I have to just start by saying out of the places we have traveled in Greece, Milos has been my absolute favorite island. Milos is one of the volcanic islands in the southernmost part of the Cyclades. It is home to more than 40 beaches and has a lovely colorful landscape.
We spent our days here snorkeling in incredible sea caves, relaxing on the beaches with turquoise blue waters at our feet, drinking crisp Greek wine and of course indulging in some delicious food!
Let’s continue on to see how you too can spend 3 days in Milos.
When To Go
We traveled to Milos July 2nd – 5th. While that’s still considered prime season for places like Athens, Mykonos and Santorini, the crowds actually weren’t bad! It was pretty hot though so if you’d like a few degrees cooler, I’d suggest going in May / early June or late September / October when things cool down a bit more.
How to Get There
You can either fly to Milos or take a ferry. We ended up taking the ferry from Athens. It was about a 2 hour ferry and a pretty cool experience! We bought our tickets through the app – Ferryhopper. This was simple to use and is great if you’re planning to island hop. Just be sure to book in advance as this is a popular way that guests are traveling so ships can sell out quickly. We were on a Seajet ferry.
Something to note – if you find yourself keen to sea sickness, make sure your ferry has access to an outside area. The first 30 minutes were a little rough for me until we realized we could venture outside which helped with the fresh air and breeze. It also wouldn’t hurt to have some anti-nausea medicine on you just in case.
Where to Stay
There are 3 main areas in Milos
Adamas – This is a great place to stay and it’s right at the Port which makes it a perfect spot if you’re island hopping. There are many delicious restaurants and cute shops surrounding you. Plus, this area is known to be on the inexpensive side of the island.
Plaka – Here you’ll find the capital of the island. It’s perched high up on a hill so you have breathtaking views of Milos and the Aegean Sea. Since this is the capital, there are plenty of restaurants, shops and nightlife around here. The cobbled streets are lovely to walk through and you won’t be bothered by any cars since they aren’t allowed in the city center. While this is a great place to stay, there aren’t too many accommodations available here so if you are hoping for somewhere here be sure to book far in advance!
Pollina – This is a super cute fishing village filled with charm. If you’re looking for a more secluded and quiet place to stay this is definitely the town for you. There are still shops and restaurants for you to enjoy but during the night things really wind down and becomes the perfect place to get some R&R. You’re also only about 5 minutes away from some of the more popular beaches on the island, Sarakiniko Beach and Papafragas Caves.
Where We Stayed
We stayed in Adamas and do not regret this decision one bit! Our Airbnb was simply amazing. Our host Nicolas went above and beyond to make our stay there wonderful. When we arrived he had fresh cut fruit for us to enjoy and sat down with us to give us the inside scoop of the island. The next morning we had a cooler waiting on our door with ice water, fresh watermelon and beverages to take with us to the beach. When we returned we had delicious fresh figs and cookies from a nearby bakery awaiting for us. The apartment was always cleaned while we were gone and it was a perfect location to get around to all the places around the island.
How to Get Around
There are many ways you can get around the island so not to worry!
Milos has a great public bus system with cheap tickets to take you to the central spots on the island.
However, we thought the best way to get around was by renting a car. This allowed us to also escape the heat when going from location to location! Plus to get from one point of the island to the complete opposite it’s only an hour drive.
The only downfall of this is there are many roads that cars weren’t really suitable to go on. So if you’re really looking to explore more of the western part of the island you’ll need to rent a 4 x 4.
Day 1 of your Milos Itinerary
We got to the island around noon from our ferry ride from Athens to Milos.
Our first task was to get our rental car.
Before we hit the beaches we had to stop at Yankos for lunch.
This place was recommended to us by a friend for their Gyros and Beer. There’s actually a little side hut next to the restaurant where you can find the Gyros.
We split a Gyro and Greek salad and were very pleased!
Alogomandra Beach
Our airbnb host recommended we check this beach out.
However, by the time we got there we found it was impossible to get a parking spot so we decided to keep driving.
Pachena Beach
We stumbled upon this little beach and were glad we did!
Wasn’t crowded at all and the water was perfect to swim in.
We didn’t stay long as we wanted to keep exploring but needed 30 minutes to cool down in the sea.
Papafragas Caves
Next we headed to go see the picturesque caves and they did not disappoint.
We opted out from parking in the lot and parked near another entrance which worked out well. It’s a bit tricky to walk down so just be mindful of that!
We loved swimming around through the caves and even jumping off the caves down into the water.
Pollonia
The beautiful picturesque Fishing Town.
There was a long beautiful beach that could be explored with many restaurants lining the beach as well.
While the town isn’t too large it was still cute to walk around for a little while.
We ended up getting a cocktail on the beach at Rifaki.
Grocery Store
If you need any groceries I’d suggest stopping at the AB Food Market back on your way into Adamas. This was a large market that had anything you’d need for your time there!
