Our stay in Milos was part of our 10 Day Greek-island hopping itinerary from Mykonos, Milos, and Santorini. Out of all the three islands, Milos was by far our favorite. It is the smallest island and does not have the caldera view like Santorini or does it have an Old Town like Mykonos, but the beaches were THE BEST in Milos. The island itself has picturesque beaches to the north, the moonscape coves of Sarakinko (Milo’s most famous beach which we visited at least 3 times!) and turquoise waters in the south.
HOW TO GET AROUND MILOS
If you want accessibility around the island but you don’t have access to a form of transportation other than the bus, I would recommend you staying next to the port. The town is called Adamantas, with a bus station (right next to coffeeshop Grēgórēs). Since Milos is small and the buses run infrequently, I would recommend renting a scooter (which is what we did!) or ATV or car. The company I used was Moto Kotsikas, a family run company with a super nice lady at the reception. Their scooters are top quality and we had no trouble going up and down the mountains which is required in Milos. We hired a 125cc blue scooter for 2 days, €42. You can book online (which was supposed to be €50/2days), but we didn’t because if you go in person, you can ask for a discount.
WHERE TO LIVE IN MILOS
Near the port
- Hotel Eleni € – family run hotel very near the port. Rooms are designed with a Cycladic-style and offers a terrace/balcony.
- Malion Rooms € – A bus stop is nearby, though I don’t recommend you taking the bus in Milos. Very near the port and there is also a beach nearby.
Away from the port
- Asterias Boutique Hotel €€ – Where I stayed! A family run hotel where I stayed this trip and would recommend to others. It is a little in the middle of nowhere (not recommended for those that take the bus!) But then again, I would not recommend you taking the bus in Milos – a scooter, ATV or car is mandatory. The sea views from the room is lovely, it’s a little far from the sea, but enough. At night, the stars are AMAZING.
- Midland Suites – €€€ – more of a luxury boutique hotel with an amazing pool. They provide an amazing breakfast in the morning that wakes you up in the morning. Located in Adamantas but with a 10 minute walk from the port.
- Milos Breeze Boutique Hotel €€€ – Picturesque boutique hotel that would look good in drone shots. Luxury hotel with a public infinity pool and also rooms with private pools as well. Where I’d stay next time if I had money to splurge!
WHERE TO EAT IN MILOS
- Archontoula – located in a lovely town called Plaka and very close to the Venetian Castle. A blogger recommended this place to us saying she went here 4 times in a row! A dish that EVERYONE tries out is the Kritamo Keftedes which is the restaurant’s specialty. The waiter also recommended the braided chicken & we also ordered some fresh grilled octopus too.
- Grēgórēs – located right beside a bus stop near the port of Milos. They serve fresh juice (freshly squeezed!) and sandwiches which was very useful when we wanted to takeout and bring a picnic to the beach.
- Gyros/Souvlaki Shop right next to Gregores – somehow I can’t find this souvlaki gyro shop on Google Maps! But it is located right next to the bus stop you can’t miss it! We came here quite often because they were serving chicken souvlaki pitas for only €2.80!
WHAT TO DO
Unlike other major cities, I didn’t prepare any itinerary for the three days I was in Milos; instead, I had a list of places to go to and everyday I would choose a couple of destinations from my list. There were so many beaches, a couple of towns and awesome restaurants in Milos you could be busy for a week! Felix and I both agreed that 3 days was not enough to explore Milos, we could’ve easily stayed for 5 or even 7 days. Here is a list of my favorite places, beginning from my favorite.
SARAKINIKO BEACH
This “moonscape” beach is Milo’s most famous beach and was my favorite as well. The grey/white volcanic rock has been shaped by waves over a number of years resulting in a “moonscape formation”. Bloggers have recommended coming to Sarakiniko Beach several times throughout the day, and I totally understand why and would recommend that to you too! We came here at sunrise, at midday, and at sunset, and each time we came, the “moonscapes” look quite different. There is a small beach where you can wade into the water, but mostly people come here for cliff jumping (on a not-so-windy day). Two of the three days was windy and the force of the waves crashing against the coast was scary enough let along swim in. Besides swimming, there are some caves that are worthy enough to explore (in the morning as they look so sinister at night).
