The ULTIMATE Milos Travel Guide: Everything to Know
Are you planning a trip to the Greek Islands and looking for more information on Milos, Greece?
With its incredible landscapes, tiny beach towns, and unbeatable blue water, you need to add Milos, Greece to your itinerary! Milos is one of the many islands in the Cyclades group of the Greek Islands (the same as Santorini and Mykonos). While Milos is not one of the most famous islands, it’s certainly one of the most underrated!
Planning a trip to Milos can be difficult because it’s not as popular as other islands. So, in this Milos Travel Guide, I’ll cover everything you need to know about visiting the island of Milos, including the different areas of the island, how to get around, where to stay, what to do, and more!
So keep reading if you are planning a trip to Milos, Greece and are wondering about the ins and outs of visiting this island!
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A Complete Guide to Visit Milos, Greece: Where to Stay, Things to Do, and More
Where is Milos, Greece?
First up in this Milos travel guide, let’s talk about where the heck Milos is!
Milos is located in the Cyclades Islands, just 84 nautical miles southeast from the mainland and capital city of Athens. Milos is a popular addition to Greek Island itineraries with Santorini and Mykonos, as there are ferries from both islands to and from Milos!
Check out the below map to see where Milos (marked) is in relation to other famous Greek Islands.
How to Get to Milos
As mentioned above, Milos is pretty close to other famous Greek Islands as well as the mainland. How you get to Milos will depend on where you’re starting from, your budget, and your preferences and itinerary! Your two primary options are to fly or take a ferry.
Milos Airport (MLO) is extremely small and has 2 airlines that fly in and out of it: Sky Express and Aegean Airlines. If you’re traveling directly from Athens to Milos, I recommend flying, as the flight costs are around the same as the ferry but are much faster.
Plus, ferries in Greece are not the most reliable, often getting delayed or cancelled during the summer due to strong winds. So, your best bet is to fly! I recommend flying early as winds tend to be milder in the morning.
A Quick Note on Flying in and out of Milos:
If you are visiting the Greek Islands from the USA and flying in and out of Athens from the states, I highly recommend making Athens your last stop on the itinerary or at least adding one night in Athens on the back end.
When we visited Greece, Milos was our last stop on the itinerary, and we had to fly from Milos to Athens to catch our flight home out of Athens International Airport the same day.
While we were waiting in line to board at the Milos Airport, they announced that all remaining flights that day were cancelled due to high winds. Luckily, our flight was the last one to go out, but if we had missed out flight out of Milos, we would’ve also missed our flight home back to the States.
So now I have a rule, ALWAYS be in the city you are flying out of the night before your trip.
For more info, make sure to check out my detailed guide on How to Get to Milos, Greece!
Best Time to Visit Milos
Like most Greek islands, the main tourism season is from May – September, with July and August being the busiest (and hottest) months of the year. We visited in early June and it felt like the island was just gearing up for tourism season. We had gorgeous weather – highs in the low 80s and lows in the upper 60s.
Being from Florida, the water was a little chilly for me at this time, but not totally unbearable. However, I still highly recommend visiting in late May or early June!
As the summer progresses, the water and air temperatures warm up quite a bit, with July and August seeing average temperatures in the 100s. With the warmer weather comes the tourists from around the world, so expect large crowds later in the summer months, especially in August when most of Europe is off school and work!
Crowds die down as fall approaches, with temperatures dropping again. Winter is off-season in the Greek islands, with many businesses closing up, so it is not a great time to visit.
Transportation Options
While Milos is a relatively small island, there are a few main areas that are spread around the island. If you are visiting Milos for a few days, I highly recommend renting a car, ATV, or scooter. This is especially important if you have limited time on Milos and want to be able to see and do as much as possible.
There is public transportation on Milos, but we did not use it, so I cannot speak to the reliability or comfort. However, after spending 3 Days in Santorini using the public buses, I can imagine how the public transportation on Milos is! 😉
Note: If you’re traveling from the USA, you will need an International Driving Permit in order to rent a vehicle (including ATVs and scooters) in Greece. This is a special license – your standard state driver’s license does not carry over. However, it’s very easy to get an International Driving Permit. Just head to your local AAA office, fill out an application, pay the $20 fee, have your photo taken, and you’re done.
