From Ios: RIB Boat Trip to Sikinos Island and Winery Tour

Trade sea spray for quiet island roads. This seven-hour trip from Ios combines a fast twin-engine RIB ride with a guided look at Sikinos, an island of churches, old farm tools, Roman ruins, and sea views. I like the small group of no more than 12 people, and I like that the guide handles both the island bus ride and the walking route.

The strongest parts are the Folklore Museum in an old olive-oil press and the terrace at Manali Winery. The main drawback is that the wine tasting may feel too brief for serious wine fans, and one past outing suffered a long wait for the return boat.

Key points to know before booking

• The RIB ride begins at Mylopotas Bay: Meet at Meltemi Watersports, at the end of Mylopotas Beach in front of FarOut Beach Club.
• Sikinos is explored by bus and on foot: Expect a guided day with a one-hour walk to Episkopi Temple.
• The group is capped at 12 people: That gives the guide a better chance to answer questions and keep the day moving.
• Manali Winery has the best setting: Wine is served on a terrace with broad views across the Cycladic islands.
• Bring proper walking gear: Comfortable shoes, a hat, sunglasses, and sunscreen matter here.
• The schedule can change: Wind or poor weather may alter or cancel the boat trip, with another date or a full refund offered.

Why this Ios to Sikinos trip is worth considering

Sikinos makes a fine change from the beaches and nightlife of Ios. The island visit is not built around a long beach stop or free time in a resort town. Instead, you get a compact introduction to local religious buildings, traditional life, ancient remains, and island wine.

I like the way the day mixes transport. The RIB gets you across the water quickly and adds some fun to the morning, while the island bus saves you from dealing with Sikinos roads and distances yourself. The group size also matters. With a limit of 12, the day should feel more personal than a large coach excursion.

The $104 price is fair if you want an organized day and would otherwise need to arrange boat tickets, island transport, a guide, museum stops, and a winery visit separately. It is less attractive if you mainly want a relaxed swim, a long lunch, or a generous wine tasting. Meals and drinks are not included, and the optional cheese and delicacy platter costs extra.

Meeting at Mylopotas Beach for the RIB ride

You meet at Meltemi Watersports at the far end of Mylopotas Beach, in front of FarOut Beach Club. Mylopotas is easy to reach by car or taxi, but you should arrive 15 minutes before departure. There is no hotel pickup, so you need to arrange your own way to the beach.

The boat is a luxury, twin-engine, large inflatable RIB. That means the crossing is more exciting than a standard ferry ride, but it also exposes you to wind, spray, and sun. I would keep your belongings light and leave large bags and luggage behind, since they are not allowed on the trip.

The RIB transfer is one of the attractions, not just a way to get from point A to point B. You leave from Mylopotas Bay and head toward the settlement of Hora on the southeast side of Sikinos. Strong winds can affect the route, so you should treat the boat schedule as weather-dependent rather than fixed in stone.

Hora and Panagia Pantanassa Church

The island portion begins around Hora, Sikinos’s main settlement. The first stop is Panagia Pantanassa Church, located by the central square. This gives you an immediate sense of the island’s scale and character: small, traditional, and far removed from the larger tourist centers of the Cyclades.

The church is a useful opening stop because the guide can place Sikinos in context before the day moves into the countryside. You can step inside and look at the interior, though the supplied information does not promise a long formal explanation or a special religious ceremony.

I would keep your expectations focused. This is not a grand cathedral visit. The appeal is the setting, the simple village square, and the chance to see a working island church as part of daily life.

Kastro’s Folklore Museum in an old olive press

Next comes Kastro and the Folklore Museum. Its location is part of the charm: the collection is housed in an old olive-oil press. Rather than placing old objects behind a polished modern display, the museum connects them to the building and the work once done there.

Inside, you can see agricultural tools, household utensils, and equipment used in the traditional processing of olive oil. This is the sort of stop I value on a Greek island because it explains how people lived, worked, cooked, and produced food before modern conveniences changed the routine.

