A journey to Moon. Milos is probably the most talked about island in 2025 - thanks to Insta-shots of bloggers and influencers posting on whitewashed stones hanging into the bluest waters one can imagine. Yes, Milos is still a steal compared to Mykonos and Santorini and there might be fewer people than on the two classic go-to-islands. Being more laid-back, there is still a lack of fine dining venues and world class hotels. On the other end, I enjoyed the casual and less posh evening situations without needing any reservations despite being high season. Though the hotels now charge quite high prices, the demand is exceeding supply, they still need to catch up on international luxury level to maintain these price tags. I therefore suggest to book less frequented bed and breakfasts and spend most of your days on a private boat cruising the most turquoise waters of Greece. After all that is what Milos is famous for and something you should not miss.

It’s all about the beaches here

Milos has been on our bucket-list for years now and thanks to a quite interesting selection of finer hotels it was now time to finally go visit. We took one full day to discover the most interesting places on Milos which was just enough time to get a good overview of the spots. We started our day trip in Sarakiniko which is the world famous Moon-like beach with the cliffs. Yes, it is super spectacular and all the white stone is impressive. The wow-effect slightly fades because you are sharing this beauty with hordes of others and the actual fjord is filled with swimmers so that you don’t get to see the blue of the water. We jumped into once and decided to head further. Our next stop was Mandrakia and it is even more amazing than any images could tell. The setting is serene and it’s stunning to see the old fisherman houses now used for airbnbs. We grabbed some beers from Medusa at a hefty take-away price of 5 euros (for a 0.33 can) and enjoyed the scene for a few hours. Later we went to Firopotamos which is my personal favorite on Milos. A fisherman village in steep cliffs with turquoise waters and less people. On the one hand it was cool to see the old buildings still being used as holiday homes, while on the other hand it was shocking to see wannabe-influencer breaking in to other people’s houses just to make the perfect shot. Overall we went swimming a bit and enjoyed the tranquil setting. From there we drove all the way to Plathiena a spot where you can apparently see the sunset and sunrise. The beach bar there was rather casual and low key so we decided to just stay for a drink and have lunch elsewhere. Our final stop was the fisherman town of Klima. I expected it to be as full as Sarakiniko and was surprised that we were almost the only ones to visit this picturesque town. Thanks to that we had a peaceful lunch at Astakas Restaurant before we lingered under the sun. If we wouldn’t have had a medical emergency and a hotel change, our plan would have been to end the day in Plaka watching the sunset at Utopia Cafe.

BEACHES

Sarakiniko / beautiful but very overrun during high season / go there early or late for sunset
Mandrakia / a bit lively and very nice / a bit touristy due to Medusa but still worth a short visit
Firopotamos / stunningly beautiful fisherman village / better than you can imagine / beautiful water
Plathiena / sandy beach with good beach bar / great for families and lots of parking spots
Klima / beautiful to watch at and great place for sunset or late lunch / beware of the slippery stones
Papafragas Caves / nice spot on the way to Pollonia / worth a short stop and jump into the sea

Our Hideaways

Milos is still very undeveloped when it comes to luxury hotels. There is only a handful of nice places to stay yet and most of them have low inventory. This leads to demand exceeding the supply causing high rates not really worth it but on the other end the island is so blissful that you won’t miss it. I found the island’s top hotel not to be ready for the jetset yet and would therefore go for more affordable design options (such as Phos) even if they do not offer any F&B outlet on site, and you even need to head outside for breakfast. I heard there are some luxury hotels in the pipeline plus Domes planning some incredible expansion (let’s hope the best for the boutique atmosphere it currently holds) - so the situation might change soon. Overall Milos is all about its sea and beaches so you won’t be spending too much time indoors anyway. Over five nights we have changed locations twice which was cool but in the future I suggest to do only one change and stay a few days in Pollonia (to explore Kimolos and Polyaigos) before heading to the South of Milos for more beach days.

