3 Days In Milos

Hello there!

This will be a continuation of my previous post about Santorini.

First of all, let me tell you about Milos. Milos is an island situated in the southwest of the Cyclades islands. Just like all of its sisters, this is a volcanic island with a lot of wonders to see.

To get to Milos, as I told you in my previous post, I decided to take a ferry from Santorini. This is not your only option to get to Milos, but it will probably be the easiest (and cheapest) one. There is an airport in Milos island too, however, this is a very small airport with close to no traffic. On the day I left Santorini, there were literally no flights, nor were there on the next day. So keep that in mind.

Also, I was on a budget, so, at 17 EUR per person, this will probably be the most inexpensive option you will find. This was not the only option, as there were faster ferries that would have taken less time to arrive in Milos, but, of course, these were more expensive.

I left Santorini at 11 am with a 5-hour journey ahead. This was the slower ferry, so it would not be going directly to Milos, stopping in 4 other islands before reaching its destination.

The Ferry

The ferry was quite big. Of course, these ferries take not only people but also vehicles. Once you get inside, you will find there are more than one floor. This is, of course, in regards to the ferry I took, so your experience might be different.

So, there was no Wifi on board. Taking into account you are in a foreign place, and the voyage takes 5 hours, this might prove itself to be a challenge. You will get very very bored. So think about taking a book or a project with you, so that you can entertain yourself during those 5 hours.

And this was about it, in regards to the negative points about the ferry.

In a more positive note: You will find a lot of seating areas. Inside and outside. You will find sofas inside, where you will be able to hate your life for the long 5 hours it will take you to reach Milos, and you will be able to take a little nap. There are also outlets around the ship so that you can charge your tech, free of charge. Just try to find one and use it.

Outside, accommodations are not as comfortable, however, you will find huge seating areas, some of them overlooking the sea.

Pro Tip: Make sure you go to the front of the boat at every stop. The views you'll have when you are arriving in every island's ports are absolutely breathtaking. I loved seeing the other islands before reaching Milos.

Arriving in Milos

Finally, after 5 grueling hours of nothing, you will reach Milos island. And man, will it be worth it. You will be arriving at the Adamantas Port. It's a very small port, right on the edge of Adamantas town. This is a very small but homey town. You will immediately get those island feels. It's immediately relaxing and completely different from Santorini.

You will not see a bunch of Hotels or resorts, or tourists walking around. Luckily, Milos is still pretty underrated and unknown, which will give you a much more Greek experience as a foreigner.

I stayed in Adamantas town, pretty close to the city center. I stayed in a sort of Hotel meets Guest House called Christina Rooms. I found this accommodation through Booking.com, and, of course, my main goal when choosing a place to stay was: 1 - not crazy expensive. 2 - Close to the city center.

The rooms are truly lovely, and I even had a small kitchen in my room. This is always a big plus for me since I find it to be quite a waste of money to eat out all the time.

Adamantas is small but lovely. And here is where the cool part starts. As I mentioned on my Instagram stories (saved in the Greece highlights), public transportation in Milos is lacking. So as soon as I arrived, I knew what I had to do: Rent an ATV bike.

After "shopping around" for the best deal, I finally found the best option for me at Apollonas Sunshine Rental. The price/quality relation was exactly what I was looking for, and it looked like a legit place to rent a vehicle (one of the first places I visited was dodgy AF). However, the boss will test you first, before letting you rent an ATV. They will give you a small class on Riding an ATV 101 and depending on how you do, they will allow you (or not) to rent the bike.

All you need to rent the ATV is to have a credit card to leave on file and your driver's license. I am Portuguese, so my driver's license is accepted in Europe, however, I'm pretty sure that you might have to get an international driver's license in case yours was issued outside of Europe. Make sure to check that before you leave on your trip!

Day 1

To be honest, day 1 was not very interesting and I did not manage to do a lot. Since I arrived on the island quite late in the afternoon, there was not a lot of time to go explore.

As I mentioned before, I did not leave Adamantas. After checking in at the hotel, going to the supermarket to get food, and taking care of the ATVs issue, it was, out of the blue, dinner time. There was this very cute restaurant right on the side of the beach in Adamantas, and that was the place I chose for dinner time. The service was amazing and the food was delicious.

I ate the best pasta dish with vegetables, and at the end of the meal, they offered this amazing dessert, which, to this day, I'm still unsure of what it was. Some sort of sweet cream custard that they blow torched when served. Amaaaaazing. After that, it was time to go to sleep. The next day was full with the promise of amazing adventures.

Day 2

Sarakiniko

7 am and I was leaving on my first adventure. Destination was Sarakiniko. This was the one place I really wanted to see here in Milos. Sarakiniko is a beach/cove thingy that looks like it came off a SciFi movie. Once you park your car/bike/ATV in the closest parking lot to Sarakiniko, all you have to do is follow the beaten path. It's around 2 minutes until you get to Sarakiniko beach. You will immediately see the rocky ground changing into this powdery white color, and you will suddenly feel like you are walking on the moon! If you came here looking to find a traditional beach, let me warn you, this is not it!

