Milos
We LOVED Milos! It's got dazzling beaches, whitewashed Greek villages and an irresistibly laid-back Aegean atmosphere. It's a quiet island but increasingly on travellers’ radars; despite that, it still feels like one of the Cyclades’ most special escapes. Visited in 2023.
General tips for Milos
Getting there
- Ferry: Our preferred option. The high-speed Seajets from Piraeus (Athens) take 2.5–3.5 hours, run about three times a day, and cost roughly €75–89 each way. Conventional ferries (Zante, Aegean Sea Lines, Minoan) take 4–8 hours but cope better with weather, and some have cabin beds.
- Piraeus: All ferries leave from Piraeus, gates E6, E7 and E9. From Athens airport the metro takes about 80 minutes and €9, the bus 90 minutes and €5.50, a taxi 30 minutes and €60–76.
- Flying: Sky Express, Olympic and Aegean fly from Athens in about 40 minutes, roughly €150–220 return. Once you add airport time, we think the high-speed ferry is easier.
Getting around
- ATV over car: An ATV beats a car here. It gets you down the rough tracks to the better beaches, and parts of the east and west of the island are only reachable that way. Book online before you arrive for a better rate.
- Engine size matters: Get a powerful one — 450cc for a couple. A 150cc is cheaper but struggles on the steeper roads, especially if you're a couple.
- Buses: €2 a trip, and they reach most of the main spots. The timetable at each stop only shows when the bus leaves the first station, so you have to work out the drive time yourself. Timetables are at www.milosbuses.com or at each bus stop.
- Taxis: Only where the roads are decent, and around €17–25 for a ten-minute journey. www.milostaxis.com or +30 2287 110 100.
Where to stay
- Adamas: Best if you want convenience. The port, every bus route, most of the ATV and car hire, and the boat trips all start here.
- Plaka: The tourist heart of the island and the capital, up on a hill. Bars, restaurants and the best views on Milos, especially at sunset. Steep inclines to the best of them.
- Triovasalos and Trypiti: Just outside Plaka, with a more rural, local feel. We stayed in Triovasalos, and it was perfect since we had an ATV to move around freely
- Pollonia: Quieter and more traditional, with smart hotels right by the sea. On the pricier side.
- The fishing villages: Klima, Mandrakia and Firopotamos have converted boat shacks on the water. A genuinely unique stay, though they get a lot of passing foot traffic and photo shoots. Next time we come we would do a couple of nights in one fo them.
Worth booking ahead
- The boat trip: Book it early in your trip so bad weather can be rescheduled. Ours was a full day, around £170 each on a roughly 20-person boat, with breakfast, a hot lunch and unlimited drinks. Around €35 gets you onto a busier boat.
- Restaurants: Most places do not take bookings and do not keep websites or Instagram up to date, so you turn up and wait. The food seemed really good almost everywhere.
Adamas · the port 6 spots
5 photographsO! Hamos! TavernWe have been here ourselves
HighlightOne of our favourite restaurants on the planet. Everything is farm-to-table from their own farm, the setting is stunning, and we went twice.
Arrive around 7pm · by 8pm the wait is 1.5–2 hours
Papikinou BeachWe have been here ourselves
A long thin stretch of sand near Adamas with views of the sunset and the mountains. This is where you wait, drink in hand, for a table at O! Hamos!.
Beach bar on site
AdamasWe have been here ourselves
The main port and the island's transport hub.
Main port · Central bus stationAkri BarWe have been here ourselves
Right on the waterfront in Adamas, with the bar jutting out over the bay.
Sunset over the harbourAlevromilos
A traditional taverna with an Italian streak, on the road out towards Pollonia.
The owner runs cooking classesAragosta
A bar on the Adamas waterfront. A casual restaurant by day, a sleeker cocktail lounge after dark.
Cocktails and Cycladic wines over the portPlaka | Trypiti | Triovasalos 10 spots
2 photographsPlaka CastleWe have been here ourselves
SunsetOne of the most stunning sunsets we have ever seen.
Steep climb · Go well before sunset for a spotMosaic MilosWe have been here ourselves
Excellent cocktails in colourful takeaway cups, or sit on the rooftop for a view out to sea. The spicy margarita is the one to get.
Good last stop before the walk up for sunsetUtopia Café-BarWe have been here ourselves
The most iconic bar in Milos for a reason. A small terrace, an unbeatable view, and the spot for a drink as the sun goes down.
Seats fill early · Steps from the sunset viewpointPiazza Castello Café | BarWe have been here ourselves
The last stop for a drink to go before the walk up to Plaka Castle.
Takeaway drinks for the climbMavros Xioros
An outdoor grill up in Plaka doing barbecued meats.
Reviewers rate the moussaka
PlakaWe have been here ourselves
The capital, up on a large hill, and the buzzing tourist heart of the island.
Car-free centre · Steep inclines
BakalikonWe have been here ourselves
A charming roadside eatery in Triovasalos, and the first place we ate on the island.
Our first stop on arrivalAvli
On the square in Plaka, cooking old family recipes the traditional way.
