Milos, l’isola greca bella quanto Santorini ma con meno turisti.

Santorini has always been a highly sought-after destination for tourists from all around the world, so much so that it is even considering introducing some limitations to manage the vast flow of visitors it receives each year in the most sustainable way possible. However, many probably do not know that about 150 km away from Santorini there is another exceptional Greek island, less overwhelmed by visitors but equally captivating (for some even more so): Milos.

Milos, useful information

Milos is a fascinating Greek island that emerges off the Aegean Sea, more precisely in the southwestern corner of the Cyclades archipelago. Of volcanic origin, it offers exceptional landscapes made up of different types of rocks studied by scientists from all over the world, but also Minoan, Hellenistic, Roman, and Byzantine remains.

Its name, Milos (or Milo), is significant, evoking in enthusiasts the memory of the famous Greek sculpture of the Venus de Milo, a symbol of classic female beauty, which was found right here in the nineteenth century and is now housed at the Louvre in Paris.

Also very particular are its shape, as it seems to resemble a horseshoe, and its nickname, namely “the island of colors”, thanks to the many rock formations of a thousand different hues. Milos is a small masterpiece amidst the sea where Greece is still authentic, precisely because most tourists choose the nearby and decidedly more expensive Santorini.

What to see in Milos

In Milos, you are spoilt for choice, as history, architecture, sea, and nature are practically everywhere. Moreover, reaching it is not even difficult, as it has its own port and a small airport that allows for the fast arrival of airliners from Athens. However, travelers must be prepared because, without a doubt, Milos is one of those places where it is possible to leave a piece of one’s heart.

The most beautiful villages of Milos

We start this journey in Milos by discovering some of its most beautiful villages which are probably among the most picturesque and authentic of the Aegean Sea’s floating Greek islands:

• Adamas (or Adamantas): a lively port town often chosen as a base for accommodation by many travelers. It is the island’s largest town and offers narrow stone-paved alleys filled with shops, white houses, and pretty churches;
• Plaka: the charming capital of the island, situated at the foot of a volcanic hill. Not to be missed are the castle overseeing Milos, the numerous museums, the church Panagia Korfiatissa, which offers breathtaking views, and the sunset, one of the most thrilling in all of Greece;
• Mandrakia: here, fishermen live in houses carved into the rock. The village is also full of small colorful boats floating on waters of a thousand shades of blue;
• Pollonia: in this area, it is necessary to taste the Melian wine, aged in caves, as well as the fish in the many excellent taverns;
• Firopotamos: with the ruins of an ancient building and a small church;
• Triovasalos: among the most fascinating on the island. A place striking for its typical white houses, paved streets, and its landscape, as it is nestled between hills and valleys;
• Klima: with peculiar blue, red, yellow, and green houses lined up along the waterfront, which today serve as holiday homes.

The archaeological sites of Milos

History in Milos is practically palpable everywhere, so much so that the remnants of ancient cities blend harmoniously with all the surrounding landscape’s beauty:

• Milos Catacombs: located a short distance from the village of Tripiti and placed on a steep slope. They are the largest in Greece and among the most notable in the world;
• Phylakopi: an ancient Minoan city located in the northeastern part of the island, representing one of the most important archaeological sites dating back to the Bronze Age throughout the Aegean;
• Ancient Roman Theatre: also in Tripiti, well-preserved despite the centuries that have passed since its construction.

The nature of Milos

The nature of Milos reflects its volcanic soul, offering an incredible variety of colors and landscapes and also beaches that are a daydream come true, as they are surrounded by particularly wild vegetation. In fact, there are more than 70 beaches that have absolutely nothing to envy the rest of the country but also excellent spots for snorkeling, diving, kayaking, horse riding, and much more.

Then there are also the thermal springs, used for medicinal purposes for millennia. On the island, there is a small thermal centre at Adamas, in a cave called “Ta Loutra Tou Lakkou”, where the water temperature ranges from 35 to 41 °C. But the truth is that thermal springs and geysers can be found practically everywhere near the sea, even though, unfortunately, they are not as exploited as they should be.

Beaches and caves of Milos

Milos can be explored on foot, by moped, or with a boat trip: whatever your choice, the beauty is more than guaranteed. But that’s certainly not all because the island’s characteristics allow encountering very varied beaches, ranging from soft sand to amazing rock formations:

• Beaches of Fyriplaka and Provatas: two beautiful beaches close to each other, both with sand and therefore also suitable for the little ones;
• Sarakiniko Beach: the result of a rare geological phenomenon and gives a lunar landscape, thanks to the presence of very white volcanic cliffs and sea caves;
• Paleochori Beach: sand and pebbles create a natural amphitheater, in turn protected by a high cliff of reddish rock. It is the largest of the southern coast and full of unmissable little restaurants;
• Kleftiko Bay: accessible only by boat, it is teeming with sea caves, rock formations, and bathing places creating a more than thrilling scenario;
• Tsigrado Beach: the most photographed on the island because it is highly wild. Not surprisingly, it is accessible only by boat or by descending vertiginous ladders along a gully among the rocks. Crescent-shaped and with soft sand, it is located within dramatic cliffs reflecting in a very blue sea;
• Ammoudaraki: tiny sand beach nestled in the purest green;
• Fatourena: remote and wild beach, often frequented by naturists;
• Kastanas Beach: full of curious multi-colored pebbles;
• Papafragas Cavern: a sort of secret of Milos rich in stories and legends;
• Sykia Cave: a sea cave whose roof has collapsed, containing inside a kind of miniature cove.