You can easily spend a day here at Sarakiniko Beach, but mind you, there is only ONE food truck nearby if you forgot to bring some food. If you’re looking to take photos here, come at sunrise and you’ll have this whole place to yourself (along with 1-2 other people).
FIROPOTAMOS BEACH
After Sarakiniko Beach, the MOST PICTURESQUE beach we came across in Milos was Firopotamos. This beach included everything: gorgeous shades of blue, a Greek church, iconic blue/white houses in the background and cliffs off to a side. I could help but snapping photo after photo here. The water is shallow and you can easily wade out to the middle and swim there. It’s a sandy beach so it is not suitable for snorkeling .
This beach is located to the most northwestern point of the island – it takes about 45 minutes from Sarakiniko beach. It’s a lonely ride there, you may not come across any cars at all, or the roads may be a little underdeveloped. But persevere to the end and you will be rewarded heavenly. Due to its location, not many people end up coming to this beach making it quite empty on a hot, sunny August.
Food options nearby: I would recommend bringing your own food because I don’t recall any tavernas nearby OR they must’ve been closed due to COVID-19.
PALIOCHORI BEACH
Paliochori Beach is known for their thermal, colorful rocks and bubbling springs. This beach is a small pebble beach with crystal CLEAR water which makes it perfect for snorkeling and underwater shots. The sand here gets hot during lunchtime, it actually burns your feet! Because of underwater springs, and some parts of the water is warm and very comfortable. There are three tavernas on the beach, and we decided to spend our day on the beach with Aqua Loca Beach Bar Milos. 2 sunbeds and 1 umbrella was €20 for all day use. We also had drinks (juice) and enjoyed lunch here as well. Their club sandwich and steak sandwich were surprisingly good and not expensive (well, cheaper than Milos!).
If you are interested in volcanic food (food where you can cook it directly on the sand), try Sirocco volcanic all day restaurant – this restaurant had mixed reviews regarding the volcanic food so we decided not to risk it! They also offer sunbeds as well.
FIRIPLAKA BEACH
Situated on the southern side of Milos, I was originally aiming for Tsigrado Beach, but I took the wrong turn and ended up here. Firiplaka beach is a family-friendly beach, with shallow crystal clear waters and easily accessible with a car park nearby on the cliff. Sunbeds and umbrellas could be rented here at €15 (as of August 2020). There are some small cliffs nearby which make it exciting for kids (or adults) to hop off of. There is plenty of space at this beach, but very little shade! So be prepared to bring your own umbrella or hide nearby the few rocks available. If you’re looking for a more secluded beach, head over to nearby Tsigrado Beach. The views from the cliff are worth it!
Buses come to Firiplaka Beach but make sure you check the schedule beforehand. Food options: there is a small beach bar.
TSIGARDO BEACH
A hidden and secluded beach, it is easy to miss this beach on the way over. It is not easy to get to the beach, it involves some climbing down and only 1-2 people can climb down at a time — which means there is always a lineup forming. The beach is smaller than others, and a nice shade from the imposing cliffs off to the side forms in the afternoon. If you’re not interested in the climb down (ropes & ladders involved) then come here for the cliff views because MY MY, the shade of blue here is AMAZING.
WHERE TO SEE THE SUNSET IN MILOS
KLIMA VILLAGE
Come to the Venetian Castle located in Plaka for the best sunset views in Milos. It is located on top of a hill, and is considered the highest point in Milos. Come early to snag a spot, when we climbed up one hour before sunset, there were already lots of people sitting around. After sunset, head to the nearby village of Plaka for dinner at our favorite restaurant in Milos, Archontoula. They’re so popular they have TWO restaurants and if you don’t arrive right after sunset, then you’ll be waiting in line!
WHERE TO SEE THE SUNRISE IN MILOS
We were told to come back to Sarakinko Beach different times throughout the day because you could see how the light bounces off the moonscape coves. We’ve made at least 3 trips to the beach at sunrise and sunset and in the morning.
If you have any other questions about Milos that I haven’t answered above, please leave a comment below so I can help!