Milos: Greek Island Hopping (Part 3)

Milos might not be the first island that people think of when booking a trip to Greece. We heard many great recommendations about this island and since it was easy to get to from Santorini we definitely wanted to add it to our trip as well.

If you come in by ferry you arrive in the cute small harbor town of ‘Adamantas’ which has a population of only 1400 residents. Since there is barely any public transport on this island it is definitely recommended  to rent a car, scooter or ATV. Adamantas has several places where you can rent a vehicle so take some time to shop around. We were able to rent a scooter for around €20 a day.

We used the first two days to discover the north part of the island and started at one of the most famous beaches: Sarakiniko. Over thousands of years the waves created by strong northern winds, shaped beautiful and incredible shapes into the giant white volcanic rock. The locals refer to this beach as Lunar because it looks like you are walking on a moon landscape. You can do a little hike over the rocks, enjoy a swim on the small sand beach or jump from the cliffs into the water when the ocean is calm.

Further east on the northern coast line you’ll find another great beach called Papafragas. It is a lot smaller than Sarakiniko but it also is much more private. If you are lucky you will get a the whole place to yourself! More west you will find the tiny fisher port villages ‘Mandrakia’ and ‘Firopotamos’ that are definitely worth visiting. Both are mainly used by locals in the area to dock their fishing boats. It is really nice to sunbath on one of the docks or take a little swim in the crystal clear water.

Also in the north part you will find the capitol ‘Plaka’ located on top of a large rock where you can oversee the Golf of Milos. No cars or other motorized vehicles can enter this town which makes it perfect to stroll around. Make your way up to the castle to experience a beautiful sunset or have dinner on an outdoor terrace in one of the town’s narrow streets.

If you don’t mind a little road trip then you should visit the south side of the island as well. It’s about 40 minutes by scooter from Plaka but the drive is really beautiful. There is not so much wind on this side of the island so you can find a few wide stretched sand beaches like Agia Kiriaki and Fyriplaka that people like to go to and relax at.

The absolute highlight of our day on this side of the island was Tsigrado Beach. You can only get to this beach by climbing down a series of ropes and steep ladders. The climb down is a little risky but the view from the beach surrounded by the high cliffs is absolutely spectacular. If you are not that adventurous then you can also book a boat excursion that brings you to this beach plus a number of other secluded one’s along the south coast.

Even during peak season the island is still quiet and it was very easy to find an affordable place to stay. If you decide to go to Greece then Milos should definitely be high on your list as well, we had high hopes and it definitely exceeded our expectations.

Travel Tip: We recommend going to Sarakiniko beach multiple times at different hours of the day. The way the white volcanic rock reflects the sunlight during the afternoon versus at sunset, creates a completely different atmosphere. This beach is also best photographed and experienced when the water is super calm.   

Milos is part 3 of our Greece island hopping round trip!
Please take a look at the other locations in our destinations overview.