The collection is private, so do not expect a large national museum. Its strength is its local focus. You get a close look at ordinary objects that tell more about island life than a row of famous artworks might.

For many visitors, this will be one of the most useful stops. The church shows the spiritual side of the island, while the old press and its tools show the practical side. Together, they give the tour more substance than a simple sightseeing loop.

Coffee with the locals before the walk

The day includes a pause at a traditional coffee shop. This is a small detail, but it helps break up the sightseeing and gives you time to rest before the walk to Episkopi Temple.

Do not expect this to be a full meal stop. Meals and drinks are not included, so you should budget for anything you order. The coffee shop is best viewed as a chance to sit, take in the village atmosphere, and meet local people rather than as a major culinary event.

I like this kind of pause because the schedule is otherwise fairly full. A short stop in a traditional café lets you slow down and see how the island feels when you are not simply moving from one attraction to the next.

The one-hour trail to Episkopi Temple

The walk to Episkopi Temple is the most active part of the day. The route takes about one hour and leads to an ancient Roman burial monument that was later converted into an Orthodox Christian church dedicated to the Virgin Mary.

The site is surrounded by Byzantine chapels, ancient ruins, wall stones, and fragments of marble sculpture. That mixture gives the stop its appeal. You are not looking at one isolated building, but at a place where Roman, Byzantine, and Orthodox layers sit close together.

You should wear real walking shoes rather than sandals with thin soles. The tour specifically calls for comfortable shoes, and the combination of walking time, sun, and uneven ground makes that advice practical. Bring sunscreen, a hat, and sunglasses as well.

This section may be less suitable for anyone who finds an hour of walking difficult. Pregnant women are not considered suitable for the trip, and the overall itinerary is not designed as a no-walking sightseeing day.

A monastery visit is also part of the island program. One especially memorable detail from a past outing was meeting the only nun living there. The exact order and length of this stop can vary, but it adds a human touch to the religious sites rather than leaving you with buildings alone.

Manali Winery and the Cycladic view

The final major stop is Manali Winery, an organic vineyard with a terrace overlooking the sea. The setting is likely to be the most immediately enjoyable part of the day. You can sit outside, taste the wines, and look across toward the Cycladic islands.

The wine tasting fee is included, which makes the $104 price easier to justify. However, you should keep your expectations measured. The tasting may not include a long technical talk about grape varieties or production methods. One past account found that the wine was served with little explanation and that the glasses were not rinsed between pours.

That does not make the stop worthless, but it matters if wine is your main reason for booking. The attraction is a combination of tasting, views, and a look at the winemaking process. It is not necessarily a formal wine education session.

You can also order a platter of Cycladic cheeses and traditional delicacies with your wine. This is optional and not included in the tour price. If you want a fuller food experience, ask about the platter when you arrive rather than assuming lunch comes with the booking.

The winery works best as a relaxed final stop. After the churches, museum, café, and walk, you have a chance to sit down and enjoy the view. Just remember that the included element is the wine tasting, not a complete meal.

Timing, transfers, and the return to Ios

The tour lasts seven hours, with the planned return to Ios at about 5:30 p.m. After the winery, you are transferred back to the port by bus to meet the RIB captain.

This final transfer is the part that deserves the most practical caution. A past outing reportedly finished the sightseeing around 3 p.m., followed by a long wait for the shuttle and boat, with the return delayed until about 6:30 p.m. That may have been an isolated operational problem, but you should avoid scheduling a tight dinner reservation, ferry, or other activity immediately afterward.

The itinerary includes several moving parts: the island bus, the return transfer, the boat captain, and the weather. Delays can happen even when the sightseeing itself runs well. The advertised seven-hour length is useful for planning, but I would leave extra time around the return.

The positive side is that the guide and transfers remove most of the planning work. You do not need to work out how to reach the museum, temple, and winery on your own. The tradeoff is less control over how long you stay at each place.