You will find other places closer to what you are looking for, but Sarakiniko is more of a rocky - you must jump in the water to have fun - kind of place. It's most known for its jumping cliffs than its beach qualities. So if you are adventurous and a good swimmer, jumping from the Sarakiniko's cliffs is a must-do. I didn't because I'm a little chicken-s*it, and believe me, I regret not jumping.

I reached Sarakiniko at 7h something, close to 8 am. And hey, if you have time to spare, you should visit Sarakiniko early in the morning and mid-afternoon. Early in the morning, the sea is calm, the sun is rising in the middle of the white rocks, and you will not find that many people here. I think I found a couple enjoying the sun and the water and that was it. After a few photos and some drone shots, it was time to leave to the next location. But hey, this is not my last time in Sarakiniko. I would be back, later on, to get in the water.

Apollonia

From Sarakiniko I decided to take my ATV and drive to Apollonia, one of the cities situated on one of the corners of the island. It was a 15-minute drive, 20 minutes tops, and it was absolutely beautiful. Driving around Milos will show you the real beauty of the island. You will see all the cute little houses, beautiful beaches and wonder fields full of wild colourful flowers. In Apollonia, I was starting to get a bit hungry and hot, so my first stop was a little cafe by the sea. It was the perfect place to have some decent breakfast and chill a bit, before moving on with the adventure.

This is a very small but very cute city to see, and, in all honesty, you will be out of here in no more than 30 minutes. From here, I drove to another very famous beach in Milos: Papafragas.

Papafragas

Oh beautiful Papafragas! This is the most wonderful place ever. You will find an exit to Papafragas right off the road and a small dirt parking lot.

Pro tip: Picking shoes or at least sneakers are advised! You need to hike a bit to get there, and it's safer if you don't slip and fall!

Papafragas is also known as Papafragas caves, due to the weird rocky formations that create watery caves all around Papafragas. After a small but a bit slippery hike to reach the water, I found an amazing place to chill and finally bathe. The water was crystal clear and an amazing blue turquoise, so I could not contain myself and just went for it.

Oh and by the way, there are fish here in Papafragas! It's the best!

There is also a small sandy beach if you don't like to sit on the rocks, which, to be honest, is a bit painful, especially after a dip, so I would definitely advise you to go sit by the beach instead, as it will be easier and painless.

Also important: there is a cute cave you can dive and/or cannon ball into!

And After a stop to have lunch at the Hotel... Sarakiniko again

The morning stop in Sarakiniko was focused on photos and enjoying the views by myself, the afternoon stop in Sarakiniko was a fun time in the water + drone shots!

I described Sarakiniko before, so I will not do it again. Although I will warn you, you will find close to no shades at all in Sarakiniko, so if you are going in the afternoon, take a hat with you and something to cover up, otherwise, you will burn like an Englishman in Algarve (if you are Portuguese you know what I mean).

The rock turns whiter, and it works pretty much as a reflector, so everything is white, except the water, which is the prettiest blue.

I think I'm fangirling too much about Sarakiniko right? I'll stop I'll stop.

After some silly jumps in the water and getting the drone shots I wanted, we went to the other side of the island again.

Mandrakia

You have to stop in Mandrakia. I don't think you can call Mandrakia a city, to be honest, it's more of a collection of houses with the most wonderful and colorful bay.

It's a great place to chill out a bit, sit on the edge of the bay with your feet in the water and just enjoy the sounds of nature and the sea thrusting into the parked boats.

You won't need a lot of time here in Mandrakia, since it's quite small, but the roads to get here are pretty crazy so beware! Drive carefully!

Firopotamos

The last place of the day, to enjoy the sunset was Firopotamos. Just like Mandrakia, Firopotamos has a small bay for small boats, with the cutest little houses on the water (literally). However, unlike Mandrakia, this small village has a beach! A real-life sandy beach! It's a nice place to stay awhile and enjoy the water, a nice cold drink, and the rest of your afternoon.

Visiting all these places on the same day is a bit tiring, so by the end of the day, I was tired and sleepy and wanted to go rest, to prepare for the next day. Especially because I had only one other day left on this wonderful island, and wanted to leave the Hotel early in the morning to go out and enjoy the other beautiful places this island had to offer.

Day 3

Woke up early again, got dressed, and decided to head on over to the city of Plaka. Although this was not my first stop, it was the place I really wanted to check out in the morning.

Before getting to Plaka, I decided to stop by Klima, another one of the cute little bays, with cute little colorful houses on top of the water. I have to be honest, it was a little underwhelming. At least in comparison to the other places you will find around the island that are very similar to this one. The water was full of seaweed, and it did not look as amazing as I was expecting. Still, if you are driving to Plaka, why not stop to check it out.

Plaka

This quaint little village is actually the capital of Milos. It stands on top of a hill, overlooking the sea and the rest of the island. You will find the cutest cobblestone streets and white and blue buildings in the city center of Plaka, and every little corner is photo-worthy!

