It’s been a minute since my last post because work and life got in the way. But, I am back! And, just in time for your summer vacation plans, I am sharing with you the best kept secret of the Cyclades Islands: Milos.
For most people, a trip to the Greek islands means stops in Santorini and/or Mykonos. And, as of late, maybe Naxos or Paros. But, almost nobody goes to Milos. Quite frankly, I don’t get it.
Unlike its more popular neighbors, Milos feels almost undiscovered. It has over 70 beaches.
It has the cutest little fishing villages.
It has one of the most dramatic coastlines of any Greek island.
It is where the Venus de Milo was discovered.
Plan Your Visit
Getting There
There are two ways to get to Milos: by plane or by ferry. There are direct flights from Athens on Aegean Airlines. This is the fastest and recommended way to get there. But, if you are coming from another island, and do not want to route through Athens, then the ferry may be a better option. I think three to four full days is the perfect amount of time to spend on the island.
Where To Stay
There are over 15 villages in Milos. The most popular are Adamas, Plaka, Trypiti, Klima, Pollonia, and Mandrakia. All are worth a visit, but some are better for staying.
Adamas is one of the biggest villages in Milos, and it is where I recommend you stay. If you come by ferry, you will likely land in Adamas. It is also close to the airport. All the sailing tours leave from here as well. It also has a lot of dining options. This is where we stayed, and we found it be a very convenient base to explore the island.
Another central village with plenty of options for dining and accommodations is Pollonia.
The most picturesque village of Milos is Plaka. It is also the capital of Milos. It is a walking village, so you won’t find any cars in its center. It is full of restaurants and shops. It also has the iconic cobblestone streets, the colorful doors that most Greek islands are famous for, and an amazing sunset spot.
Klima is where you will find the famous fisherman houses. If you have your heart set on staying in one of them, then this is where you should stay. Since there are so few, this is probably a pricier option and will require advanced planning.
Getting Around
Milos is larger than you think. I highly recommend renting a car for at least part of your stay. It is very easy to drive in Milos, and they have automatic options. You can also rent ATVs. There are plenty of rental shops in Adamas and Pollonia. Your hotel can likely also arrange a rental for you. Keep in mind that Greece recently started requiring international drivers licenses for car rentals. We found enforcement to be very sporadic, but it is easy to get the license in the states, so you might as well. We rented a car for a day, and we are very glad we did. It gave us the option to visit spots our private tour did not hit and also to revisit spots we really enjoyed.
There is a local bus service that is pretty cheap, but the routes are seasonal. Also, while they hit the major spots, they will not take you off the beaten path.
Taxis are an option, but there are only about 15 total on the island. As a result, during peak times, there could be quite a wait for a cab.
If you don’t want to rent a car, then consider a private, chauffeured day tour. We used Travel Me To Milos to give us a private day tour on one of the days. They were fantastic. They have English speaking guides, and they cover the entire island in an day. We saw beaches, all the villages, and historical spots as well. They are a full service operation, so they can arrange your accommodations, boat tours, and car rentals, too.
What To Do
If you have three full days on the island, I would spend them as follows: one full day private tour of the island to orient you, one full day sailing tour to give you a different perspective, and one day of exploration on your own with a rental car.
During our private tour, we visited all the archaeological sites, the villages, and most of the beaches.
Visit The Beaches
With over 70 beaches to visit, the possibilities are endless. However, there are at least three that you absolutely cannot miss.
The first is Sarakiniko Beach. It’s the moon beach! If there was a beach on the moon, it would look just like this. It is the most photographed beach in the Aegean Sea.
You can reach this beach by car or by bus. There is a gravel parking lot to leave the car and one bus stop. The beach doesn’t look like much on arrival. You will have to walk about 10 minutes before you reach the lunar landscape.
Once on the lunar landscape, you have to walk straight for a bit before you almost U-turn left to reach the part on the rocks that allow you access into the ocean.
