The Ultimate Travel Guide to Milos Greece

We have a new love story to share with you and it’s our head over heels, love at first sight, relationship with Milos, Greece! Milos checks all of the boxes in the Couple’s Coordinates trifecta (aesthetically beautiful, friendly locals, delicious food) and goes above and beyond in offering travelers a unique, quintessential, Greek experience. One can sail around the island of Milos or explore the island by car and imagine how the ancient philosophers were so inspired by this and other gorgeous Cyclades Islands. We explored every inhabited part of the island (and some inhabitable) by 4×4, yacht, and foot, and have compiled information about Milos as well as our recommendations on the best restaurants in Milos and best things to do in Milos here into our Milos travel tips!

History of Milos, Greece

Milos has been inhabited since the Neolithic times, perhaps as early as 7000 BC. The ancient history of Milos features Dorians and Athenians as the main inhabitants. During this period, art flourished (some of which has survived until this current day) and Milos teetered between neutrality and independence and support of the Athenians in the Persian wars.

The Roman Era was prosperous and peaceful for the gorgeous island of Milos. Being a mineral-rich island, Milos played a role in the mineral trade that greatly increased the wealth of her inhabitants. In the present day, there are still catacombs that remain from the Roman Era.

Pirates are some of the key characters in the Medieval history of Milos. As a resource-rich island that benefits from the currents of the Aegean and Mediterranean Seas, Milos was an island that sailors essentially arrived at whether they wanted to or not. Pirates hid out in the many caves of Milos and attacked ships as they

The volcanic Greek island has created a topography of mineral-rich white rocks and cliffs that envelop the breathtaking island. You’ll find rock of tuff, trachyte, and even obsidian on the shores of Milos.

Milos is the southernmost island of the Cyclades chain. With a population of around 5,000 inhabitants, it has maintained an authentic Greek culture and lifestyle that visitors covet and love.

How to get to Milos, Greece

Fly! The first time we visited Greece, we made the mistake of taking a ferry from Athens to Santorini. This region of the Mediterranean is very windy and if you get seasick as Alex does, a ferry ride is going to be a miserable few hours.

Flight Athens to Milos

You 100% want to fly from Athens to Milos. The flight is 25 minutes and is only marginally more expensive than the ferry ticket.

Ferry Athens to Milos

The ferry from Athens to Milos takes 5-7 hours depending on the vessel. You can buy tickets online through a number of ferry companies.

Where to stay in Milos

We stayed in a tiny town called Pachena and we recommend this area as well as Pollonia. If you’re keen to stay in the main towns, you can find hotels and apartments in the center of Plaka or near the port in Adamas. Personally, one of our Milos travel tips is to avoid staying in Plaka. You’re on an island, so stay in a cute town on the beach!

Things to do in Milos, Greece & Milos Travel Tips

One of the reasons that Milos so quickly became our favorite Greek island is because there is so much to explore and so many adventures to seek. Many of the “things to do in Milos” or “sights to see in Milos” are actually beaches, so in this section of Milos travel tips, we will cover off our favorite things to do in Milos and in one of the sections below we will list all of the best beaches on Milos. Some of our favorite things to do in Milos include:

Sail around the island with Excellent Yachting

Our friends over at Excellent Yachting took us for an awesome day sailing on a yacht from Plaka, around the south side of the island all the way to Pollonia. We swam in some of the clearest, most beautiful water we have ever seen, explored caves that the pirates used to use, indulged in a traditional Greek lunch, and learned a lot about the history of the island of Milos. A special thanks to our captain Yiannis and our buddy Kostas for setting this up and sharing some of your own local Milos travel tips!

Tan nude

When we first ventured to Mykonos and Santorini, years ago, our friend Nicole from Cyprus told us, “When you go to Greece, please don’t wear bathing suits. Tan and swim nude like the Greeks. So, we listened and we felt as free and relaxed as babies running around on the beach. We firmly believe, everyone should tan nude on a beach at least once. If you have self-esteem or body issues, it is great to experience a judgment-free place where everyone is truly different. There is no perfect body. Going nude at a beach in front of a bunch of people you’ll never see again should give you a confidence boost. You’ll see everything from micropenises to bodies most dream of having, and you’ll realize most people have very average bodies. For most prude Americans, there seems to be this junior high school/high school locker room fear and modesty that many people never escape. Fear of being made fun of, fear of looking different, fear of being judged. Trust us, go nude on a beach in Greece and you’ll eradicate yourself of all those thoughts. Plus, no tan lines!

Rent an ATV or a 4×4

Many of the roads in Milos are dirt roads that have not been developed. Milos is by far the least touristy destination we have found in Greece. As a result, much of the island is still difficult to access. We rented a 4×4 SUV and saw many visitors renting ATVs like we chose to do in Mykonos and Santorini.

Explore the catacombs

Take a tour of the Catacombs of Milos that remain from the Roman Era and dive deeper into the history of Milos.

