Ios and Naxos are only about 24 nautical miles apart, yet they feel like different trips. Ios is compact and beach-focused, famous for its summer nightlife in Chora and the long sand of Mylopotas. Naxos, to the north, is the largest island in the Cyclades: green valleys, marble villages, a proper market town at the port and a string of sandy beaches running down its west coast. Heading north from Ios to Naxos usually means trading late nights for a slower, more rural stretch of the holiday.
The crossing is also a practical link. Naxos has an airport, frequent boats to Piraeus and short hops to Paros, Mykonos and the Small Cyclades, so it works well as the next base after Ios or as the place you leave the islands from. Ios itself has no airport, which makes this ferry one of its most useful exits.
The two operators could hardly be more different on price. Blue Star Ferries runs the big conventional ship, from €8.50 in Ferryhopper's cheapest months and €22.50 on our August sample day. Seajets runs the fast boats, which save roughly half an hour but cost from €45.70 in quieter months and €80.20 on our sample day. On a trip this short, many travellers happily take the slower ship and keep the difference.
Before booking, look at the clock as well as the fare. On 12 August 2026 the only Blue Star sailing left Ios at 07:35, while the three Seajets boats spread across the morning, afternoon and evening. If you are going to Naxos for a few nights, match the departure to your check-in time on Naxos and book your room there first in July and August.