If you’re nervous about driving in Greece, don’t be! We rented an ATV and although I had never driven one before, we did not have any issues. The roads are well paved, signs are clear, and people drive safely.
If you don’t feel comfortable renting an ATV, you can rent a car, but you probably will need to know how to drive stick shift! Another option is a scooter, however, I don’t recommend renting one if you have never driven one before. Scooters are fun but obviously easier to crash and get injured on. So choose the method of transportation you feel most comfortable with!
Main Areas of the Island
As I mentioned, the island of Milos is around the same size as Santorini, about 60 square miles, and has a few different main areas. Take a look at the map below for a visual, and I’ll dive into the different towns and what to expect there!
Adamantas: The Port
Adamantas is the main town on Milos, and it’s also where the port is located. If you are arriving by ferry, you will arrive at Adamantas (you can see the ferry routes on the map above!). Along with the ferry port, Adamantas is home to lots of great restaurants and shops, so it’s a great place to stay if you are looking to be in the middle of the “hustle and bustle”.
It’s also where the main car/ATV/scooter rental shops are. If you don’t stay in Adamantas, you will likely drive through it a few times as you journey around the island, so it’s a good location marker. It’s also home to Papikinou beach, which was very small but absolutely gorgeous at sunset with the sailboats in the harbor.
Pollonia: Lively Beach Town
Pollonia is the second largest area on Milos, located on the northern tip of the island. Pollonia has quite a few restaurants, including the famous Akrotiri Seafood Obsession, and one of the only “bars” on the island – Opsidianos Art Cafe.
Pollonia is a great place to stay if you’re looking to be on the beach but nearby some restaurants and shops too. Pollonia is also where the gorgeous Milos Breeze Boutique Hotel is located, which I highly recommend checking out!
Paliochori: Quiet but Gorgeous
Paliochori is where we stayed while on Milos, at the gorgeous Artemis Deluxe Rooms. The Paliochori area is on the east side of the island, on a quiet and beautiful beach.
If you stay at Artemis, you can walk right down to the beach and have access to their beach loungers for free. There is also a famous restaurant located in Paliochori, which I highly recommend visiting! Sirocco is known for cooking some of the food in the sand, as the area is volcanic and the sand is THAT hot in some areas – so cool!
In general, Paliochori is best for people who want to be away from crowds. It was very quiet in this area, but gorgeous!
Plaka: Small and Stunning
Plaka is a small town on the northwest tip of the island and is another great place to stay. There are a handful of restaurants, hotels, shops, and Airbnbs in the area. It was very quiet when we visited in early June, but full of gorgeous alleyways at every turn, just what you imagine the Greek Islands to look like.
Plaka is a very popular place to watch the sunset, specifically at the top of Plaka Castle!
For more details on the different areas of Milos, including where the best hotels on the island are, make sure to check out my complete guide: Where to Stay in Milos, Greece!
Things to Do on Milos
Sailing or boat cruise to Kleftiko
If you only have one day in Milos, I highly recommend getting out on the water. We spent one day on a sailboat tour with Polco Sailing, and it was the highlight of our trip! If you do a boat tour, you will likely visit the famous Kleftiko caves, which is an absolute must!! Pirates and thieves used to frequent this location and hide in the caves, which is how they got their name (Klefti means “theif” in Greek!).
Look for a tour that will take you through the caves, which was the highlight of our day. Below are some different options!
Sarakiniko Beach
Probably even more famous than Kleftiko is the insane landscape of Sarakiniko Beach. If you’ve looked up pictures of Milos, odds are this famous beach has come up! It’s definitely one of the top beaches on Milos!
Right on the north end of the island, Sarakinko is a rocky outcrop right on the ocean, with a small “beach” where the water comes in, plus areas to jump directly into the sea! Unfortunately, it was SUPER windy when we visisted, so the sea was rough, and we couldn’t do any cliff jumps. But Sarakinko was still worth a visit. The landscape is unlike anything you’ve seen before!