This is not a typical beach in that there is no sandy area. There is a small gravel surface at the end of an inlet that acts as the beach part, i.e., the place where you can leave your stuff and head into the water. Most people just find an area on the smooth white rock and dive in. If it is shade you are after, you will find old, but dark mining tunnels. This will serve as the only respite from the sun that beats down on the stark white rock.
A word of caution: the waters on the other side of the inlet are VERY deep. Also, the Aegean Sea can be very choppy, especially on windy days. There are NO lifeguards here, so swimming is at your own risk.
We visited this beach twice (once with our private tour and once on our own). On both days, we saw groups of people jumping off the moon rock and into the deep part of the ocean. As shown below, there is a small cave you swim under and reach the rocks to climb back out.
On the first day, the group that jumped had no problem. On the second day, another group jumped, but did so before planning their exit strategy. On this day, the sea was particularly rough, and the cave inlet looked like a swirling drain with strong crashing waves onto the jagged rocks. Despite that they were strong swimmers, it took a group of people (Chad included) to literally rescue these people out of the water before they drowned.
Here’s a little secret that I wish I knew while I was in Milos: because of its location, Sarakiniko has both amazing sunrises and sunsets. I would make it a point to see both. You can even stargaze at this beach.
The second beach that you cannot miss is Papafragras Beach. I am sure you have seen this beach on Instagram.
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If you are a reader of this blog and of my Greece posts, you know that all of Greece’s best beaches take some work to reach. Papafragras is no exception.
You can get to the beach by car (there is gravel parking lot) or by bus, although I never saw a bus stop here either of the two times we visited. But the fun begins if you actually want to get into the water. You have to climb down a very narrow and slippery path to get down to the water. You have to climb back up to get out.
The last beach that you cannot miss is Kleftiko Bay. There are two ways to get here, but really only one. You could technically hike almost two hours each way to reach this beach. Or, you can sail to it. I suggest the sail.
Once there, you will get to swim through a network of caves and rock formations.
For a great resource and guide to all of Milos’s beaches, click here.
Visit The Villages
Each little village offers its own unique exploration. In my opinion, there are three villages that you should not miss.
The first is Plaka. Here you will find the most charming cobblestone streets and adorable colorful houses. There are tons of cute little cafes and shops to explore.
For photography, it is best to go in the afternoon while the villagers sleep and the tourists hit the beach. But don’t forget to come back in the evening for sunset and dinner.
The best place to see the sun is either from the church or from Utopia Cafe.
While you are in Plaka, you can visit four of the seven museums on the island, including the Archaeological Museum where you can see a copy of the Aphrodite of Milos statue which was found close to the Ancient Theater of Milos, but now resides in the Louvre. There is a campaign to bring the Venus de Milo home by 2020, which you can learn more about here.
Plaka is about a five minute drive away from the Ancient Theater of Milos and the nearby catacombs. Both are worth a visit.
No visit to Milos would be complete without a visit to the colorful littler fisherman houses that this island is famous for. There are two villages that deliver on that front: Klima and Mandrakia.
The more famous of the two is Klima. Here you will find two long rows of traditional multi-colored houses. This is really just a photo stop, as there is nothing else to really do here. You can catch a pretty nice sunset here as well.
Mandrakia is the other place to see these pretty, colorful houses. There is also a charming seaside church here that has great views.
Unlike Klima, Mandrakia has more to offer. There are some fantastic views.
A pretty nice beach area.
And a fresh and delicious seaside tavernas to enjoy.
Spend A Day At Sea
One of the most memorable things you will do in Milos is a day cruise around the island. That is because there are many places in Milos that are only accessible by boat. We chose to do a private tour with Aquatta Yachting. It was hands-down the best thing we did on the island.
We boarded the boat early from the port in Adamas.
Our route took us past the fishing villages of Skinopi, Klima, Areti, and Fourkovouni, from where we could see the colorful little houses from the sea.
Our next stop was at Arkoudes, which are two rock formations in the middle of the water. One of them resembles a bear while the other, a rabbit.
