Milos

The beautiful island of Milos, located between the islands of Serifos, Sifnos and Folegandros, is the fifth largest island of the Cyclades archipelago, in the Aegean Sea. It belongs to the most beautiful Greek islands, and is full of charm, beauty and natural resources. It is very famous for the statue of Venus (or Aphrodite).
Its shape resembles a horseshoe. The two sides of the island are joined by a narrow isthmus: here the sea forms the great bay of Milo and becomes a safe natural port, one of the largest in the Mediterranean.
The island is unique for its extraordinary lunar landscape that creates incredible and majestic rock formations with dark red, brown, sparkling white colors. Volcanic activity has given rise to numerous minerals and rock formations on the island. There are many mines on the island, some of which are among the oldest in the Mediterranean.
The island of Milos is known for its magnificent beaches, each of which with completely different characteristics from the others.
Archaeological excavations show that the island has been inhabited since the Neolithic age (7000-2800 BC).
The island has a rather good road network: the main roads are paved and the others are dirt roads, however easily passable.
It is possible to move around the island by public transport. The public service is excellent and allows you to reach all eight of the main towns on the island, as well as the main beaches. Taxi service is available in the towns of Adamas and Triovassalos. Car and motorbike rental services are easily found on the island. Small boats take tourists around to the most beautiful beaches as well as to the surrounding islets and Kimolos island.

Milo

It is possible to reach the island by plane and by ferry.

Milos Airport is located in the southwest of the island, near Zefiria. The airline that operates daily flights from Athens airport to the island of Milos is Olympic Airways. The journey is 45 minutes.
Itaxis carry out service to and from the airport.
For more information:
Milos airport
Tel.: + 30 22870-22090
E-mail: kamltl@hcaa.gr
Taxi service: + 30 22870-22219o
The duration of the journey to the island, with the direct ferry, is 5 hours, or 7 and a half hours if you go from Kythnos, Serifos, Sifnos, Kimolos, an island to which Milos is connected by several ferries. Numerous ferries also connect Milos with the islands of Ios, Sikinos, Folegandros, Santorini, Crete, Karpathos and Rhodes.

Here are some useful numbers.
Olympic Airways: +30 22860 28400
Adamas Taxi Service: +30 22870 22219
Triovassalos Taxi Service: +30 22870 21306

There are beautiful places to visit on the island.
Adamas
Seaside resort and main port of Milos, it was founded in 1835 by some refugees from Sfakia, Crete, after the failure of their rebellion against the Turks. Since then Adamas has historically become very important due to its large and safe natural port and its strategic position in the Eastern Mediterranean.
The city has white houses shimmering on the blue Aegean waters, many old churches and ecclesiastical and mining museums to visit. It is surrounded by many beaches and offers numerous tourist facilities as well as a lot of entertainment.

Apollonia
The second most important tourist resort on the island of Milos, it is a charming fishing village, built around a pretty inlet, northeast of Milos. Along the coast are small whitewashed houses. On a small peninsula, and clearly visible from all parts of Apollonia, stands the village church, the Church of St. Paraskevi. From Apollonia, small boats connect the small islands of Kimolos and Glaronissia (the Gull Islands) to Milos.

Kastro
The village is located on a hill, just above Plaka. It experienced its maximum splendor in medieval times, when the island was constantly under attack by pirates. To protect themselves, the inhabitants built a line of defense consisting of very thick outer walls.
Currently the village is no longer inhabited and the few houses that remain are becoming ruins, although there are some that have been well restored.
Kastro has a splendid church and offers a wonderful panorama of the Aegean Sea, some islands and the whole of Milos. Watching the sunset from this area is a magical experience, made up of extraordinary colours, which persists in the mind of every visitor.

Climate
It is located near Tripiti, on the Gulf of Milos side, and is the most picturesque fishing village of the island, well preserved. The beauty of this splendid place is due to its "syrmata", the sailors' houses carved into the rocks and with brightly colored wooden doors. The sunset here is an unforgettable experience.

The Venus de Milo
It is one of the most important Greek statues, discovered on the island of Milos in the early 19th century. The statue is called The Aphrodite of Milo, or also The Venus de Milo (Aphrodite was the Greek goddess of love and beauty). The statue is made of fine marble and is two meters high. Both arms have been cut off and its author is unknown. At first it was thought that its sculptor was Praxiteles but scholars say that the statue was created in the Hellenistic era and not in the classical period. Today the statue is one of the most famous works of Ancient Greek art and is often used as a symbol of the island of Milos. The original statue is currently kept in the Louvre but there is a copy of it in the Archaeological Museum of Milos.

Catacombs
Dating back to Roman times and among the most important monuments of Milo, this underground complex is made up of three interconnected catacombs, which are located southwest of the town of Tripiti. The three catacombs are connected to each other by three corridors. It resembles a labyrinth and is approximately 185 meters long.

Ancient Theatre
It is located near the Catacombs and was probably built in the Hellenistic period. Currently, only the Roman part of the monument survives.

Church of Santa Triada
It is a lovely white church located in the center of Adamas and is the second oldest Orthodox church on the island of Milos.

St. Nikolaos Church
It is a beautiful white church, the largest and tallest of the surrounding churches, built in 1888 in an area where there were many small chapels. It has two towers and gilded windows.

Church of Panagia
It dates back to the 5th century and is the oldest Byzantine church in Milos, located in the locality of Kipos. It has one of the two oldest baptismal fonts on the island and fragments of a marble sarcophagus dating back to the Hellenistic period.

