com ; galiniios@yahoo.com

For our fifth wedding anniversary, we decided to visit the magnificent island of Ios. Once we figured out the dates and the transportation, we started looking for places to stay. End of May in Ios is still outside of the proper travel season, which meant that we didn’t have that many choices for accommodation. When I found Galini Pension I absolutely loved the photos and the location. So I booked it.

>>click here to book your stay at Galini Pension

How to get to

Once you book your stay, make sure to also know then which ferry you will take to get to Ios. Ilias will be waiting for you in the port to pick you up.

It is, however, very easy to get to Galini pension. Roads don’t have names on Ios, but once you are off the boat, make a left (the bus station is to the right, you want to go along the port towards the beach). Follow the road (you’ll have some restaurants and cafes to your right), then continue by the beach (it’s to your left). When you see a road going to the right, go on it and follow it to Galini.

The pension

Galini Pension (or Hotel) is known for its peaceful and friendly atmosphere, as well as its excellent location. Once you set foot in the garden, you are rewarded with the cool air. There are plants and trees which provide a welcomed shade. The garden is also where you can have breakfast – and were we did have breakfast every single day during our stay.

If you take your car on the ferry, worry not, as the pension also offers parking.

The pension consists of 18 rooms. All have AC, TV, fridge, hairdryer and bathroom ensuite. There are also studios which have kitchenette. Most rooms have a balcony or veranda.

There are three wi-fi feeds through the pension. I found out that the internet worked great in the garden and on our balcony.

The room

We were booked in a studio: double bed, kitchenette, fridge, bathroom ensuite, hairdryer, TV, AC, and balcony. I found the room to be very charming and big enough for our needs. The bathroom was also comfortable. But I loved the balcony: it was where I’d just stay and relax, doing nothing but looking at the hills.

Our experience

I was searching for places to stay quite early in my planning stage. I narrowed down three options and decided on Galini pension, for various reasons. One was the location. I didn’t want to stay in the busy village. And the other was the fact that they offered pick up from the port.

Ilias picked us up from the port and Bernice greeted us at the pension. She showed us the room. She also gave us a map plus pinpointed some places of interest (we ended up going to several of them). We payed at check in but you can also pay when you check out.

Knowing that the internet on the island is not great I wasn’t relying on the connection much, but I was glad when I was able to make it work (and keep my roaming data for when I was out in town).

We opted to have breakfast at the pension and chose Greek breakfast: yogurt, honey, and Greek coffee. The other choice is continental breakfast but I encourage you to go for the Greek one!

Each morning we made our way to the garden around 9 a.m. (I am used to waking up around this time at home, too, and we are on the same time zone). Then we’d just go out to explore the island.

By the time we were back for our siesta (usually way past 4-5 pm), our room was cleaned and new towels replaced the ones we used the previous day. Sometimes, these little details are all you need to make your stay memorable. And the AC after staying in the sun all day.

We did have a TV but we aren’t watching TV at home much either, so it mostly went unused. So did the kitchenette as we ate out most of the time. The fridge, however, was a blessing!

Each evening I’d go on the balcony, enjoying the view and cold water while calling my folks back home. We loved how quiet the place was at night.

We recommend Galini Pension to anyone who doesn’t want to stay in the crowded and noisy Chora (after all, Ios is a party island). This place is excellent if you want to actually sleep at night. There are three beaches within walking distance, too. And if you go to the port bus stop, you can easily make your way from there two another beach. The rest of the island is best explored in the car (or on a scooter) , at least until the public transportation opens for the season.

Disclaimer:
Although my stay was partly sponsored, this fact didn’t influence my opinion about the experience.

All photos have been taken by Cristina & Alex from LooknWalk Greece and may not be used without permission.