MILOS OR THE MOON? GREECE’S MYSTICAL ISLAND

We took the fast ferry from Mykonos to Milos. It took 3.5 hrs on the SeaJets Super Jet Ferry. I always book my Greek ferries on IS Ferry. Milos was everything I had ever dreamed it to be! Whatever you do, don’t miss out on Milos. It’s an incredible island! 

This island was on my dream list of places to explore after visiting Greece for the first time. I got so excited pulling up to Milos because it’s somewhere I’d been wanting to visit for so long, the anticipation was killing me!

Sarakiniko Beach
Sarakiniko- the most famous beach in Milos! Known to resemble the moon.

Milos ATV Rentals

Right when we got off the ferry in Adamas town, we went straight to the ATV rental place I made reservations with the night before. They were so prompt and helpful, I highly recommend Nikos Cars and Moto ATV! You just get off the ferry and walk to the right alongside the restaurants and shops for a couple minutes and you’ll see the shop right there in town.

Make sure you get yourself a high-speed ATV, at least 250CCs for a 2 person ATV. You will be driving a lot in Milos, up and down hills as well, so you’ll want the extra power. They provide you with bungee cords for your luggage as well.

ATV Rentals in Milos
Nikos Cars and Moto ATV rents motorbikes, cars, and ATVs. They also provide free parking in their lot when you venture into Adamas town.

Where to Stay in Milos

There are so many different areas in Milos that you can stay in, and you honestly can’t go wrong, because each area has its unique charm and amenities. It just really depends on what you want to be the closest to, town or a beautiful beach, etc. I really wanted to stay in one of the incredible boathouses in the cute fishing villages. They can be found on Airbnb, but be sure to book ahead, as the adorable ones book up quickly (you’ll see why)!  

Milos Boathouses

These houses are incredible! They are very interesting and unique to Milos. I have yet to see them on any other Greek island. They are basically big one or two-story garages right on the water that are converted into houses. The garage doors open right onto the crystal clear Aegean Sea. Some come with a private little piece of beachfront as well! I’ve never experienced anything like these before! Rentals can be a bit pricy, but it’s worth some searching to find a boathouse that fits your budget.

*Fun Fact: The doors are painted to match the fisherman’s boats. So, if a fisherman has a blue boat, the house has a blue door. This tradition is still alive today in the fishing villages of Milos.

Fishing Village in Klima
The famous boathouses in Milos! Pictured Above is Klima Fishing Village

Milos Fishing Villages

There are four main fishing villages spread out across the island. The differing qualities and characteristics of each village are worth exploring. I’ve listed a few of my favorite things about each village below.

Klima (pictured above) is closest to Adamas Town and has multiple houses that open straight on to the water.

Firopotamos is locals’ and my own personal favorite! There are multiple boathouses here that open on to the beach. The water is an iridescent turquoise color and is ridiculously stunning! I’d suggest looking into a boathouse here!

Mytakas is nearest to Pollonia Town and only has 8 boathouses in the entire village. This stunning boathouse has a secluded sandy beach and can be rented on Airbnb (but can be pricy). The price fluctuates with the seasons, around $200/night during the low season and $500/night in the high. This was by far my favorite boathouse!

Mandrakia is where Medusa, the amazing seafood restaurant is located!

Where We Stayed in Milos

We stayed right on Pachena Beach at a place called the Gaia Lux Inn Milos. I booked this Inn because the family suite is a very good deal for four people. We had an apartment with 2 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, a kitchen, and a big balcony. They provide coffee and croissants with jams etc. for the morning, and a little basket of wine and snacks as well. The beach is only a minute walk from your door, and it’s only about a 3 minute ATV drive to the Papafragas Caves and an 8-10 minute drive to Pollonia Town.  

Beach Front Inn in Milos
Pachena Beach! Our beach right behind our adorable inn, Gaia Lux Inn Milos.

Towns in Milos

Pollonia:

If you want to stay right in town, I would suggest Pollonia town because it’s smaller than Adamas, and the beach in town is beautiful, whereas the beaches in Adamas Port aren’t very pretty. 

Plaka:

Another town to stay in is called Plaka. Unfortunately I didn’t have time to visit Plaka. It’s up on a hill, whereas Adamas and Plollonia are right on the water. 

Best Restaurant in Milos

The best restaurant in Milos is called Medusa in Mandrakia, and it’s AMAZING!!! You absolutely must go and get as much seafood and awesome wine as you desire! You also have to try the octopus and grilled calamari, it’s insanely good!

Mandrakia is also a beautiful tiny fishing village. So, if you go during the day, you can swim in the crystal clear water near the boathouses while waiting for your food! They also have the cutest little kittens running around the restaurant and fishing village. We had 8 adorable newborn kittens frolicking around right next to us!

Best Seafood in Milos
The incredible grilled calamari at Medusa!

Milos Boat Tours

They have some incredible boat tours in Milos! There are quite a few of them, so it’s hard to know which one to choose. I’m sure the majority of them are awesome. I spent forever researching and trying to decide on one, and I ended up choosing Polco Sailing Cruises. One of the reasons I chose Polco was because they have hammocks on the boat!