No reservationsOkto
On the square in Trypiti, just along from Plaka. The closest thing Milos has to fine dining.
Two chefs with Michelin backgroundsVerina Cocktail Bar
A cocktail bar in Plaka, a short walk from the sunset viewpoint.
Widely rated the island's best cocktailsThe north coast 8 spots
MedusaWe have been here ourselves
HighlightSeafood on the water at Mandrakia, with stunning views and a lot of local cats.
No bookings except for groups over ten
Sarakiniko BeachWe have been here ourselves
HighlightThe moon beach, which actually lives up to the hype.
Go early · Check windy.com before swimming · Bring water
2 photographsMandrakiaWe have been here ourselves
A small fishing village of coloured boathouses built into the rock.
Come late afternoon, then eat at Medusa
KlimaWe have been here ourselves
HighlightA fishing village of multicoloured boathouses built into the cliff. Good for a stroll and photographs.
Best in the late afternoon lightEmpourios Taverna
A family taverna right on the water at Empourios — so close that passing boats wash over your feet.
Open June to September onlyFiropotamos Beach
A hidden beach and fishing village on the north coast, with another row of boathouses built into the rock.
Sandy, which is rarer here than you would thinkPlathiena Beach
Sandy, with a clear view of the sun going down into the sea. Where locals go for sunset.
Not the easiest to reachAstakas
A taverna down in Klima among the coloured boathouses, known for its lobster spaghetti.
Lobster spaghetti is the signature, and it is priceyPollonia & the north-east 2 spots
Papafragas
A narrow cove with natural arches and tunnels cut into the rock by the sea.
Steps cut into the cliff to get downPollonia
A quieter, more traditional fishing village in the north-east that turns chic in summer.
The boutique end of the island · PricierThe south coast 5 spots
Tsigrado BeachWe have been here ourselves
HighlightA beautiful small sandy cove reached by a genuinely sketchy ladder and rope down the cliff. Worth it.
Go early · Queues build at the ladder · Bring water
2 photographsFyriplaka BeachWe have been here ourselves
Smooth sandy floor under the water, plenty of room to swim and lie down under the colourful cliffs behind.
Ten minutes from Tsigrado · Beach hut and sunbedsSirocco
A beach restaurant on Paliochori that cooks in the volcanic sand — the ground here is genuinely hot enough to do the job.
Slow-cooked in geothermal sandPaliochori Beach
Meant to be one of the most beautiful beaches on the island. Colourful volcanic rock, and sand warmed from below by hot springs.
Hot springs come up in the shallowsAgia Kiriaki Beach
A long sandy beach on the south coast, generally quieter than the rest.
Organised, with sunbedsThe west 1 spot
KleftikoWe have been here ourselves
HighlightOnly reachable by boat, and one of the highlights of our time in Milos.
Boat access only · Best as a full-day tour · Book early in case of weatherFood to Try in Milos
Sun-dried octopus (Liastó chtapódi)
Octopus dried in the Aegean sun, then grilled until smoky, tender and intensely savoury.
Ladenia (Ladénia)
Milos's wonderfully simple answer to pizza: olive-oil-rich bread topped with tomato, onion and oregano.
Watermelon pie (Karpouzópita)
A sticky, sesame-topped watermelon pie and one of Milos's most distinctive summer sweets.
Goat with lemon (Katsikáki lemonáto)
Slow-cooked local goat in a bright, deeply savoury lemon sauce made for mopping up with bread.
Feta in filo with honey (Féta se fýllo me méli)
Hot feta wrapped in crisp filo and drizzled with honey for the ultimate salty-sweet combination.
Lamb baked in paper (Arnáki Sourtoukiko)
Slow-cooked lamb sealed inside paper with feta and herbs until meltingly tender.
Fried local cheese (Manoura saganaki)
Local Melian cheese fried until golden outside and beautifully soft within.
Milos cheese pies (Pitarákia Milou)
Crisp little fried pies stuffed with local cheese and one of the essential things to eat on Milos.
Courgette fritters (Kolokythokeftédes)
Crisp-edged courgette fritters packed with mint, herbs and often plenty of feta.
Salt cod with skordalia (Bakaliáros skordaliá)
Crisp battered salt cod served with an unapologetically garlicky skordalia.
Greek salad (Horiátiki)
Ripe tomatoes, cucumber, onion, olives and feta, with Milos's capers making an already perfect salad even better.
Orange pie (Portokalópita)
A wonderfully sticky Greek orange cake soaked until almost impossibly juicy with citrus syrup.
Baklava (Baklavá)
Layers of crisp filo, nuts and warm spices soaked generously in sweet syrup.
Freddo espresso (Frénto espréso)
The cold coffee order that becomes dangerously easy to drink several times a day in Greece.
Chocolate hazelnut mousse
Specifically the chocolate hazelnut mousse from O! Hamos!, because it is DIVINE.
Koufeto (Kouféto)
A traditional Milos preserve made with white pumpkin, honey and almonds, with a history closely tied to island weddings.