Explore the best beaches in Milos

Reference our list below for the best beaches on Milos. Many are popular and you’ll find a number of people, others are great for cliff jumping and swimming, others are great for tanning nude, and some are even remote beaches with few to 0 people on them. Milos’ beaches have a variety of coastlines: some are white volcanic rock while others are sand or cliffs that lead right up to the perfect crystal clear blue water.

Watch the sunset from Plaka Castle or the church below

If you park in the town of Plaka, follow the walking path and stairs up to Plaka Castle for one of the most spectacular views on the island. The Venetian castle and church are perched over Plaka and Adamas, providing panoramic views of the West side of the island. This was our favorite sunset destination on the island.

Walk around the town of Plaka

Plaka is a charming town that was built in an elevated location to mitigate plunder by the many passing pirates. The panoramic views of the islands (especially to the West – sunset – and South – over the port of Adamas) are breathtaking.

Visit one of Milos’ Museums

If you’re a history buff, stop by the Milos Mining Museum to learn more about the history of Milos and how she has played a major role in mining and the mineral trade throughout history. The Archaeological Museum of Milos is also another great stop for history fans as there are so many artifacts that have been preserved through history. Maybe you’ll even be keen to visit the Folk Museum which is a maritime museum on Milos.

Ancient Theater of Milos

This theater is very similar to other Ancient Roman theaters but this one is special because she boasts gorgeous views of the surrounding sea. The theater is located near the famous Catacombs of Milos, so perhaps, you can kill 2 birds with 1 stone?

Visit the many fishing villages

One of our favorite parts of our trip was exploring the fishing village of Firopotamos Beach and sailing by the many other fishing villages. They’re quaint and quintessentially Greek. Go here to slow things down, take some photos, and just relax on the beach.

Make local friends

One of our favorite things to do when we travel is to converse with locals. We learned such a wealth of history about the island of Milos and became friends with some truly charming locals. Everyone on Milos was warm, welcoming, and hospitable. After all, it’s the Greek way.

Eat the best Greek food of your life

We found a number of restaurants on Milos that absolutely blew our minds. Literally every single meal that we had was good, but be sure to make reservations at one of the best restaurants in Milos from our list below.

Best restaurants in Milos, Greece

Oh baby. We absolutely LOVED the food on Milos. Traditional Greek food is in both of our top 3 favorites as far as cuisines go. It’s right in there after Italian and Mexican and is a staple in our lives. Much of what we eat at home is inspired by a Mediterranean diet, so it’s always great to get back to the motherland and actually eat the real deal. The best restaurants in Milos include:

• Enalion – Our undisputed favorite restaurant on Milos and, probably, in the whole of Greece.
• Gialos – The best Greek salad we found on Milos. They put a unique twist on it so that it stands out from the traditional ubiquitous Greek salad.
• Kivotos ton Gefseon – The best breakfast on Milos. The best pastries on Milos. The best baklava on Milos. We literally went here every day for breakfast and every day for baklava.
• Avli-Milos – The best fish plate that we had during our time on Milos was at Avli-Milos. It was a masterpiece of Mediterranean cuisine.
• Psaravolada Restaurant – The best view of any restaurant we found on the island of Milos. We had lunch here and the mezze plate and Greek salad were both absolutely spectacular.

Other restaurants that were recommended to us where we didn’t have a chance to dine:

• Rifaki
• Astakas Cafe Restaurant
• Ergina
• Methismeni Politia

Best beaches in Milos, Greece

Can we just include the entire coastline in this list? Milos is enveloped by some of the most beautiful coastlines we have seen anywhere in the world. The mineral-rich soil means you’ll see a kaleidoscope of color as you sail around the island. While some beaches are bright, white, and rocky, like the moon, others have mountainous cliffs that encompass the beach and display an array of colors from orange to blue, green, to red and yellow. The best beaches in Milos, Greece are:

• Fyriplaka Beach
• Sarakiniko
• Firopotamos Beach
• Papafragas
• Pachena Beach
• Tsigrado Beach
• Agathia
• Turtle Bay
• Plathiena
• Psaravolada
• Papikinou Beach

When you visit Milos you should 100% rent a 4×4 car or an ATV. You can use these vehicles to explore remote areas of the island and reach beaches that are off the beaten path.

Weather Milos, Greece

The climate in Milos is a temperate, Mediterranean climate. The summers boast hot, dry, sunny days while the winters are mild and rainy.

Best time to visit Milos, Greece

Because Milos is a less traveled island, there isn’t really a bad time to visit between spring and fall. You’ll want to avoid any of the Greek islands during the winter, as the weather turns cold and rainy and many of the transient inhabitants move back to Athens to wait for spring.

We advise you to visit Milos in May or September when the weather is hot and the winds are less aggressive. The winds are strongest on Milos in August and February. We arrived on August 31 and it was WINDY, however, the rest of our trip spanning the first week of September was absolutely beautiful in every way. As children around the world are generally in school during the months of May and September, these months are generally less touristy and cheaper to travel.

Milos is the perfect destination for couples looking for a honeymoon, romantic getaway, or even an adventure-filled trip. Of all the Greek islands we have visited, Milos is the one we can’t wait to go back to visit again! We definitely left a piece of our hear there.