We sailed past Firopotamos Beach, Sarakiniko Beach, and Glaronisia, and made our first stop at Polyegos island. It is here that Chad dove off the boat and right into the water for a swim and some snorkeling.
Up next was Thiorichio and Paliochori, where we passed by the ruins of an old abandoned sulfur mine.
Lunch was prepared for us on-board and was combined with a stop at Gerakas Beach.
After lunch, we headed to Tsigrado Beach on our way to Kleftiko Bay via Gerontas Beach. We finally made it to Kleftiko Bay, where Chad once again jumped off for a snorkel. Here, you are able to swim through various caves.
Our last stop was at Sykia Cave.
On the way back to Adamas, we enjoyed a home cooked dessert and an incredible sunset!
Between our private day tour, our private yacht tour, and the day we spent driving the island on our own, I feel like we saw almost all of beautiful Milos Island. I am not one for crowds, so if you are looking to have a stunning Greek island almost all to your self, come to Milos and come during off season.
We chose to stay in the Old Town of Rhodes. Old Town is surrounded by medieval walls with seven “gates” (Gate of the Naval Station, Gate of Agios Ioannis, Gate of Agia Ekaterini, Gate of the Apostle Paul, Gate of Amboise, Gate of Agios Athanassios and the Gate of the Port). Today, the gates are the seven entry points into the Old Town. When you enter these gates, you feel as if you have entered another world. I am so glad we chose to stay in the Old Town. It was truly enchanting and much more charming than staying at one of the huge beach resorts in the modern city. You literally feel as though you have entered some sort of enchanted land.
Angela and Nikos have anticipated your every need. They literally have thought of every single little detail. Each room comes with a fully stocked beach bag that includes towels, mats, and bottled water.
Breakfast is included with your room, and you would be a fool to miss it. It is literally the best breakfast I have ever had at a hotel, and Chad and I have stayed at some VERY nice hotels all over the world. Angela serves up a three-course, homemade breakfast. First, she brings you a French pressed coffee or a hand-squeezed juice (all of which are amazing) and an array of bread with homemade jams (which are also amazing).
Also, the hotel is located in a quiet residential district, so there is no noise from cars, bars, restaurants and people, but it is walking distance from all the action.
Here’s the best part: this hotel is affordable, especially when you consider what you are getting (breakfast, fully stocked mini bar, daily cocktails, car rental, etc.) and compared to the other options on the island. Hell, even if the hotel was a splurge, I’d spend it! Nikos is a wealth of information about the island, and both Nikos and Angela are truly passionate about what they do, which translates into the guest experience. Everyone on the island knows them and their hotel. I am quite confident when I say that you will never again stay a hotel that is quite like this one. I dream about this hotel and coming back. Hats off to Angela and Nikos for creating the ultimate guest experience. If you go (and, I truly insist that you do), please let Angela and Nikos know that I sent you.
By the way, if you are into doors and floors, then hold on to your britches, because Old Town Rhodes is an assault of charm in the door and floor department. The ancient mosaic stone work on the floors is incredible! And, the doors…I died!
On Angela and Nikos’s suggestion (which, by the way, were always spot on), we stopped to eat lunch at this amazing little restaurant and loved the food so much that we came back again, which is VERY rare for us, as we try to eat at as many different places as possible.
After lunch, we decided to explore the area outside of the Old Town wall.
On our second day, we hired Nick of 
Lindos is a cute little village that has many shops and small, but stunning churches to explore before you make your way up to the Acropolis of Lindos, a climb that includes several hundred stairs of various heights with no guardrails. Not to worry, it is totally do-able (if you are wearing the right shoes), the views are incredible, and there are donkeys to assist.
I wish we had a little more time to explore this village, but it was pouring that day, so as soon as the sun came out, we hiked up to the Acropolis!