Just a little background here when we travel we love to have a cocktail hour in our Airbnb before we head out for dinner. While it’s fun to go to cocktail bars and explore, we love to also enjoy where we’re staying and just connect about the day with a glass of wine and some snacks before heading out for dinner. So that’s exactly what we did 🙂
Dinner – Zygos
We found this gem since it was close to our Airbnb. While we walked along the water for options of restaurants we wanted something a little off the beaten path and this was just the place!
We ordered bread with olive oil, fried zucchini with tzatziki, Greek salad, Chicken Souvlaki, Moussaka and the most amazing dessert I’ve ever had in my life!
Day 2 of Your Milos Itinerary
Plaka
We headed to Plaka to explore during the morning. Our first stop was breakfast at Kokkino Podilato and I’d highly suggest this if you want a delish and filling meal to kick off your day.
Next we walked through the cobbled stone streets and took in the sights and shops. Just to note, most of the shops didn’t even open until 11am so you have plenty of time to enjoy breakfast or hit the beach before shopping!
We walked up to see the Venetian Castle and were taken away with how beautiful Milos looked from above. Plus it provided a lovely view of the Aegean Sea.
Firopotamos Beach
This was a really cute spot to spend an hour after our exploring of Plaka.
The beach is set in a small cove and the houses surrounding it are super cute.
Snorkeling & Sunset Cruise
THIS was our favorite part of Milos!
We booked the Adamas: Kleftiko Half-Day Speedboat Cruise With Snorkeling | GetYourGuide
The cruise was 3:45pm – 9pm.
It was honestly breathtaking and so much fun! We got to go into caves, swim, snorkel, learn more about the island, enjoy delicious food and some lovely beverages. Being able to see the sunset on the boat was also another plus. No crowds, just some nice music and serene views. The perfect way to spend an afternoon in Milos!
Dinner
We then headed back to get ready really quick and headed out to dinner at Nostos Seafood Experience. This was a lovely restaurant right in the Port. Even though it was 10pm by the time we got down to dinner it was still busy and we didn’t feel rushed at all.
We ordered Bread, assorted olives, Greek salad, Stuffed Squid and Pesto Risotto. Of course a bottle of Sauvignon Blanc was split as well.
Day 3 of Your Milos Itinerary
Woke up and had a little breakfast in our Airbnb and then it was time to hit the beaches and just spend a day fully able to relax!
Sarakiniko Beach
This is a super popular spot to go to so I’d recommend getting there early. We got there around 9:30 and it was already getting crowded. This spot is known for its moonlike white landscape, cliffs and caves. As we were walking to the spot where most people will jump off from I literally felt like I was walking on the moon – a pretty neat experience!
Plathiena Beach
We loved this beach! When we got there there weren’t many people there so we found an awesome spot on the beach. The water was crystal clear and once you swam out a little bit the bottom was super sandy which made for a lovely time to just cool off in the sea. There is also a little Greek restaurant and bar there that you also have the option to rent umbrellas and lounge chairs if you’d prefer that over just sitting on the sand.
Lunch
Medusa near Mandrakia Beach
Our Airbnb host recommended this place for lunch and I’m so happy we ended up going here! It was about a 10 minute drive after visiting Plathiena Beach. You’re sitting right at the edge of the land so a great view of the Sea and some beaches. We ordered the Greek Salad, Zucchini Balls and the Swordfish Souvlaki. Everything was amazing! We went right at 1pm and by 1:15 the place was packed and lined up!
Desalination Plant
Now by the name of this spot you may be wondering why would someone go here!? Well, another recommendation from our Airbnb host and it was spectacular! Once you get to the desalination plant it’s about a 4 minute walk down to a secluded beach that basically literally no one knows about (besides you now). We were the only ones there and we loved it. There was a lovely tree to provide some shade so we were able to escape the sun for a bit while relaxing and reading.
I will note that the road down to the plant was a little sketchy so if you had a 4X4 that would probably be the way to go. It was a slow and steady trip down but we made it :).
Afterwards we had to drop off our rental car then we just headed back to the Airbnb to recharge and enjoy a cocktail before heading out for dinner.
Dinner
We actually ended up going back to Zygos because we really enjoyed everything from our first night. We got a Greek Salad, Zucchini Chips, Lamb Chops and Pork Chops – of course the wine and dessert again too!
After dinner we walked around the docks and checked out some cocktail bars shopping.
Dessert
If you didn’t get dessert at dinner I’d highly recommend getting some Ice Cream from Aggeliki.
It was located right near the Port and looked phenomenal but we were stuffed!
In Conclusion
Milos was our favorite Greek island that we visited on our honeymoon and we’d love to go back! There was still the whole southern side of the Island that we didn’t make it to venture to and many restaurants we still want to try so we will definitely be back! If you’re looking for a spot to really allow yourself to relax and not have to fight crowds, even in the summertime, I’d definitely say this is the place to go!
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