If you’re headed to Milos, Greece and looking for a Milos itinerary, OR if you’re not sure which Greek Islands to visit on your trip and are considering the Cyclades, this post is for you!
Milos is a DREAM! It is a Greek Island in the Aegean Sea and is part of the Cyclades which also includes Santorini, Naxos, Paros, Mykonos, and many others. Milos has an incredible landscape of white moon-like rock contrasted with crystal blue waters. My husband and I added Milos to our honeymoon itinerary after extensive research. In this post, I share everything I learned about Milos and our 3 day Milos itinerary.
What to Know Before you Go
How to get to Milos:
Milos is a much less crowded, but equally beautiful island in the Cyclades that is worth adding to your Santorini and/or Mykonos itinerary. Milos has both a ferry port and an airport, so you’ll have options.
If you fly, you’ll always have to fly through Athens, Greece airport. For example, on our trip, my husband and I opted to fly from Naxos to Milos, but we had to connect in Athens. If you’re already in Athens, a flight to Milos is direct and quick! This option can be preferred if you want to ensure no ferry cancellations due to weather. We took a ferry from Santorini to Naxos on our trip and the experience was fantastic!
You can do the same to Milos. I recommend a Seajets ferry, but you can shop around.
- Athens to Milos ferry: 3-3.5 hours
- Santorini to Milos ferry: 2 hours
- Mykonos to Milos ferry: 3-3.5 hours
When is the best time to visit Milos?
The best time for any Milos itinerary would be between April – October. This timeframe will guarantee that the weather is reasonable enough for most activities. In spring and fall, the crowds will be minimal, but the water will still be cold. My husband and I went in middle of May, and the water was still very chilly! We still went swimming anyway. If you’re very keen on warm water and don’t mind higher prices and more people around, go with July-Sept.
What is the best island to pair with Milos?
There are so many great options!
- Folegandros: a small island to the east of Milos. Charming and authentic!
- Santorini: the most touristy island in Greece but for good reason. It’s beauty is staggering!
- Mykonos: a popular choice amongst younger crowds who enjoy nightlife
- Paros: northeast of Milos and absolutely breathtaking
- Naxos: we paired Milos with Naxos, and it was so worth it! Read about Naxos in our other post.
How many days is enough in Milos?
I recommend between 2-4 days for your Milos itinerary! We did 3 days in Milos on our honeymoon, and it was the perfect amount of time. Two days is feasible, three days is perfect, and four days would provide a nice and slow pace for your visit.
Do you need a car to get around Milos?
Milos is definitely an island I would recommend renting a car for if you’re comfortable driving a small, manual car. There are so many parts of the island worth seeing and having a rental car will provide you the freedom to go see all the different beaches and towns. If you can’t rent a car, there are public buses leaving from Adamantas that will take you to the most popular beaches of Milos.
Where should I stay in Milos?
- Adamantas: This little town is where the ferry port is. It’s very pretty to walk around, has plenty of restaurants, and is the best place to find transportation to other areas.
- Mandrakia: This is where my husband and I stayed. It’s the cutest, tiny fishing village and very peaceful. There’s also a local beach right in town and lots of cats! We stayed at this amazing airbnb with a fantastic and responsive host.
- Pollonia: A more expensive little town with some very nice and romantic accommodations.
- Plaka: This is another popular town that is not on the beach but is higher up in elevation and has gorgeous views, lots of restaurants, and bake shops.
Our Itinerary
Milos Itinerary Day 1: Mandrakia + Adamantas + Plaka
First things first, grab your rental car! We came by plane and our rental car awaited us right at the airport. We rented through Giourgas Rent a Car.
Plaka
On our first day in Milos, we decided to explore some of the various cities around the island. First, we headed to Plaka, the capital town of Milos. This town is full of whitewashed buildings, flowers, and sits on a hill with gorgeous views. Here’s what to see in/near Plaka:
- Get a juicy slice of orange cake from Paleos Pastry
- Enjoy your orange cake with a view at Plaka castle (head here for sunrise or sunset if time permits)
- Walk around the beautiful, winding streets of Plaka
- Visit the nearby Catacombs of Milos in Tripiti for 4 euros (comes with a guide) – these are 1st century Christian catacombs and very cool to see
Adamantas
Next on your Milos itinerary, stroll through Adamantas. This is the main town in Milos, a seaside town where the port is located.