And the views from the Acropolis of Lindos are not too shabby:
After Lindos, Nick took us to the cutest little beach side taverna for lunch (which had the most INCREDIBLE views) before we set off to explore other sites around the island, including 
On our third day on the island, we took advantage of the free rental car that came with our room and took to the roads with our tablet to explore other points of interest, such as the 
Ancient Kamiros: 
Seven Springs:
On our last day, we stayed in the Old Town and visited the 
Once you are at the top of the Acropolis, you enter from here to see the Parthenon:
And now, for the main attraction: The Parthenon!
Don’t forget to spend some time visiting some of the other temples on the Acropolis.
By the way, on your way out, don’t just pass by this olive tree without stopping to admire it. It is the oldest olive tree on the Acropolis! Also, 
This sculpture is my favorite in the museum. It is a replica of what used to sit atop the entrance to the Parthenon (the darker pieces are original).
A few minutes later, you will be at the beautiful Plaka, where you will have your pick of excellent taverns for lunch.
This summer in Crete, Chad and I found a place where tomorrow never comes. A place where everyone seemingly lives in the moment of today. And, we are officially obsessed. If you find yourself in Crete this year (and we highly recommend that you do in fact go to Crete, like now), put Matala on your itinerary. Trust us, you will not regret it!
To reach Phaistos, follow the signs along the highway, which direct you up a pretty easy mountain road. If you use your iPhone navigation, you will be directed to leave your car and walk. Ignore those directions. The road is paved all the way up to the site, and it is in great condition. When you reach the site, there is a parking lot on the left, and the entrance is a short 3 minute walk on a paved road to the right. It costs 8 Euro per person to visit the site. Once inside, there are clean restrooms located inside a snack bar that also doubles as a small souvenir shop. Also, there is free Wi-Fi! More information on visiting the site can be found 
Phaistos, like the 
There is a large parking lot that has direct access to the beach, and it only costs 2 Euro to park there all day. The lot has beautiful street art on the buildings.
From the lot, it is just a short walk onto the beach, which, in late May, was not that crowded. You can walk a path to get to the cliff and actually climb up the cliff and visit the now empty tombs. The cost for the all-day ticket is 2 Euro per person. It’s kind of wild to think that you are visiting both a grave site and the former “homes” of some of the world’s most notable musicians. Apparently, there are additional tombs that have not yet been excavated.
Matala has several sea-side taverns with a view of the beach or you may opt to walk into town where you will find several taverns, bars, and shops. We ate at Taverna Sirtaki, which was great and had an awesome view. After lunch, we walked around town where I got a great pair of handmade sandals and some fantastic handmade jewelry from the shops in Matala.
As you walk around the town, you will notice drawings on the street. These are allegedly made by a hippie named Frankie who, like many of the part-time nomadic hippie residents, spends the summers in Matala.
Sadly, summer is officially over. But that’s okay, because it’s never too early to plan for next summer, and I am here to help you with a little Greek Island inspiration. As you may already know, I am Greek. What you probably don’t know is that my dad lives in Greece on the island of Crete in a small village called Anopolis. Nestled in the White Mountains, Anopolis is a village of Sfakia, which is located in the southwestern part of Crete and is a prefecture of Chania.
I dare you to find a beach that is more visually stunning than Balos Beach. I mean, it is literally shaped like a heart because you fall in love with it as soon as you feast your eyes upon it, which is good since getting here can be a challenge.
I HIGHLY recommend that you get here early (like before the ferries start coming in). There are very limited parking spaces relative to the number of visitors. Once the parking lot fills up, they park you on the side of an unpaved mountain road with no guardrails (it’s pretty interesting to have to make a three point turn to turn the car around to leave), and you have to walk the rest of the way, which, depending on how many people are there that day, could be a long walk. For us, it was 10 minutes, and that was just to get to the path that takes you to Balos Beach. This was the parking situation at noon:
If you have to park outside the lot, you will have to walk towards the lot to reach the path that takes you to Balos Beach. That path takes another 30 to 40 minutes. It is also unpaved and there are stairs at some parts. It starts out flat and then you climb down stairs to get to the beach (which means you climb up to get back!), so I suggest you plan very carefully for what you bring with you to the beach, and, do yourself a favor and wear sneakers, hiking shoes, or water shoes. Now is not the time to be cute! You will instantly regret flip flops. And, it’s hot! Put on sunscreen, drink water, eat protein bars, wear a hat, and just survive! The good news is that you can take a Donkey Taxi more than half way (both to and from the beach) for about 4 Euros. The great news is that you get the most beautiful pictures ever. The path to the beach begins where you see this sign:
The road starts out looking like this, and you’re all like, what’s the big deal:
About half way, it turns to this: 
But, before it gets to that, you see this:
You’ll know when you’re there when you see this, like a shining oasis: 
Sweet relief! 