Before arriving in Plaka, I stopped in the Catacombs of Milos for a tour. One of my friends, who is an enthusiast about history and all things museums, really wanted to check it out. I did not go on the tour, but as I am told, it's cool and not that expensive. So if you're into history, might be a cool place to stop by.

Finally, Plaka! I was able to park really close to the city center, which is the loveliest of places! The streets are all white and there are cute little places on every corner. We stopped at a restaurant (an amazing restaurant, I truly recommend) near the Church of Panagia Korfiatissa. I cannot for the life of me pronounce or even write the name of the restaurant as it is in Greek, but I will leave you the link for its TripAdvisor page https://www.tripadvisor.com.gr/Restaurant_Review-g1572064-d14200393-Reviews-Kokkino_Podilato_Kayak-Plaka_Milos_Cyclades_South_Aegean.html.

After a nice breakfast and some photos with a very insistent cat, I decided to explore the village of Plaka and just walk around aimlessly. No regrets. Every little corner is amazing. And people here are just so nice. An older gentleman that was having a coffee at the same place I was, felt he had to show me the Church of Panagia Korfiatissa. He did not speak English, and I do not speak Greek, but he still tried to communicate with gestures and the warmest smile. After leading me to the church, he then led me to the outlook near the church. He wanted to show me a beach close to Plaka. With gestures of diving in the water, he made me understand we had to go there. So, since I had had breakfast already, I decided why not!

Plathiena

As a recommendation from the sweet old man in Plaka, I drove all the way to Plathiena beach. The road to get here is a bit insane, to be honest. And I heard there's a hiking trail, however, the lady that was working at the restaurant told me this trail has to be walked with some care, because of the snakes.... yes, the snakes. Apparently, snakes are an issue in Milos. But hey, I did not see one snake ever! So I'm guessing that as long as you're careful and have some common sense, you will not see a snake either.

Plathiena is a wonderful place and quite a deserted beach. The water is crystal blue, and the beach is actually sandy and not rocky! So you can lay in the sand and take a nap, or build a sandcastle. Whatever floats your boat. I stayed here for a little while until it was time to have lunch. To have lunch I went back to Plaka, and ate at that same restaurant I had breakfast. In the afternoon it was time to go to the other side of the island, close to the deserted side.

Tsigrado Beach

Well, this was a fail. I snapped a shot of it, but it was a fail.

Once you get to Tsigrado Beach, you don't really see it. Not immediately at least. You have to start hiking the mountain down until you see a ladder. Oh yeah, you saw that right, a wooden ladder. To get to Tsigrado Beach, you need to grab onto the rope close to the ladder, and start climbing down, until you find another wooden ladder, and climb that one down too, and finally reach the beach. As the chicken I am, I did not climb down the ladders and ropes that led to Tsigrado, but one of my friends did. Apparently, the beach down there is very small, but very beautiful too. Is it worth all the trouble going down? I will let you know once I go back to Milos. Next time I will go down those hellish ladders!!

Fyriplaka Beach

If you are a chicken like me, fear not! Right next to Tsigrado Beach you will find Fyriplaka Beach. Fyriplaka is what you expect a beach to be like, but better. It's a long stretch of sand until the eye can see. Covering the beach from everyone and everything is a wall of volcanic reddish rocks towering over it. You will really feel like you are will be separated from the world here.

The water is so clear you can easily see the bottom, even at sunset!

To be honest, it was a great way to end my last day in Milos. Relaxing at the beach trying to film underwater with my GoPro and my friends.

Beware though, this beach is not very public transportation friendly. So make sure you find a way to get here either by walking from the closest bus stop or by renting a vehicle.

Back to Adamantas

At the end of the day, and because I was leaving in the early morning (and I do mean early since my ferry was at 5 am), I spent the rest of the day/night thighing up a few loose ends.

Number one: Returning the ATV. It was a brilliant experience. I completely loved it! And will rent one again if possible!

Number two: Get the physical tickets for the ferry. Like I told you previously, it's always best to have your tickets printed with you. There is a place very close to the port that sells printed tickets. Very similar place like the one in Santorini.

Number three: Get food for the next day. The ferry journey to Athens takes another 5 hours, so it's very important to take some food and water with you, just to make sure you don't go hungry. I bought some snacks and drinks and went to the Hotel.

This was a very sad night, to be honest. I loved Milos so much and felt like I did not see everything I wanted to see. I mean, to be honest, I would have had to have stayed about a month to be able to see everything! The island of Milos is now one of my favorite places in the world, and I want to go back again eventually. It's a beautiful island, almost untouched by Man, full of adventures and fun to be had.

Going to the ferry, I could not have felt more grateful for the time passed in Milos. I entered the ferry excited about the new destination though: Athens!

Hope you liked this post! Since I have not been in Athens for too long, I'm not sure I will be able to make a post about will. Will still consider it and will give you updates soon!

Leo

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5 Days In Santorini