“Milos was the third island in Greece to revolt against the Turks. On April 11, 1821 the first naval battle took place in the harbor of Adamas”
Milos. The island of Aphrodite, the place she was born out of the sea. Milos came out of the sea which is what gives it its white rocks. The huge rocks were made with plankton, and are in fact fossils. Plankton lives for 1 second and when it dies it goes white. When you see the white rocks, each line on the rocks represents 1000 years. Impressive isn’t it!
Milos was also a place for pirates to hide for over 200 years.
I realised my old Milos post from 2016 has quite a few similar suggestions, but the island isn’t huge to be fair so there’s not that much to discover. Last time I went with some friends and they loved it. It was still amazing this time, you can see my old post here.
Some things to note – you can get here by ferry (about 4 hours) or plane (30 min flight) and a car is highly recommended. You can easily see most places in 3 days, 4 is preferred so that you’re not in a constant rush!
In terms of places to stay, I’d personally recommend Adamas, the port or near Plaka. It’s not a beautiful place but it’s conveniently located! The longest distance we drove was 20 minutes for the south beaches (Agia Kyriaki and Paliochori).
The roads aren’t the best but as long as you follow the main routes, you’re good. Use your common sense as the GPS isn’t always correct and avoid small roads as much as possible because you might end up in a dead-end with no way out!
Also it can get quite windy – check the winds beforehand or ask your hotel to see what sort of winds are expected so you can decide which beaches to visit/when.
Sarakiniko is a must. No shade at all so go early or late. It’s like the moon! Super popular. The sandy beach part is tiny but there’s loads of space to sit on the rocks. We actually went to see the sunrise but it’s also amazing during the day.
Fyropotamos is a small beach next to the fishing village. Beautiful waters with sand (some big rocks to enter the sea). We were told this beach normally has sunbeds but due to COVID-19 this has been delayed. To be honest it was nicer without them but it was a struggle to find some shade.
Papafragkas is similar to Sarakiniko in the scenery with the big white rocks and two caves. We only went there for photos as the beach was closed off because of the wind as it can get quite dangerous when the waves are high!
Tsigrado. You need shoes (or bare feet) to climb down a rope on the hill and then a ladder. Worth it! Pretty small so not nice when crowded.
After Tsigrado the adjoining beaches are also nice, particularly Fyriplaka which is sandy. Provatas is child friendly and has a few umbrellas and sunbeds.
Agia Kyriaki is at the south of the island. A long sandy beach with small pebbles in the sea. Family friendly.
Paliochori is near Agia Kyriaki. I like the first beach (Paliochori A) as you sit right next to the huge red and white rocks. The white/yellow is from sulphur and red is from iron. We came here on a windy day (north winds) and it was so so calm!!! It’s super hot though and the umbrellas are very limited so come early. There’s is a small cafe on the beach and a bigger one up the stairs. Stairs are easy to descend (proper steps) so I’d say it’s generally child friendly.
My fave place, Kleftiko, needs a boat, you can either rent one privately (no license needed as it’s small) or go on a tour. There are countless companies that offer that but I’m gonna share my favourite one with you. Read till the end to find out!
Muses for fresh fish. Above the beach of Provatas. The owner has his fishing boat and will let you know what fish he got that day. Nice views, not on the beach but above it.
O! Hamos! was really really good. It’s just after the port of Adamas. Very friendly vibe and nice food. This became our favourite taverna on the island, we went twice! Our favourite plates: kioumpougiourdi, a baked (a bit spicy) cheese and peppers mix. The aubergine salad is delicious.
Archodoula in Plaka is the only taverna in Plaka that’s worth it. It used to be better in the past, but as long as you stick to foods like spaghetti bolognese, pastitsio etc you should be good.
Rifaki in Pollonia wasn’t one we were recommended but found it by chance and we were pleasantly surprised, the food was great, big portions and amazing service. In Pollonia the two we were recommended were Gialos and Enalion.
Medusa in the fishing village of Mandrakia is a must. Anything seafood related will be good. Great service. It’s beautiful during sunset even though you can’t see the actual sunset.
Palaios in Plaka is great for breakfast or dessert. All the desserts are amazing but my personal favourites are portokalopita (orange cake) and galaktoboureko (custard pie kinda).
Some people say the sunset in Milos is as good as Santorini’s.
The first spot is behind the church in Plaka. Plaka is the main town on top of the hill. It can get crowded so if you want a spot, get there early, grab a drink from the nearby bar, sit and enjoy!
My “secret” sunset spot is in Pollonia. In the town of Pollonia you can’t really see the sunset but years ago I discovered this gorgeous hotel called Salt, where you can grab a drink and be right on the sunset spot. No need to book or anything! It can get windy but it’s absolutely stunning. In my opinion it’s better than Plaka because you can be more comfortable and see it more privately while also observing the waves and sea.
I think Klima will be nice for the sunset too but not 100% sure!
Klima is the cutest fishing village ever!! Colourful houses (called “sirmata”) and a couple small shops for souvenirs. Definitely one of the nicest villages I’ve seen.
Plaka is the main town on the island, it’s quite small but very picturesque, go early evening to see the sunset and explore the little stores.
Pollonia is apparently quite family-friendly as a location. I haven’t spent much time there but it has a few restaurants and a little road to walk along and explore.
Mandrakia is a small fishing village (with a great restaurant as mentioned previously) so while you’re there for food, have a little walk around!
In Plaka there are a few museums and archaeological sites. There’s the folklore museum and also the Catacombs (ancient tombs) which are the biggest in the Balkans.
If you have a 4×4 car you can drive down to the old sulphur mines, where there’s a beach (Thiorichia beach). It looks amazing but unfortunately we weren’t able to go due to our rental car!
Tour of the island on a boat. My recommendation is the Excellent Yachting team, which I’ve had a very positive experience with on this trip (and also in 2016). The team is amazing, knowledgable, friendly and super helpful with everything. It’s €90 for the day, they provide food and I promise you is worth it as most of the places you see cannot be accessed without a boat.
You start at 10:00 from Adamas and come back around 18:30. The highlight is Kleftiko, which you swim at for over one hour. They provide mask so you can observe the amazing rocks and waters and swim through caves. Then you get on a small boat in group and see some more caves. I recommend going on the boat with the first group of people and then have lunch! They also take photos with a GoPro, so even if you don’t have one, you’ll have some awesome underwater snaps.
A short ferry ride away you will find the island of Kimolos! Unless it’s very windy, the ferry goes daily. Check out the schedule here. It’s a small island and you can stay for just a day or a few. We only stayed for one day as we were on a boat, but these two places I’m recommending are a must!
Prassa beach is a long sandy beach in Kimolos, very clear blue waters! There’s sunbeds. The sea is amazing.
For dinner book a table at The Wave (To Kyma) restaurant by the port of Kimolos. Very fresh fish and excellent service.
One Response
Amazing article!