- Grab some lunch (Gyros of course!) at O Gyros Tis Milou.
- Walk along the seaside and have a glass of wine or a cocktail at one of the many restaurants.
- Take a swim at Lagada Beach
- Grab some charcuterie and snacks from a local grocery for day 2 (beach day!)
Mandrakia
You MUST go to Mandrakia. It’s the cutest little village, and it’s where we stayed. Colorful fishing boats, friendly village cats, a delicious restaurant, and a beautiful beach.
- Grab dinner at seaside restaurant Medusa. The owner is incredibly nice. Try some octopus and definitely the swordfish souvlaki.
- Catch the sunset at Tourkothalassa beach just steps away
Milos Itinerary Day 2: The beaches of Milos
On day 2, we explored various beaches/cliff-sides in Milos. First, we explored Sarakinko beach. This is not a sandy beach but rather an inlet within the white moon-like rocky cliffs. You can spend hours walking along and exploring the cliffside as well.
Next, we drove further north to the Papafragas caves that includes swimming holes and beaches as well. Here, we sat on the beach and had our charcuterie lunch that we picked up at the local grocery the prior day. We had salami, fresh cheese, crunchy chips, nuts, and the delicious melitzanosalata greek eggplant dip with pita bread. Then we went for a swim in the COLD waters of May.
Finally, we drove to the very edge of the island to Pollonia. We explored the town, watched families play on the calm, family-friendly beach, and then headed to Kostantakis Cave Winery for a 2 hour wine tasting for 45 euros per person. Lastly, head to Gialos for an incredibly fresh, seaside dinner while watching the fisherman return home for the day.
Milos Itinerary Day 3: Boat tour + SCUBA
On day 3, we set out on our boat tour, snorkel, and SCUBA dive that we had pre-booked with Dive in Milos. They offer boat trips with just snorkeling or you can add on the Discover SCUBA Dive, for beginners with no PADI certification like us. For those that do have a PADI certification, they have all kinds of additional daytime and nighttime dives!
Even if you don’t dive, a boat trip in Milos is a MUST because many beaches and different parts of the island, like the famous Kleftiko, are not accessible by car. For my husband and I both to take the boat tour and dive, we paid $185 total. Our instructors were incredible and the boats only take 6 people at a time! We had one other couple in our boat, and the instructors brought beer and bruschetta as snacks! Our tour was from 9 AM – 2 PM.
After our tour, we went back to our lodging to shower and get ready for an incredibly yummy dinner at O! Hamos near Papakinou Beach and Adamantas. They have a beautiful courtyard full of greenery that is lovely to enjoy dinner.
After an early dinner on your last night in Milos, heading back to the Plaka castle for the sunset is an excellent way to end a beautiful Milos itinerary.
Our Milos Itinerary Budget
| Flight Naxos to Milos | $100 per person |
| Lodging | $290 per person |
| Rental Car + Gas | $75 per person |
| Food + Drink | $125 per person |
| Activities | $120 per person |
| TOTAL: | $710 per person |
Ways to Save
As I previously mentioned, my husband and I went to Milos as part of our honeymoon to Greece. Therefore, we spent more than we normally do on trips.
Here are multiple ways to save on your Milos Itinerary, if you want to go to Greece and have a stricter budget!
- First, you’re making a budget conscious decision already choosing Milos over more expensive islands like Santorini and Mykonos.
- There are beautiful villas and romantic suites in Pollonia. If you’re looking to save, we recommend a comfortable apartment in Adamantas. If you’re willing to go mid-range, we highly recommend a quiet place in Mandrakia. We did this to save a little money too and the view was beautiful!
- Opt for the free activities! We went sailing/diving and wine tasting, but you can have an amazing time with just a rental car and some grocery store breakfast and on-the-go lunches. Enjoy all the beautiful beaches of Milos and meandering in all the towns.
- Seeing the previous point – eating only dinners out saves a LOT of money. Hit up a grocery store in Adamantas on your first day and stock up on breakfast and lunch items.
I hope this convinces you to go to Milos and provides some ideas of what not to miss! Comment if you’ve been or if you go!
Wow your blog looks awesome!
Thanks for all the great info! We celebrated our 30th wedding anniversary in Santorini and even renewed our vows there! Would love to go back to see more of the Greek islands!
Glad the info was helpful for you! We hope you are able to go back someday!