Tsigardo Beach
Another famous beach on the island is Tsigardo Beach. To access this small beach, you must climb down a set of wooden ladders through a rocky cavern – so cool! We visited this beach on our boat tour, but I wish we had time to go back by land so we could experience the adventure!
4. Firopotomas
Firopotomas is a small fishing village on the north end of the island in between Plaka and Mandrakia. There is a small beach here where you can hang out, but my favorite part was the tip of the town where the Church of Agios Nikolaos is. Next to the church, there’s a handful of apartments (not sure if they were inhabited!) atop the bluest water I’ve ever seen, with little fishing boats floating. I
t was probably the most picturesque place I’ve ever been – I really could’ve stayed there all day, swimming in the water and jumping off the small cliff in front of the church!
5. Papafragas Caves
Unfortunately we did not have a chance to visit Papafragas Caves, but it’s another great spot to add to your Milos itinerary! Not too far from Pollonia, these caves are made up of volcanic rocks and include secluded swimming holes and sea caves that are so dreamy!
6. Paliochori Beach
Luckily we stayed on Paliochori Beach, so we didn’t have to travel very far to experience the beauty! If you aren’t staying in this area, Paliochori is still worth a visit. The water was soo clear and so refreshing. Artemis offers lounge chairs that you can rent for the day, even if you aren’t staying there. It’s the perfect place to spend an afternoon and relax on the beach!
What to Pack for Milos
I won’t list out my whole packing list for you, because that would be excessive right?! Instead I’ll give you my must haves for your trip to the Greek Islands and Milos!!
1. Beach Cover Up / Kimono: You NEED something you can throw on after a long day in the sun! The sun in Greece is soo strong. I used my kimono a ton on our trip. It can double as a dress, a shirt, a towel, or a pillow! A lightweight, long sleeve shirt like this one will also work.
2. Sunscreen: I will scream this from the mountain tops until I am blue in the face! If you are going to be oustide, you need to wear sunscreen. Even if its cloudy!! If you hate the feeling of suncreen, I highly recommend Supergoop! It’s my favorite brand ever (not sponspored) but I will recommend them forever. Their matte screen and unseen suncreen are next level – you will forget you even have it on! So no excuses, wear your SPF and protect yourself from those harmful rays!
3. Floppy Hat: Again, having something to protect yourself from the sun is crucial! Bonus points if it can get wet like this one!
4. Dramamine: If you are taking the ferry to or from Santorini, make sure to bring seasickness medicine, just in case!
5. Europe plug converter: If you’re traveling from the USA, you will need a converter like this one to use your electronics!
6. Comfy sandals with straps: I purchased these Reef sandals before my trip to Greece and they were the bomb! They’re soo comfortable and they can get wet! They were perfect for the rocky beaches and the cliff jumping!
Where to Eat on Milos
There are some “famous” restaurants on Milos (or famous for a small island) that you must try when you visit the island. Again, this is another reason to make sure you have your own vehicle while on Milos, so you aren’t limited to the restaurants around your hotel. All of the restaurants below are located in different areas of the island, and you must try them all!!
1. Sirocco Restaurant in Paliochori – As I mentioned before, Sirocco cooks some of their food IN THE SAND right in front of the restaurant. Also, try the Greek potatoes here. You can thank me later!
2. Medusa in Mandrakia – Probably the most famous restaurant on the island, Medusa is a small restaurant in the town of Mandrakia. Famous for its octopus, it was the perfect place to grab lunch when we were hopping around the island!
3. Astakas Cafe in Kilma – We spent our last dinner on the island here, and it was honestly magical. We had a bottle of Greek wine and the best ceviche I’ve EVER tasted. I recommend making a reservation for an hour before sunset. You won’t be disappointed!
Final Thoughts
And that wraps up my Ultimate Milos Travel Guide! If you’re planning a trip to the Greek Islands, I hope this guide helps you plan your epic adventure! Milos was one of the most unique places I’ve ever been and I can’t wait to go back one day! Whether it’s lounging on the beach, exploring the little fishing villages, or sailing around the coast, there is something for everyone on this epic island in the Cyclades.
If you’re planning a trip to Greek Islands, don’t forget to check out my One Week Greek Island Hopping Itinerary!
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