Sailing Tour in Milos
Hammocks on our Polco Sailing Cruise!

All of the boat tours have half-day and full-day options. The full-day option includes unlimited wine, water, snacks, and lunch. I was not impressed with the lunch on this one at all. I honestly couldn’t even eat it, but nothing beats the sailing tour we did in Paros, so I might have been spoiled. Paros is another stunning must-see Greek Island where we went on Michael Zeppos Cruises. On Michael Zeppos, they cook fresh seafood and insanely good local cuisine. So, to me, the food on this one wasn’t the best, but the cruise itself was amazing!!

Milos Boat Tour Departure Point

You’ll meet your crew at the Adamas Port at 9:30 am and return by around 6:30 pm. The cruise stops at 3-4 different beautiful locations, the main attraction being Kleftico, and the surrounding blue caves, which are incredible! The captain will take you through the caves in a dingy and explain each one of them to you, as well as the backstory of how each cave got its name. He will also take awesome photos of you and your friends in the caves and on the secret beaches.  

This was taken inside one of the Caves. Our guide set up the shot and had our other friends throwing water on us the whole time, it was hilarious!

Milos is made up of volcanic rock and limestone, so the rock structures you see on the boat tours are insane! The rocks meld together, so one giant cliff will go from limestone to volcanic rock and the colors will change from stark white to black to reddish-orange.

Caves in Milos
First stop to swim through the caves!

Best Places to Watch the Sunset in Milos

Sarakiniko Beach is an incredible place to watch the sunset. It looks like you’re walking on the moon. The crater shaped rock formations that make up the beach is the perfect place to bring a blanket, a bottle of wine and a picnic to watch the sunset. It’s incredibly stunning how the pastel colors of the sky illuminate the white limestone and the water shimmers with the last bit of the sun that quickly melds into the moon’s reflection. This is a must-see in Milos!

The church at the very top of Plaka Town:

I, unfortunately, didn’t have time to experience the sunset from up here, but have seen multiple pictures and videos of it that are stunning and it’s a highly recommended place to view it from.

Best Beaches in Milos

Milos has some of the most unique and picturesque beaches I’ve ever seen! These are my favorites!

Firopotamos Beach: 

My absolute favorite is Firopotamos. Firopotamos, is a stunning little fishing village tucked away at the bottom of a mountainous cliff. It’s a bit of a drive down to, but it’s incredible! The water is crystal clear and the adorable boathouses line the beach. This beach made me so happy, I never wanted to leave. There were hardly any tourists here when we went, even though it was high season. This is definitely a local’s hang out and I can see why! I would be here all the time if I lived in Milos!

Firapotamos Fishing Village
Firapotamos! The water here is insane! You can rent these adorable boathouses behind me and on the beach as well!

Sarakiniko Beaches:

Sarakiniko is one of the most unique beaches I’ve ever been to. It’s pretty incredible! This beach is known to look like you’re walking on the moon, and it truly does resemble that. Not that I’ve been to the moon, but it’s a series of craters and cliffs that plunge into the sea, with caves you can swim into, and long inlets to snorkel in. It’s truly an incredible place to be day or night. You absolutely can’t miss this beach!

Moon Beach in Milos
Sarakiniko Beach! The most unique beach i’ve ever seen!

Papafragas Caves and Beaches:

Papafragas Caves is a cluster of caves, inlets, beaches and coves that are all right next to each other. The steps down to the main beach are very narrow and steep, but nothing scary. You can actually swim through little archway caves that connect one beach to another. This was right next to our apartment, so we started our beach hopping day here, and continued up the island exploring one perfect beach after another. 

Papafragas Caves
The Stunning Papafragas Beach!

Pollonia Town Beach:

The beach right in Pollonia Town is really beautiful! It’s lined with adorable little boats out in the harbor, the water is crystal clear, and the prettiest turquoise blue. I was really impressed with it, especially for a beach right in town! Honestly, I loved this little beach and could have spent way longer here. We just stopped here for a quick picnic, not realizing how much we’d love it!

Tsigrado Beach:

This was one beach I really wanted to see, but unfortunately didn’t have time for. It’s known as the most secluded beach in Milos, also known as the beach with the ladder, because you climb down a wooden ladder to get to it. It looks beautiful, so definitely make the time to check it out! It does get quite choppy later in the day because it’s on the side of the island that gets the most wind. So, try to go early in the day to get the best experience.

Best Island to Visit after Milos!

In my opinion, the best island to visit after Milos is Paros!

To Summarize!

No matter how many times I go to Greece, I will always be left wanting more! More of the pristine beaches, more incredible food, more crystal clear stunning water, more amazing wine, need I say more? I could go on forever. Island hopping in Greece is always a good idea! With so many islands to choose from and explore, you can go every year and still be left wanting more. Use this itinerary as well as my guides for Mykonos, Santorini, Paros, Ios, and Zakynthos as a starting point for your first Greek adventure. I promise it won’t be your last!

Do you have any further questions regarding Milos? Or, if there’s anything I left out, feel free to write them in the comments below, and always have fun when you go!

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