This is the lagoon side:
The water is shallow and cool, and the sand is pink!
If you didn’t do it on the way in, on the way back, you’ll probably be like: 
Otherwise, it’s this: 
Elafonisi Beach is also found in the prefecture of Chania, about 47 miles from Chania. There is a main beach and a islet that is joined by a sand bar. To get to this beach, you can drive and park in a dirt lot just off the main entrance to the beach or take a cab or 
Once you park, you will see a bunch of snack carts and a small beach restaurant. Walk towards the action to get onto the beach. Just before you get onto the beach on the left, are a series of four trailer toilets (American style) that clean, stocked, and cost 1 Euro to use. This will be your view as you step onto the beach:
This beach is crowded, and there are chairs and umbrellas for rent, but it is also so large that you can literally escape the crowds.
To do that, you can walk through a shallow water pool/sandbar and go through the nature preserve part:
Where you will find a much less crowded beach: 
The sand here is also pink: 
Because I feel like my pictures really don’t do this beach justice, I did a Google search to find you some better ones that really capture this beautiful beach, and 
Is this real life?!? It is in Crete! This is Preveli Beach, which is located in the prefecture of Rethymnon, by the Preveli River and the famous palm forest. As with all the good Cretan beaches, there’s the easy way and the hard way to get here. The easy way is to take a boat from Plakias or Agia Galini. The hard way is to drive. From Plakias, you will drive to the Preveli Monastary, and about a mile before you reach the monastery, you will park your car and walk down a seemingly endless amount of steep stairs that lead to the beach. The best pictures are on this route. Apparently, you can also drive a dirt road leading to the nearby village of Drymiskiano Amoudi and walk a short 5 minute path to the beach. There are places to rent kayaks if you want to kayak down the river to get to the beach. Full Disclosure: I have not yet been to this beach yet (so this photo is borrowed from good ole’ Mr. Google), but it is on my list for when I return to Crete in May, so I will update this post then.
About 13 miles from the city of Chania, you will find this gem. To get here, drive towards Chania airport, and turn left towards village Chordaki and then follow the signs to Rizoskloko. Signage will lead you to the beach. The road is paved all the way, but the last part of the road is a small, winding mountain road with no guardrails. You will come to an area where you can leave your car, and then you set out on foot for about 15 minutes down a steep path of stairs to get to the beach. The beach gets very crowded in season, so go early. Also there are no amenities on this beach, so if you need it, bring it. The photos of this beach are brought to you courtesy of my god-sister, fellow wanderluster, and Cretan beach expert, Roula.
There are only two ways to get to this beach, which is located in Sfakia (where I am from) in the prefecture of Chania and literally translates into Sweet Water Beach- 1) drive, leave your car on the side of the road and walk this path about 30 minutes to the beach or 2) come by boat via the water taxis from Sfakia or Loutro. The beach is rocky and there is a small snack bar in the water perched on some rocks, but the water is crystal clear and cool.
Like Elafonisi, Falasarna Beach, which is also located in the prefecture of Chania, is made up of several sandy beaches. Because it is on the west coast, this is a great beach to catch the sunset. The easiest way to get here is to drive the hour from Chania; otherwise, you can take the public bus, which runs routes during tourist season.
