Milos Island gained much popularity in the last few years, and we can understand why. We didn’t get bored for a second while in Milos as there are so many amazing things to do on this island. For us, it was a perfect combination of relaxation and adventure. In this blog post, we share the 10 most amazing things to do when visiting Milos and everything you need to know to plan your trip.
Best time to visit Milos Greece
The best time to visit the greek islands is from May to October. July and August are the hottest months and also high season, which means most visitors to the island.
We recommend visiting May/June or September/October for better prices, fewer people, and great weather. We prefer the shoulder months and visited Milos Greece in September, which was perfect. Typical sunny weather but not too busy.
How to get to Milos Island
Milos Island can either be reached by ferry or airplane, depending on where you come from. The national airport of Milos is small and does not serve any international flights. If you want to fly to Milos, you can fly from your home to Athens and change there on a flight to the island.
If you are island hopping between the Cyclades, you can easily do so with the local ferries. We used the website and app of ferryhopper and found it very convenient. We recommend pre-booking your ferry tickets, especially in the high season.
Tip: Ask your accomodation for a transfer from the harbor. Some hotels offer a shuttle. We made the experience that there are barely any taxis in the port, and when a ferry arrives, everyone wants one.
10 most amazing things to do in Milos Greece
What we loved about Milos is how much this little island offers. From the cutest fishing towns to cliff jumping at Sarakiniko beach and evening strolls in the dreamiest greek towns. These are the 10 most amazing things to do in Milos, Greece:
Refresh and snorkel at Paralia Firopotamos
One of the places in Milos that we fell in love with was Paralia (meaning beach) Firopotamos. We didn’t actually spend time at the beach but continued the road to the little church. Next to the church, we found some rocky stairs where we could jump off into the beautiful, blue, and refreshing water. We loved this spot and jumped in several times but also brought our snorkeling great to snorkel along the rocks and find some small but colorful fish.
Visit Sarakiniko Beach for Sunrise
Probably the beach that made Milos so famous, and the funny thing is the actual beach is super tiny, but what attracts all the visitors are the white rocks looking like a landscape on the moon. It’s volcanic rocks that got bleached by the sun over the years.
We wondered if this place could live up to the hype, and yes, it does. It’s genuinely super unique, and it’s a true gem for photographers like us. We loved watching the sunrise from Sarakiniko, jumping off the cliffs countless times, and drying in the sun on the unique white rocks. This place can get crowded, so we recommend visiting early morning or late afternoon.
Sunset stroll at Klima Beach and dinner by the sea at Astakas Cafe
One of our favorite evenings and dinners on the Island was when we visited Klima Beach and strolled along this little fishing village by the sea. It was super idyllic and picturesque. Until we found a restaurant by the sea called Astakas Cafe, and that made the evening even better. We got lucky that they had a table available for us. We highly recommend making a reservation. The food was so good, and they had great options for plant-based food. We enjoyed watching the sunset with a glass of greek white wine and this delicious dinner. It was absolutely perfect.
Visit the cute Mandrakia fishing village
Mandrakia is another cute little fishing village by the sea in Milos and is very picturesque. It’s worth a visit and makes an excellent place for photos, and there were cute cats everywhere. There is not much to do, but we found that next to it is a beautiful and uncrowded beach called Tourkothalassa beach which is nice to go for a refreshing swim.
Explore the beaches in the South
Most of the main attractions of Milos, Greece, and also the main towns and lots of hotels are located in the northern part of the island. But when you visit Milos, you can’t miss the southern coast. It’s less crowded and has a lot of amazing and especially sandy beaches.
Fyriplaka Beach
A beautiful big sandy beach with huge rocks in the back. Fyriplaka beach offers sunbeds in the first part of the beach for those who like, but you can also walk a bit further and just chill in the sand.
Tsigardo Beach
Tsigardo is a little adventure beach, and we always love that. It is located between the cliffs, and the only way to get down is through the rocks and to climb down a small ladder. Totally worth it, though, to jump into the clear blue water at the end. It is best to go early as it can get crowded quickly. It’s just a small beach with golden sand.
Agia Kiriaki Beach
Another bigger beach in the south is Agia Kiriaki. It offers sunbeds and also has a restaurant at the beach. A great place to chill and spend some beach time.
Visit Pollonia Beach and have dinner by the sea
Pollonia is another lovely part of Milos on the northeast of the Island. It is a picturesque fishing village built around a windless bay, ideal for unwinding. It offers sandy beaches and a cute town with restaurants close to the ocean. We loved having dinner by the sea here.