SLEEP

Domes White Coast / chic interior design and good food / elegant pools with comfy sun beds / €€€€
Golden Milos Beach House / amazing location with the island’s only sandy beach club / chic pool / €€€
Phos Milos / Alex the owner is a gem / feels like staying at a friend’s place with great design / €€

The Untouched West & South of Milos

For the last three days on Milos we decided to bed our heads in the Southernmost place on Provatas Beach which is one of the very few sandy beaches in Milos. As a guest of Golden Beach House Milos, we got 50 percent discount for the sun beds at Salty Goat Beach Club which is a great place to spend the afternoons after having explored Kleftiko and its hidden beaches during the morning shift. Generally I found Kleftiko impressive and beautiful but the many tourist boats and hordes of people playing all their own music made it so stressful that we quickly left and headed to Fyriplaka beach which was the best decision we could have made. The water was as clear as possible and it was perfectly shallow so we could stand in the sand next to our boat. Another cool option is to take your ATVs and go all over the sandy pistes to Triades Beach, a place that was recommended by Alex from Phos. Generally with an ATV you are so flexible that you can go wherever you want even if it is not a pathed road.

BEACH BARS

Salty Goat Beach / cool atmosphere with golden sand and clean sea / mouthwatering pizza / €€€
Aqua Loca Beach Bar / this is Milos finest beach club / good service and nice sun beds / €€€
Loco Beach Club / very casual and easy beach but the sea water is stunning here / €€

The Hub: Adamantas

This is the place where all ferries and cruise ships will be arriving and departing so this is the main gateway to Milos. We arrived by Seajets and picked-up our ATVs within 30 minutes which felt smooth and easy. During our stay in Provatas, Adamantas was the nearest town to get dinner and a bit of nightlife which is why we went there on both evenings. I have to say that though busy at night, it wasn’t the most charming town and lacked elegant bars or finer restaurants. However the local drug store had everything we needed from Nivea sunscreen to a selection of international magazines - we felt more than happy with the offer in town. Also we really liked the local pastry shop Paradosiaka Edesmata which had the best chocolate mousse tart.

EAT

Nostos Seafood Experience / best wine list in town / superb service along delicious seafood / €€€
Mikros Apoplous / taverna as you would imagine it / service is friendly and setting is quite casual / €€

DRINK

Akri Bar / great for after-dinner drinks on top of the harbor with quiet atmosphere / €€
Aragosta Cocktail Bar / this is where the young people mingle after-hours with cool music and drinks / €€

The Gem: Pollonia

Undoubtedly, Plaka is cosy and nice. But you actually haven’t been to Pollonia yet. I still can’t figure out why nobody told me about this picturesque town. It really much felt like Saint Tropez one hundred years ago before the jetset even arrived. Home to sun beds during the day, restaurants set up their tables and chairs on the serene beach under the olive trees. It hardly gets any more romantic. Then we also have some of the island’s best dining venues here in this town. Yes the location is a bit remote at the western end of Milos, however worth a stay of three to four nights since this is the starting point for your adventure in Kimolos or Polyaigos. Since we were staying at Phos Hotel, everything was walking distance and we could keep our ATVs on the hotels parking ground which was a great plus. For all day trippers there is free parking and a well sorted supermarket.

EAT

Yialos / elegant restaurant and the number one in town / amazing seafood and great wines / €€€
Ethos / modern restaurant with some tables on the beach / good greek food and wines / €€€
Nama / casual spot for greek food / tables in the sand on the beach / locals favorite / €€

DRINK

Hanabi / place to people-watch / perfect for a breakfast or drinks after a day on the boat / €€€
Deck / perfectly located bar for views of Pollonia and inhaling the atmosphere / €€
Kostantakis Winery / the only winery on the island does pretty good wines / worth picking up a bottle / €€

The Highlight: Blue Bay by Private Boat

You have seen and done everything on the island of Milos and still have some time left? Or you just came to see the bluest and most turquoise waters in your life? Well then you should rent a boat and head over to Polyaigos. It doesn’t really matter if you moor in Blue Bay along 30-meter super yachts or if you choose one of the other untouched and preserved bays, Polyaigos will catch your breath anyway. We stranded in the bay next to the Blue Bay and even had a small beach where we could swim to. Since the island is uninhabited, the only ones waiting for us were some wild goats that peacefully tried to protect their little piece of paradise. Bring your snorkeling gear along with some Mythos or Alpha beer to keep you hydrated and enjoy this gem at fullest. I definitely suggest one full day and keep an eye on the winds as the ride over from Pollonia can be quite rough on windy days.

DO

Explore Milos / perfectly managed company with friendly staff and modern boats / €€€