Milos: A Lunar Landscape in the Cyclades

September 2nd, 2022

Awake Goy

With ethereal landscapes that take you to otherworldly places, Milos is not only one of the leading Greek and travel destinations, but also a natural geological museum.

Volcanic activity since ancient times has endowed the island with abundant rocks and minerals, as well as rare morphological formations.

It is no coincidence that Milos is one of the most famous islands for its beautiful beaches, which exceed 70 in number.

Starting from the northern end of the island let’s take a tour of some of the trademark beaches of the geologically wealthy island of Milos.

Sarakiniko

Sarakiniko beach is located in a unique lunar landscape, in the north-eastern part of the island and a distance of 5 kilometres from the capital of the island, Plaka.

Due to its extraordinary beauty Sarakiniko has been used many times by advertisers including leading fashion houses who have showcased their brand against the wildly beautiful, natural setting in global campaigns.

Prada, Louis Vuitton and Dior are amongst the multitude of luxury fashion houses who have used Sarakiniko as the idyllic backdrop to promote their products.

Sarakiniko is a small beach surrounded by all-white smooth rocks, sculpted by the wind and the sea.

The volcanic eroded rocks penetrate the emerald sea creating small and large caves, while the lack of greenery, combined with the white colour of the rocks and the intense reflection of light, create a landscape reminiscent of the moon.

Many of the rocks also contain fossils.

Sarakiniko got its name from the Saracen pirates who used the place as a base and shelter. You can still see the carved anchors from their ships amongst the rocks and the caves that they carved out of the soft rock at the bottom of the canyon at the mouth of its small sandy beach.

From Sarakiniko one can enjoy swimming in the sea with a view of the nearby islands Sifnos and Kimolos.

Papafraga

Blue-green waters between impressive white-grey rocks form the natural scenery of Papafraga that enchants all who visit.

The cavern of Papafraga is a deep sea cave, surrounded by high walls of light-coloured rocks, and to reach it you have to descend down via a steep carving in the rock wall.

During the Byzantine period, Papafraga was used as a launching pad for pirates, while it was named after the late Frank Pope who used the beach to protect his boat.

Firopotamos

Firopotamos is a picturesque seaside settlement with a small, but organised beach and amazing blue water, suitable for swimming, snorkelling and fishing. The small fishing village features a row of cute fishing houses that feature ‘syrmata’ (boat garages) on the ground floor of the houses, right on the seaside.

The sandy beach offers a small beach bar and cafe.

At the edge of Firopotamos, after the fishermen’s houses, you will see the abandoned loading dock and the church of Agios Nikolaos.

Alogomandra

Alogomandra is a small coastal hamlet that is also known as Agios Konstantinos beach. It is a long beach with fine white sand and shallow, crystal clear turquoise waters.

Encircled by high rocky cliffs which hide Alogomandra from the road, this beach is distinguished by the peculiar rock arch at one end, which forms a semi cave.

Also in the north of Milos you will find the beaches of Agios Konstantinos, Kapros, Mandrakia, Mytakas, Pahaina, Pollonia, Plathiena and Turkothalassa.

Kleftiko

Located along the southern coast of Milos, Kleftiko is a cove that is peppered with a set of impressive white rock formations and caves created over the centuries by the wind and the sea.

Kleftiko is sometimes referred to as ‘The Sea Meteora’ as a comparison to the orthodox monasteries of Meteora, which were famously built on sandstone rock pillars near the Pindus Mountains on the Greek mainland.

The unique cliffside waters of Kleftiko can be reached only by boat and boat tours take visitors for a trip so that they can swim and snorkel in this wonderous spot.

Kleftiko, which literally translates to ‘stolen’, was formerly used as a refuge and stronghold for pirates and from there it got its name.

Fyriplaka

Impressive views of volcanic rocks, white-gray fine sand and white pebbles, Fyriplaka will take your breath away with its beauty.It has shallow turquoise waters, a beach bar and sunbeds with umbrellas.

If you’re not in the mood for people, you can simply walk along the sea and the volcanic rocks of Fyriplaka and enjoying the serene beauty of one of Milos’s loneliest beaches.

Paliochori

Colourful pebbles, coarse sand and cool, crystal clear deep waters are amongst the endearing features of the extremely popular beach of Paliochori, Milos’s most colourful beach, which covers an area that is several kilometres long.

In Paliochori visitors are able to wonder at the unique and imposing formations, a result of the volcanic energy and geological vitality of the area.

In addition to the colourful rocks in an assortment of red, pink, yellow and white-grey hues, at one end of Paliochori there is a small cave in the rocks within which hot spring waters provide a natural sauna.

Tsigrado

Tsigrado beach is one of the prettiest beaches on Milos, well-known for being as difficult to get to as it is beautiful.

Visitors to this remote beach are warned by a sign to enter at their own risk, as access is only via a wooden ladder that hangins only by a rope attached to a steep and rocky cliff.

Those who dare to make the descent are rewarded by a dip in the magically transparent waters of the secluded cove and the surreal view of the rocks which together form an incredible landscape.

Gerontas

Gerontas beach is the farthest southern beach of the island of Milos.

Although technically accessible by car, access is relatively difficult due to the dirt road and the 10-minute walk along a difficult footpath that you have to take to reach the beach, but your efforts will definitely be rewarded once you get there.

In addition to its stunningly clear waters, visitors to Gerontas are wowed by the rock which has formed in the shape of a bridge, connecting the sea to the land.

Provatas

Located on the south-western side of Milos, with its abundance of golden-red sand thanks to the iron oxides, Provatas is an ideal beach for families with very shallow waters, suitable for children to play.

It is organised with deckchairs and umbrellas, and features a hotel, rooms for rent and taverns.

Only 7 kilometres from Adamatas, Provatas can be accessed easily by a paved road either by car, while there is also a frequent bus service.

Paliorema

On the eastern side of the island at Paliorema (or Palio Thioryzia) you can travel back in time as you enjoy swimming on a beach with yellowish pebbles and crystal clear waters, whilst looking at the ruins of the old sulfur mining facilities that operated until 1956.

Paliorema beach is one of the geological attractions of the island and from there you can observe wagons on their tracks, old rusty tools and unused spare parts in the hardware warehouse, as you bathe in the clear waters of this wild mysterious landscape.

Kastanas

Kastanas is a wild beach on the east coast of Milos, located a little south of Pollona.

It has no sand but in its place are small colourful pebbles and colourful rocks in shades of red, orange and purple.

Also as wondrous for their deep blue waters and also for the special hues of the rocks that surround them are the beaches of Kolymbisionas, Rema and Tria Pigadia.

Sykia

Not quite a beach, Sykia in western Milos, was once a sea cave, the roof of which has collapsed. As a result a small round hole allows the rays of the sun to shine through, illuminating its emerald waters, which are deep and cold.

Sykia is only accessible by boat, however larger boats and too big to pass through the cave opening so tourists are transported inside on smaller inflatable crafts.

Whilst in Milos..

Finally, the beaches in Adamantas Bay should be mentioned, especially Achivadolimni and Papikino. These are large organised beaches with blue-green waters, ideal for children.

Whilst in Milos it is also very much worth visiting the traditional fishing village, of Klima with few inhabitants and colourful two-story houses resting in rows along the natural hollows of the rocks, the temple from the Hellenistic and Roman periods, and of the ancient theatre, as well as the spot where the ancient Venus de Milos was found in 1820.