Is Milos Worth Visiting?

Milos formed from the same volcanic activity that shaped Santorini, and the result is a coastline unlike anywhere else in the Cyclades, more than 70 beaches ranging from lunar white rock to red and orange cliffs.

Milos gave the world the Venus de Milo, discovered by a farmer on the island in 1820 and now displayed at the Louvre in Paris, though a cast of the statue remains on the island for anyone who wants to see it without the trip to France. Plaka, the hilltop capital, offers views over the Aegean from its Venetian-era streets, and nearby, the Catacombs of Milos, dating to the 1st century, rank among the most significant early Christian sites in Greece, carved into the rock near the village of Tripiti.

Sarakiniko, the island's most photographed beach, looks more like the surface of the moon than a stretch of coastline, its white volcanic rock shaped by decades of wind into smooth, otherworldly formations. Paleochori and Palia beaches show the same volcanic origin in orange and red tones, and Kleftiko, a former pirate hideout on the southern coast reachable only by boat or a demanding hike, is generally considered the island's signature attraction, with sea caves and rock arches rising straight out of clear water.

A large share of Milos's coastline, including many of its best coves and caves, has no road leading to it, so a boat trip around the island is close to essential rather than optional here. Tours covering Kleftiko and the surrounding coast run daily from the main port, and they're worth browsing before you arrive so you can build a day around the stretch of coast that would otherwise stay out of reach.

Klima, a fishing village where boat garages sit directly beneath the houses, and Mandrakia, a similar harbor a short drive away, both give a sense of daily life on the island beyond the beaches. Pollonia, in the north, stays quieter and works well as a base for anyone wanting easy access to the ferry connecting to nearby Kimolos.

Milos suits travelers who want dramatic scenery, real fishing villages, and beaches unlike anything else in Greece, and it pairs naturally with a stop on Sifnos or Folegandros for anyone island hopping through the southern Cyclades.