Milos has been on my bucket list since perfect pictures of Sarakiniko and Tsigrado beaches began popping up on my social media feeds a few years ago. Thanks, Instagram!
I finally made it in September, and I loved it so much I stayed an extra week!
Since the island has 75+ beaches (here are the best ones!), some of which only accessible by boat, the best way to see the island is to sail around it. It's also the perfect way of getting a list together for what you want to see during the rest of your time in Milos.
I came across Aquatta Yachts while hanging out in Adamas. I got lucky with a few days of minimal wind so I can go sailing. It ended up being one of the highlights of my whole time in Milos. For transparency's sake, I paid for the tour in full and did not work with Aquatta Yachts. I enjoyed the tour so much that I wanted to share my experience with others.
Here's my review of sailing around Milos island.
Adamas
The morning started at 8 am in front of Aquatta's offices in Adamas, close to the island's main port. A short walk across the street and we were on the boat – barefoot and ready to go.
Just the way all my favorite gatherings start. Barefoot life, forever!
The 11-hour route circles the island and includes stops at neighboring Glaronisia and Polyegos, before ending back in Adamas.
Klima
Heading towards the North side of the island, the four picturesque fishing villages compete for attention. Each one cuter than the next, Skinopi, Klima, Areti, and Fourkovouni align the coast. In the still of the morning, you can't even tell these are tourist attractions.
Skinopi fishing village.
Klima in the zen of the morning. Trypiti's Agios Nikolaos church can be seen peering from the top of. the hill.
Klima is one of my favorite places in Milos. It's also one of the most popular tourist hotspots on the island, and with good reason.
Some of the houses in Klima, including one of the cafes in the village. Klima seen from our sailing boat.
The traditional fishing houses, (a.k.a. “syrmatas” or “sirmas”) are adorable, and they complement each other incredibly well.
The bottom floor fits a fishing boat and usually has a kitchen at the back. The bedroom is on the top floor, perfectly tucked away from the crashing waves created by the passing boats.
For an authentic Milos experience, you can rent one for the night. Imagine waking up in the morning calm and admiring the sunrise from the privacy of your own balcony. They're also perfectly positioned to catch those perfect Greek sunsets. It'll spoil you!
Fourkovouni village. Plaka and Trypiti can be seen above.
Related: Why You Need to See Klima While in Milos
Arkoudes
Next up: the natural sculpture and optical illusion: Arkoudes.
Arkoudes is a group of rocky islets that appear in the middle of the sea once the boat exits Milos Bay and turns towards the Northern side of the island.
Miloans affectionately refer to it as the guardian of the island since it appears to have a nose, ears, and it's mouth open, resembling a bear.
Do you see it?
The angry bear is noticeable for a moment (picture on the left) before the second geological structure appears. The second structure
Related: 9 Unique Facts About Milos Island
Firopotamos Beach
The first snack of the day coincides with a stop at Firopotamos Beach, one of the popular beaches on the island.
It's hard to resist the blue, crystal clear water that awaits. It's just as well because this is the first swim break!
I initially planned to skip Firopotamos during my inland tourist lap. After seeing it from the sea and in the sunrise glow, I had to return and explore it further.
First swimming stop: Firopotamos beach.
Related: The 20+ Best Beaches in Milos You Must Visit in 2019
Sarakiniko Beach
I fell in love with Sarakiniko beach the day before my tour. It was one of the few non-windy days I had and I spent it on the rocks in Sarakiniko. It looked like a
The famous rocky beach owes it's unique structure to Mother Nature. The beach is directly hit by Northern winds, which causes the waves to violently smash against the rocks and chisel them over time.
The caves are only visible by boat or kayak.
Insider tip: Sarakiniko beach and the sailing trip are both weather dependent. If possible, schedule them on the days of your trip with wind speeds under 30kph (18mph). Tours get canceled if the winds are stronger than that, so it's best to stay on top of it. I use this app to monitor the weather when I travel (and to track sunsets!).
Glaronisia Island
The next stop is a small island, located less than 1.5 km (0.93 miles) away from Milos, though it feels like another planet.
Made up of thousands of andesite lava columns, Glaronisia is almost a million years in the making.
There's a grotto in one of the rocks. You can go through if you have a small dingy, calm weather and a sense of adventure.
We didn't stop for a swim on Glaronisia, but a tour around it was enough to take my breath away. What a rare and special place!
Pollonia
We headed back to Milos before veering away again for our lunch break. This time, we passed by Pollonia, the quiet village on the north-east corner of Milos.
After spending some time exploring Pollonia after the sailing tour, I must say it's definitely more impressive and charming on foot than it is seen from the sea.
Polyegos Island
My favorite part of the tour: a stop on Polyegos island.
Can you blame me? Just look at this water! I didn't retouch these photos, the water actually is this blue and clear!
Polyegos island is a pristine island that's technically part of Kimolos. It's the largest uninhabited island in Greece – if you don't count all the goats that currently live peacefully on it!
Since the island is only accessible for day tours by private boat, it's considered to be one of the best-preserved natural islands in the Mediterranean sea.
In addition to the
Swimming here is definitely a bucket list-worthy experience. We had a 30-minute break to enjoy the beauty of Polyegos before moving on to our next stop.