Guide, group size, and overall feel

The tour is conducted in English and includes a live guide. Robby received especially strong praise for making the day enjoyable, and another description highlighted the guide’s clear understanding of the island and its sights.

The small-group limit of 12 is a real advantage. It should be easier to hear the guide, ask questions, and keep the group together on the walking trail. It also makes the coffee shop and winery stops feel less like a mass outing.

The tour is best for someone who likes a guided structure but does not want a large coach tour. You get historical and cultural stops without giving up the fun of a fast boat ride. You also get enough variety to keep the day from feeling repetitive.

The schedule may feel busy if you prefer to linger. Panagia Pantanassa, the museum, coffee shop, monastery, Episkopi Temple, and winery all fit into one day. That is good value for curious visitors, but not ideal for someone who wants long, unplanned stretches.

Is $104 a good value?

At $104 per person, the price includes the guide, RIB boat, island bus transfers, and wine tasting. It does not include hotel pickup, food, drinks, or personal expenses.

I see the price as reasonable for a first visit to Sikinos, especially if you value convenience. The boat transfer alone gives the day a special start, and the guided transport means you can see several scattered sites without arranging taxis or figuring out local connections.

The value drops if you do not care about churches, historic remains, museums, or wine. In that case, you may prefer a simple boat trip or a beach day on Ios. It also drops if you expect a substantial lunch and a detailed wine presentation, since both require extra spending or may not be part of the standard stop.

A previous booking cost 80 euros per person and raised concerns about food not being included, the brief wine service, and the long return wait. Prices and operations can change, but those points are worth considering before you book. Read the inclusions carefully and keep your afternoon flexible.

What to bring and who should book

Pack lightly. Large bags and luggage are not allowed, so bring only what you need for the day. Your essentials should be:

• Comfortable walking shoes
• Sunscreen
• Sunglasses
• A sun hat
• Some money for drinks, food, or the optional platter

I would choose this tour if you are staying in Ios and want to see a quieter neighboring island without handling the planning yourself. It is a particularly good fit for couples, friends, and active visitors who enjoy a mixture of scenery, local culture, short walks, and wine.

I would think twice if you dislike boats, sun, or fixed schedules. Pregnant women should not book, and anyone with difficulty walking for about an hour should ask for more details before paying.

Should you book the Sikinos day trip?

Book it if you want a well-filled cultural day with a lively RIB crossing, a small group, a local guide, and a winery terrace with sea views. The Folklore Museum and Episkopi Temple give the trip more depth than a standard island transfer, while the coffee shop and monastery stop add local character.

Skip it if your ideal day means swimming, a long lunch, or a slow afternoon with no timetable. Also leave room for possible weather changes and return delays. For curious visitors based in Ios, though, this is a practical way to see Sikinos in one day without taking on the logistics yourself.

FAQ

Where does the tour begin?

The meeting point is Meltemi Watersports at the end of Mylopotas Beach, in front of FarOut Beach Club.

How long does the excursion last?

The planned duration is seven hours, with the return to Ios scheduled for about 5:30 p.m.

How do I reach the meeting point?

Mylopotas Beach is easy to reach by car or taxi. Hotel transfers are not included.

What type of boat is used?

The transfer uses a luxury, twin-engine, large RIB speedboat.

Is the island tour guided?

Yes. The tour includes a live English-speaking guide, bus transfers on Sikinos, and the guided visits.

How many people can join the group?

The group is limited to 12 participants.

What sights are included on Sikinos?

The program includes Panagia Pantanassa Church, Kastro’s Folklore Museum, a traditional coffee shop, a monastery, Episkopi Temple, and Manali Winery.

Is food included?

No. Meals and drinks are not included. You can optionally order a platter of Cycladic cheese and traditional delicacies at the winery.

Is the wine tasting included?

Yes. The wine tasting fee at Manali Winery is included in the tour price.

What happens if the weather is bad?

Strong winds or poor weather can change or cancel the boat itinerary. In that case, an alternative date or a full refund is offered.