Calilo Ios is the bucket list resort that you’ve probably already come across on Instagram, and is a hotel made for maximalists.
Located between tourist hotspots Santorini and Mykonos in the Cyclades, Ios is quietly assuming its place on Greek island-hopping agendas.
This former party island has chilled out and is welcoming a new type of traveller; one who might appreciate mountain hikes, tranquil beaches, and even the odd private helipad.
The Vibe
It might be one of the most Instagrammable hotels in the world, but not even a scroll on social media can prepare you for the visual eye party on arrival at Calilo. It’s like the hotel equivalent of a post-modern art gallery with moving installations, wall murals, heart-shaped swings, giant sculptures and uplifting slogans at every turn.
Calilo is unapologetically maximalist. Even the sweet hotel dog, Chantelle the Great Dane, brings main character energy to the mosaic-tiled lobby. Throughout the resort, heart-shaped shadows dance around floors from cutouts in ceilings – one of the Calilo emblems on repeat to represent love.
A rainbow-bright neon sign above the bar reads: ‘Create a life you can fall in love with’ – the ethos behind Calilo’s name. It might feel like an army of creatives has gone to town at Calilo, but every single piece of art, furniture and design element in the resort has been masterminded by owner Angelos Michalopoulos.
The Michalopoulos family not only own Calilo, but also a third of the 42-square-mile island. Opening Calilo in 2019 on the remote south-east coast, they vowed to only build on one per cent of the land they own, and leave the rest untouched to preserve the beauty of Ios. The same philosophy of working with nature, rather than against it, was applied to Calilo’s unique cliff face design. Set on 1,000 acres of protected land, luxury suites have been meticulously carved into the mountainside complete with saltwater pools.
The Rooms
From heart-shaped pools to private cinema screens, Calilo’s 36 suites are just as individual as the resort itself. The only design features unifying them are the dramatic floor-to-ceiling marble and massive sunken bath tubs.
The Biebers vacationed in the signature Calilo Suite – a super-private 60 square metre suite with swim-up bar that took over a year to build in total and features more than 200,000 handcrafted and individually installed marble pieces. As the name suggests, the Panoramic Smiles suite has a gargantuan 150 square metre multi-level exterior for breathtaking views of Papas Bay, and the Passage to Love suite (hello, honeymooners) opens up via a unique 25-foot water feature walkway that leads to an indoor cave pool.
The expansive outdoor spaces give you a jaw-drop moment with multiple outdoor pools as well as cabanas, jacuzzis and waterfalls. My beachfront suite is just steps away from the white sand of Papas Beach where I soak up views of the Aegean Sea while dipping into one of the three mini private pools on rotation.
Details in the room don’t go unnoticed: full-sized Clarins products to elevate your bathing rituals, fluffy Guy Laroche slippers placed next to your bed for turndown service, and organic Anassa tea bags produced in Greece that look like mini works of art.
The Food + Drink
From sunrise breakfasts to candlelit dinners, the buzzy Calilo Restaurant and bar feels like the heart of the hotel. Oversized carved wooden chairs and tables continue the fairytale surrealism as you eat, or you can drink and dine at sunken in-water tables.
A field to fork ethos is effortless thanks to Calilo’s organic kitchen garden where local produce is picked each day. When it comes to the epic breakfast spread, don’t miss the star-of-the-show honey supplied from Calilo’s own beehives, best served drizzled onto local goat’s cheese for the ultimate homegrown double act.
For fine dining inspired by Ios and its Greek island neighbours, book in for the degustation menu at CHES (€120 per person). The experiential nine-course menu takes you on a gastronomic journey of the Cyclades accompanied by an optional whistle-stop tour of Greek wines (pairing +€75). No ferry ticket required. Highlights include chargrilled octopus inspired by Naxos, linguini caccio e pepe featuring local Ios cheese, and Rafiolia dessert via Mykonos served with honey, cinnamon and sesame.
The Little Extras
The longer you stay at Calilo, the more you appreciate the magic and personal touches that the Michalopoulos family has injected into this passion project. Each day after housekeeping, a different page on love philosophies is left open on my bed from a book written by owner Angelos.
His wife Vassiliki Petridou is behind the Elektra Project. Calilo’s ancient olive trees are an integral part of the landscape thanks to a rescue operation that saved 550 olive trees (some more than 300 years old) that were about to be cut down and sold for firewood in Athens. Relocated and replanted around the island, each olive tree has its own name and GPS coordinate.
The To-Do List
If you can drag yourself away from the multiple pools, Calilo’s new Wellness Centre is another masterpiece in stonework with three pools and the most ornate gym I’ve ever seen. I spent more time fawning over the intricate hand-cut mosaics on walls than working out. Overlooking Papas Bay, the indoor-outdoor top level is the perfect spot for a sunrise yoga or meditation session with a serious view.
Hidden away throughout the island, Ios has 36 beautiful beaches, but only 10 are accessible by car making them feel extra remote. Even in high season, crowds at popular beaches like Tripiti and Magganari are rare. Calilo has a private speedboat which is the most enlightening way to see the rugged, untouched beauty of Ios and hop around small coves and sea caves. At each anchor pit stop, you can jump into the crystal blue water and swim up to deserted beaches for a private view.
To explore Ios by land, the picturesque village of Chora is a 30-minute scenic drive away from Calilo, or there’s a whole hiking network of scenic trails to take in historical sites and picturesque beaches by foot. En route, you can look out for the island’s 365 churches and chapels (one for every day of the year) and mountain goats that still happily roam the hillsides.
All image credit: Hannah Dace
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