It wasn't easy to convince us to get back in the boat and leave this place!
Thiorichio and Paliochori
Leaving Polyegos behind, we headed back toward Milos. The time it takes to cross-over between Milos and Polyegos is great for snacking, tanning, and relaxing. The boat has local beer and other beverages onboard that come in handy during this time.
We passed by the ruins of the old Paliorema sulfur mine and had the opportunity to see an important part of Milos' mining history. Our guide also walked us through the historical significance of Paliorema.
Thiorichio beach and the abandoned sulfur mines at Paliorema, seen from the sea during a sailing trip around the island.
In front of the now-abandoned sulfur mines is Thiorichio beach. This is a great beach to check out if you are interested in mixing culture with relaxation during your Milos trip.
We briefly stopped in front of Paliochori beach, considered to be one of the best beaches on the island. It's also one of the only ones that
Paliochori beach, Milos.
Related: Eat & Drink Your Way Through Milos: The Best Restaurants, Cafes & Bars
Gerakas Beach
I didn't think anything else would impress me as much on this trip after seeing Polyegos, but Milos is full of surprises.
Lunch stop: Gerakas beach, another hidden Milos gem that's accessible only by boat.
The carved, steep rocks and crystal clear water provide the backdrop for the perfect lunchtime spot.
The lunch is the perfect mix of Greek delicacies, cooked entirely onboard while everyone has a chance to swim and relax. Delicious doesn't begin to describe it! Of course, it tastes even better when you have this view!
Tsigrado Beach
After lunch, the beach we pass by is Tsigrado beach, not only one of the most famous beaches on the island but also the most remote.
The only way to get to this beach is by boat, or through a small passageway carved between two rock walls, and down a staircase. If you look closely, you can see the staircase between the rocks in the picture below.
The secluded and remote Tsigrado beach.
I wish the boat tour would stop here but at this point in the day, we are more than half-way through the tour and still have to circle half an island. This was one of the interest points I added to my list of things to see post-tour!
Related: Tsigrado Beach: The Most Secluded Island in Milos
Gerontas Beach
The
Kleftiko Bay
Another popular spot in Milos, Kleftiko Bay is a spectacular network of volcanic rocks and caves.
The bay is larger than it looks from the boat, and it's easy to see why pirates used it to hide and wait for unsuspecting boats to pass by. It's yet another attraction that can only be seen and experienced by boat or by foot (after an hour hike each way).
To get a real sense of the bay, we lowered the anchor and got the snorkeling equipment out!
We swam through the caves to explore the inside of the bay, which took almost an hour in total.
To my surprise, the sea is fairly salty and it doesn't take as much effort to swim for an hour as you would think. It was a pleasant discovery! Although, there are life jackets on board for those that prefer to use one.
Swimming here is another bucket list-worthy experience. The caves are incredible to see up close.
To get a sense of how large the bay is and how many boats can fit in here, try spotting the boat in one of these photos. These were taken on my GoPro Hero 7 and I didn't use a zoom. Crazy, right?
Sykia Cave
The last stop before starting the journey back to Milos Bay and Adamas is Sykia Cave.
Sykia is a roofless cave. During calm sea days, it's a unique place to hang out in. The boat is too big to go inside, so it's visible from the outside.
Pro tip: you can hike to Sykia (1.5 hours each way), hire a smaller boat that can get you closer, or get a tour that specifically includes a stop here.
Sailing Back to Adamas
Klima and Plaka, as seen from the sea.
The last thing on the agenda before returning to Adamas is a golden hour swim near Saint Dimitrios church.
Unique cliffs at golden hour near the abandoned manganese mine at Cape Vani.
We ended the trip back in Adamas port at 7 pm, just in time to see blue hour envelop the village.
With the highest concentration of restaurants, bars, and shops, Adamas is perfect for a sunset dinner and a post-meal stroll.
The port city of Adamas, Milos.
You may be drained after a day on the sea (I know I was!), so it's the ideal place to take a break for dinner before heading back. to your hotel.
Related: 12 Things to do in Adamas (Plus Photos!)
My Amazon Picks for Milos Island
The Verdict
I strive to be transparent with my reviews so I have to mention that the only thing I didn't like was the fact that our guide spoke mainly Greek the whole day. Unfortunately, I don't know the language so it was hard to follow along on the social aspect and always had to ask him to translate.
However, that was just my experience and it had to do with having a large group of Greeks on board. Luck of the draw! The upside was that the tour didn't feel touristy since almost everyone was a local!
All in all, this tour was everything I hoped for and so much more. In my opinion, the price is worth it based on the stops at Glaronisia and Polyegos islands alone. Everything else is just a bonus!
Your trip to Milos isn't complete without a sailing tour. Many of the top beaches are inaccessible by car and it's truly a shame to visit the island and not see them.
This is the tour I took and spoke about in this post that includes Glaronisia and Polyegos. Swimming at the beach on Polyegos island will spoil you for life. If you want to spend more time on the southern coast, get this tour instead — it has a dinghy to explore Sykia cave.
There are a number of other sailing options to choose from based on your budget, the time you have available, and your interests.
