How to Get to Milos, Greece: Fly or Ferry?

Milos is slowly becoming one of the more popular Greek Islands in the Cycladic island chain (when you visit, you’ll see why!).

However, major cruise lines do not stop in Milos, which has kept it relatively untouched compared to places like Santorini and Mykonos.

Getting to Milos is straightforward. Like most other Greek Islands, your two options are to fly or take a ferry.

But which you choose will depend on where you are traveling from, how much time you have, your budget, and more.

We personally took the ferry from Santorini to Milos and then flew from Milos to Athens at the end of our trip, but your route may look different! This post will help you decide the best option for you.

Where is Milos, Greece?

Milos is part of the Cyclades island chain in the Aegean Sea, which also includes Ios, Naxos, Paros, Santorini, Mykonos, and many others! This is definitely the most famous of all the Greek island chains.

As you can see in the image below, Milos is located on the southwestern side of the island chain, not far from Sifnos, Paros, and Santorini.

Here’s a quick breakdown of how long it takes to reach Milos from other islands (or vice versa):

• Milos to Athens: ~2.5 hours by fast ferry, or 40 minutes by plane (direct flight!)
• Milos to Santorini: ~2.5 hours by ferry (what we did!), or ~3 hours flying with a connection in Athens
• Milos to Paros: ~2 hours by ferry, or ~3 hours flying with a connection in Athens
• Milos to Mykonos: ~3 hours by ferry, or ~3 hours flying with an Athens connection
• Milos to Ios: ~1.5 hours by ferry. No airport on Ios, so the ferry is your only option.

Flying to Milos, Greece

Milos has a small airport on the island: Milos Island National Airport (MLO). The airport is located in the center of the island, less than 10 minutes away from the port of Adamantas.

The only place you can fly to Milos from is the Athens International Airport (ATH). This means if you are trying to get to Milos from another Greek island, you will have to connect in Athens.

I thought for sure since most major Greek islands (like Santorini, Mykonos, Milos, Paros, etc.) have airports, you could just fly directly between them. Nope!

For example, to get between Milos and Santorini by plane, you still have to connect in Athens.

✈️ Here are more details about the MLO ↔ ATH route:

If you decide to fly from Athens to Milos (or vice versa), you should book early. Because the planes are so small, they sell out quickly, and prices rise as you get closer to your departure day.

For summer travel, I recommend booking your flights at least 6 months in advance for the best availability and rates.

✈️ Getting to Milos is just one of many decisions in international trip planning. If you want a complete step-by-step system for all of it (flights, accommodation, travel insurance, money, packing), my Passport to Confidence guide covers everything for just $7. Download it instantly!

Should You Fly to Milos?

• ✈️ Coming from the USA or Europe → fly into Athens, then fly to Milos. Book your international flight and your Athens→Milos flight separately — you’ll usually get better options and lower prices than booking all the way through. Just make sure to give yourself plenty of time for your connection and clearing customs!
• ✈️ Coming from Athens → flying is the fastest and often cheapest option. Book early for the best availability and cheapest fares.
• ✈️ Coming from another Greek island (Santorini, Mykonos, etc.) → you can fly, but you will have to connect through Athens. Whether that’s worth it depends on timing and cost — the ferry is often the easier choice. More on that below.

By the way, if your trip includes Santorini, consider flying direct to Santorini and then ferrying to Milos.

For our One Week Greek Islands trip, I flew from Paris to Santorini direct since I was already in Europe, then took the ferry to Milos after Santorini — no Athens connection needed until the end of the trip.

We then flew from Milos to Athens after spending 3 incredible days on Milos. This was the last leg of our trip before heading home, and we learned a valuable lesson that day…

⚠️ Note: The planes that fly from Milos to Athens are tiny propeller planes that cannot handle high winds. During the summer, high winds are common on Milos, which means the planes cannot take off.

All flights after 12 pm were cancelled the day we left Milos due to the wind! Luckily, we were able to get off the island in time, but we were delayed and almost missed our flight back to the United States.

Now, I always follow these two rules when traveling: always book a morning flight, and always be in the city you are flying from the night before.

Taking the Ferry to Milos, Greece

Arriving via ferry is the most popular way to get to Milos, especially if you are already island hopping around the Cyclades.

Milos is served by its main ferry port in the town of Adamas (also called Adamantas). This town is one of the most popular places to stay on Milos, thanks to the large number of hotels, restaurants, and shops near the port.

Ferry schedules vary year to year; however, during the summer months, there are typically multiple ferries per day to Milos from other neighboring islands. This is the most popular way to travel to Milos during the summer!

Note: If you do decide to take a ferry in Greece, make sure to pack Dramamine, and take it about 30 minutes before you get on the ferry! Take my word on this one – I am a chronically seasick girly lol. Check out my full Greek Islands packing list here!

How Long Does the Ferry to Milos Take?

It depends on where you’re coming from! Here’s a rough guide:

• 🛳️ Athens (Piraeus): 2.5 hours on the fast ferry, or 4–7+ hours on a slower option
• 🛳️ Santorini: ~2.5 hours — this is the route we took, and it was easy and scenic
• 🛳️ Paros: ~1.5–2 hours
• 🛳️ Ios: ~1.5–2 hours
• 🛳️ Mykonos: ~3–4 hours

While these durations are how long the journey should take, ferry delays are common, especially in summer. Our ferry out of Santorini was over 2 hours delayed.

This is largely thanks to the Meltemi — strong seasonal winds that sweep through the Aegean from roughly May through September, peaking in July and August. They make seas rough and ferry schedules… optimistic.

And another thing worth knowing: ferries that look ‘direct’ aren’t always direct. We booked what we thought was a non-stop from Santorini to Milos, and it stopped at two other islands on the way.

Not the end of the world, but worth knowing, especially if you are delayed like we were!