Monastery of Saint Ioannis Siderianos
It is a very old monastery, whose church and cells are in very good condition. It takes its name from a miracle (as told by the inhabitants of Milo): some local people locked themselves in the church to escape the pirates and prayed to St. John to close the door with an iron bar. The prayer was heard and the pirates were unable to enter the church in any way.

The capital of the island of Milos
Plaka
It is located on a hill near the port in the northern part of the island. The city offers a magnificent view of the sea and extends on the hillsides, uniting the localities of Plakes, Triovassalos, Pera Triovassalos and Tripiti. Founded in the 1800s, the city developed long after the destruction of the Ancient Acropolis, when the ever-growing number of refugees could no longer be contained within the city of Kastro and its walls. The material to build the new city was brought in by the new settlers and taken from their old houses and from the ruins of the city. The capital was called Plaka as the land on which it stood was flat. It features typical Cycladic architecture with whitewashed houses, colorful windows and doors, flower-filled balconies and narrow, whitewashed streets. In the pretty town, visitors can visit some rather old churches, the archaeological museum, the folk museum, and the remains of a Venetian castle built on the site of the ancient acropolis.

To be seen
Church of Panagia Korfiatissa
The church has a churchyard made with marble tombstones and parts of marble from ruined buildings. Inside, various icons from the Byzantine Cretan School can be admired. The church also houses a golden epitaph from the Kastro church and several religious artifacts from abandoned churches on the island. From here visitors can enjoy a wonderful view of the Aegean Sea and a spectacular sunset.

Church of Panagia Thalassitra
Dedicated to the patron saint of sailors, it is located in Kastro, very close to Plaka, in one of the most beautiful points of Milos. It was built in 1738 and subsequently restored and joined to the small chapel of Panagia Eleousa. Its stunning stone tower and whitewashed walls make it one of the most photographed churches in Milos.

Church of San Charalambos
Located right at the entrance to the city of Plaka, it was built in 1850 thanks to donations from the inhabitants of Milos. Inside you can admire the icon of the Virgin Akradiotissa, the oldest icon on the island.

Castle
On the hill you can admire the remains of a Frankish castle, reachable in 30 minutes of climbing, and enjoy a spectacular view. Inside the castle is the Church of Thalasitra, built in the 13th century.

Milos, Greece

Museums
Museum of History and Folklore
It is located in Plaka, near the Archaeological Museum. It is housed in a 19th-century villa and exhibits everyday objects, traditional clothing, furniture, utensils and much more.
The museum is open Tuesday to Saturday 10am to 2pm and 6.30pm to 9.30pm and Sundays 10am to 2pm.
Ticket price: €3 (full price) €1.5 (reduced).
For more information:
Tel.: +30 22870-21292

Archaeological Museum
Established in 1985, in Plaka, it is housed in a neoclassical building. It exhibits finds from excavations that took place on the island, such as small statues, ceramic vases, coins, jewels and more. It also exhibits a copy of the Venus de Milo, the famous statue now exhibited in the Louvre Museum.
The museum is open every day except Mondays from 08:00 to 15:00.
Ticket price: €3 (full price) €2 (reduced).
For more information:
Tel.: +30 22870-21620

Mining Museum
It is located along the Adamas coastline and exhibits various minerals from the island.
The museum is open every day from 09:15 to 13:45 and from 18:15 to 20:45.
Ticket price: free admission.
For more information:
Tel.: +30 22870 22481

Ecclesiastical Museum
It is a small museum, located in the Holy Trinity Church of Adamas. It exhibits rare works ranging from the Venetian period to the present day.
The museum is open every day from 09:15 to 13:15 and from 18:15 to 22:15.
Ticket price: free admission.
For more information:
Tel.: +30 22870 23956

Beaches
The beautiful island of Milos is surrounded by fantastic beaches with crystal clear turquoise waters and fine golden, grey, white or red sand. The different color of the sand is due to the volcanic landscape which has also created white, red and brown rock formations.

Firiplaka beach
It is a long beach with silver sand and huge colorful rock formations along the coast. Its waters are nothing short of exotic: crystal clear, green and blue, and shallow. They fascinate anyone lucky enough to swim in them.

Papafragos beach
A small path leads to the small strip of sand which forms the beach. Seen from the top of a rock, it looks like an immense natural pool. Crystalline waters of various colors, depending on the weather and the light, welcome the visitor and invite him to enjoy their coolness. Various caves surround the place. A few meters from this beautiful beach is the oldest place of Milos: Papafragos, the ancient city of Phylakope. The few remains that remain of the walls, buildings and tombs are now almost entirely covered by water, but still retain traces of life and civilizations that existed during the Neolithic period.

Provatas beach
It is located in the southwest of the island. Small hotels, good restaurants and the beauty of the place attract many tourists every year. Huge colored rocks, golden sand and clear waters complete the beautiful image of Provatas.

Tsigrado
It is a small cozy beach surrounded by huge rocks, 14km southeast of Plaka. It has a sandy coast and fantastic waters.

Fun
In the main towns of Milos there are restaurants, snack-bars and taverns offering quality local products and a pleasant environment, often surrounded by the sea or protected by the shade of green trees or exposed to the brilliant light of the many stars that fill the clear sky of the island. Adamas is the place where the most entertainment is found, and it offers a very dynamic night life, with places for every taste and various types of music.