If you were brave enough to hike 4 hours through the Aradaina Gorge, guess where you ended up? Right here! Truthfully, you came to a road that had a passage for a steeper road down to the water which lead you here. This beach is also in Sfakia, about 53 miles from Chania. You can drive here (park your car up top on the side of the road and walk on down that steep path) or take a public bus to Sfakia and then take a boat over. There is a small tavern on the beach and a few umbrellas and sunbeds, but that is about it. There are some great caves to snorkel in, but the water is very deep.
If you want to visit a true beach town, head to Loutro, in the prefecture of Chania. There are no cars here and no roads, just beaches, hotels, tavernas, and shops. There are only 2 ways to get here: 1) by foot and 2) by boat. You have to be a serious hiker to get here by foot. If that is you, take the bus (or drive) to Sfakia. You can start your hike here. In fact, you can visit Glyka Nera (number 5 above) first as you can start your hike here and the same trail will end at Loutro. This is a long hike and will likely take 3 or more hours. Alternatively, you can come to our village (Anopolis) from Sfakia, and start your hike basically from my house which sits at the foot of the mountain you need to climb up to get there. This is the center of Anopolis:
Before you get to the center, on the left hand side is my cousin’s bakery:
She makes everything from scratch everyday. Her goods are delicious. She also harvests her own honey, which is life changing. Ask her to make you a Sfakian pie, stuffed with mizithra cheese from our cheese factory. 
Once you are at the center of Anopolis, stay to the left of the circle and then take the road to the right, you’ll be on your way. After passing about 10 houses, you will be at the foot of the mountain. If you see a black BMW with a Florida license plate, you’ll know you are in the right place, at my house! Stop in and say hi to my dad, George, and I bet he will cut you some 
This cheese is legendary! You can only get it in Crete. There is an entire festival held in August in its honor! I’m not kidding:
This is my uncle Andrea, who, with the help of my dad, makes the cheese:
Next thing you know, this will be your situation (by the way, you are supposed to dip the cheese in the honey!):
He may even take you out back and show you some of our goats! 
After fueling up for your hike, you will be on your way! The hike will take about 2 hours. Go straight through the gate below to start your Loutro hike, or stay on the path to the right, and climb up to the church at the top before heading down and on to Loutro.
If you chose to the visit the small church on top of the mountain, you will come through this gate. There are amazing views from up here.
After your visit look for this cross on the bottom of the small path leading to the church and across from this cross will be a rock that shows you the way.
You are heading here: 
If you opt for the easier route, you can take the 
The ferry leaves from here in Sfakia:
The ticket office is before you reach this landing:
Before you reach the ticket kiosk, there is a small ocean-side snack bar where you can stop in for a delicious gyro and wait for the ferry to arrive.
Once you board the ferry, in about 20 minutes, you will reach Loutro.
Most people walk the semi-circle and stop at the first beach. If you keep going all the way to the end, there is another beach next to some huge rocks, which offer nice snorkeling opportunities, and this beach is less crowded. There is also a snack bar right near the beach with a restroom. The water is cool and the beaches are rocky.
If you miss the ferry back or want to stay for a while, book a room at my family’s hotel on the island, and tell my cousin George that I sent you!
Also, there is no nude or topless bathing in Loutro.
If you are looking for long sandy beaches that are suitable for families with children and have an added bonus of ruins to explore, then you have found your paradise. Frangokastello is located in the prefecture of Chania. You can get here by bus, car, or boat. There are a few beaches you can visit in this area. The first is right at the foot of an ancient castle.
Either before or after the beach, make sure to stop in and explore the castle.
Are you still with me or have you wandered off into beach bliss heaven? Quite frankly, I couldn’t blame you if you have. As you can see, Crete is not lacking in the amazing beaches department. The waters are clear and a kaleidoscope of blues. The landscapes and backdrops surrounding the beaches aint too shabby either! But wait, there’s more! Here are a few other beaches that are also nice: Kournas Lake, Ombros Galos, Agia Roumeli (if you hiked the 