Rent a boat for a day and visit Kleftiko
If we had to choose our favorite activity in Milos, then it would be renting a boat from Blue Mile. You can rent their small boats without a permit. Blue Mile gives excellent instructions at the pick-up of the boat, and we felt confident about exploring on our own. It was the best feeling to have our own boat and to explore at our own pace.
We traveled along the south coast with the rental boat until we reached Kleftiko, a famous rock formation surrounded by the most turquoise and clear water. There we anchored our boat and spent the whole day swimming, diving, and jumping from the ship. Tourist tours came and left, and as we stayed all day, we sometimes had the bay all to ourselves. Highly recommend this unforgettable experience. We recommend bringing a picnic and enough water to drink and then you can enjoy all day here.
Dinner and sunset at Milos Plaka
The Plaka (main town) of Milos is located in the hills and offers fantastic views at sunset. It also is the prettiest greek town on the island. We loved coming here for sunset and enjoying a beautiful dinner in town. The best sunset spot is at the Plaka castle at the top of the city. It can get very crowded at sunset, but we found a great location above the castle on the walls.
After sunset, we strolled through the cute Plaka and found a charming dinner spot at Avli-Milos. The food was delicious, and the vibes were great.
Best places to eat in Milos Greece
O! Hamos Tavern, Adamas
Adamas’s most popular greek tavern is famous for a reason—very traditional greek food in a lovely garden restaurant. Eating plant-based was not the easiest here.
Avli-Milos, Plaka
Astakas Cafe, Klima
We found this restaurant by surprise when e wanted to photograph Klima at sunset and got lucky that they still had a table available for us. A reservation is highly recommended, and we had our favorite dinner in Milos here. Great vegan options and super delicious food. Eating by the sea and watching the sunset is just magical.
Barko Tavern, Adamas
Rifaki, Pollonia
Where to stay in Milos
There are many different options for which part of the island you can stay, and these are our recommendations for choosing a place.
Milos Plaka
Many visitors stay in the Plaka of Milos, which is very convenient for going out for dinner at night but far from the beaches. This wasn’t an option for us as we preferred to stay in an excellent location for exploring the island.
Adamas
This is our preferred location to stay. It’s close to the harbor when you arrive in Milos, offers lots of food options, and is a great location to explore in all directions of Milos.
We stayed at a cute place called Anita Rooms & Apartments that we found on booking and were super happy with our choice.
Pollonia
We stayed for some nights in Pollonia at the new and magnificent Phos Suites and loved this part of the island. It’s a charming town with great restaurants and. a lovely beach—another place we highly recommend staying.
South of Milos
Staying in the south of the island is great for those who want to spend relaxing beach holidays as it is closest to all the island’s sandy beaches. There aren’t many food options like in other parts, and the drive to the towns is a bit far. But we found that there are cheaper accommodation offers there.
How to get around Milos Island
The best and easiest way to explore Milos Island is by renting a Scooter or a car. The freedom that comes with riding your vehicle is priceless. Milos Greece has a lot to offer, so it’s worth having a vehicle to see most of the Island. We recommend Discover Cars to get the best prices for car rentals.
Budget for traveling in Greece
The following budget helps you to plan your trip to Ios and island hopping the Cyclades islands. Of course, the costs can vary depending on the accommodation, for example.
- Price per night for accommodation: 60.00 – 150.00 Euro per night (budget to midrange)
- Cost for two meals per day for two people: 60.00 – 80.00 Euro per day (for lunch and dinner)
- Cost of scooter rental in Milos: 20 Euro per day / Cost of car rental: 45 Euro per day
- Boat rental for a day: around 200 Euro for a half-day
- Ferry Ticket to get to Milos: around 50 Euro per person (depending on which island you are coming fro
Travel Tips
Internet Access in Milos
We recommend buying a local SIM card for the cheapest and most reliable Internet connection while in Greece. We sometimes had bad connections in our Airbnbs.
The most convenient option for travelers is the eSim Card (digital SIM card) from Airalo. You can download and install a digital data pack and get connected anywhere in the world as soon as you land, so there is no need to waste time looking for a local plastic SIM card.
Conclusion
Milos quickly became our favorite island of the Cyclades. The island has a lot to offer, from beautiful beaches, places to adventure, and pretty greek towns with amazing food options. The highlight for us was Sarakiniko Beach, and the day we rented a boat and explored Kleftiko. We can never get over the incredibly beautiful, turquoise, and clear water of the greek islands, and Milos offered plenty of it. We would go back instantly and can see why this island gained a lot of popularity.
