The Beaches and Beauty of Milos Island

By Dan Hutton on January 15, 2019 in

Departing Athens from the port of Pirius on a 7am ferry got us to the island of Milos at around midday. We were greeted by a cloudless sky and a warm, gentle breeze.

There were only a few taxis around so we had to scramble into the first available. From the port it was only a 10-minute drive along some hilly dirt roads until we reached our accommodation, Villa Mina.

The owner greeted us like we were long lost family, and once we had settled into our digs we were quick to venture out to hire a scooter before proceeding to devour a ton of delicious Greek tucker at a nearby waterfront restaurant.

We ate so much we feared we’d be pulled over by authorities on the way back to our villa and charged for exceeding the local road weight limit!

The next morning after break- fast we set out with a map that’d been marked out by the owner of our villa with her recommendations for things we must do and see.

Our first stop was the biblically named Pollonia, where we discovered a quaint little beach located on a gorgeous rocky cove with only a few people enjoying its charms. It looked like something out of a picture-perfect postcard.

With a dramatic cliff-face and numerous other islands as a backdrop, a little red-hulled boat bobbed just out from the shore in the sparkling aquamarine Aegean Sea.

For a bit over an hour we swam, sunbaked and revelled in the serenity of the crystal clear blue water before proceeding to the main shopping area for lunch, where we gorged on a big fat gyros stuffed with meat and chips and dripping with garlic sauce, all while admiring the stunning view.

The beach, the weather, the food and the wine made Pollonia the perfect stop, and it is now embedded in our ‘must-come-back-one-day’ memory bank.

Our next stop was at Papafragas Beach, a relatively short ride away but still quite challenging to get to. It’s like a cavernous version of the Garden of Eden, with a steep climb down the side of a cliff that leads you into a cave that you have to swim through to get to the beach.

We ended up choosing another rocky little beach that was only about 50 metres away but involved a far less tricky descent.

The final beach we visited that first day was called Sarakiniko, and it was simply breathtaking. If you’ve ever envisaged hiking on the moon, the walk leading to this beach is probably as close to that as you’re ever likely to experience. Vibrant white cliffs enveloped the coastline, in contrast with the extraordinary colour of the ocean. It was a visual feast.

After a magical day discovering the island’s beaches we made our way to Plaka, the highest point in Milos, to take in our first island sunset. We commandeered an area of a bar with 180-degree views and proceeded to sample the local beverages as the sun slowly melted into the sea and any cares quickly melted into oblivion.

The following day we had booked a full-day boat tour that circumnavigated the island. Our twin-masted vessel was named Leloudo, after the wife of the King of Milos in the 17th century. Although fairly new, it was built to look like the traditional wooden boats of the Southern Aegean from the days of yore.

A clear blue sky oversaw our 9.30am departure and with the guests all comfortably on board we were welcomed by our wonderful Greek host with a very Greek name, Theodoras (meaning gift from God) Kupakakis. Incredibly passionate and with the knowledge of a Greek encyclopaedia, Theodoras was able to explain anything and everything historical and current emphatically and in great detail.

Over the course of the day we stopped off at five magnificent locations, my favourite being Kleftiko with its majestic cove, intriguing rock formations and brilliant turquoise waters. Each stop was magical in its own right and we swam in places that were so crystal clear they looked as if they’d been photoshopped.

Throughout the day we ate like kings, stuffing our faces with a delicious range of vegetarian Greek cuisine. In the afternoon, the whole watermelons we’d seen dangling inside the fishing nets at the front of the boat were cut into huge wedges for us to devour.

As the sun slowly began its descent we passed the quaint fishing village of Klima, where the shoreline was dotted with a kaleidoscope of colourful boathouses. These mainly two-level houses were fronted by multi-coloured wooden doors and, combined with the old boats stored below on the ground floor, they gave the buildings an appearance of a bygone era.

As we pulled back into the port at around 7pm, we all raised a glass and made a cheerful and loud toast to this most delightful and memorable day, which exceeded everyone’s expectations. Yamas!

Where to stay
Villa Mina villaminamilos.com +30 2287 022 037

How to get there
Vicky Gilden at Rose Bay Travel (02) 9371 8166

How to book boat trip
www.thalassitra-sailing.com +30 2287 023 422