Best beaches in Milos, a paradise island in the Cyclades

The island of Milos in the Aegean Sea offers everything you can expect from a dreamy Greek island – charming villages with whitewashed houses, delicious Greek cuisine and gorgeous sunsets. There’s no doubt though that the best part about this island is its incredible volcanic beaches. In this blog post, I’m covering the best beaches in Milos that you shouldn’t miss when visiting this island!

I’ve been to eight Greek islands and the beaches I found in Milos were undoubtedly the most beautiful ones I’ve seen in Greece. From wide sandy beaches surrounded by jaw-dropping colorful cliffs and crazy volcanic formations to small coves with dazzling blue water, the coastline of Milos is nothing short of incredible.

Below, I’ve listed the top Milos beaches in no particular order. At the end of this post, you’ll also find a map with the exact location of each of these beaches.

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Best beaches in Milos, Greece:

1) Sarakiniko Beach

The stunning Sarakiniko Beach is one of the most famous places to visit in Milos. What makes this beach so special is its volcanic moon-like landscape consisting of smooth white rocks. It’s a surreal place that looks like it belongs to another planet.

Along the beach, you’ll find amazing rock formations, small pools with clear emerald water, rock arches and cliff jumping spots. It’s easy to see why Sarakiniko is considered one of the best beaches in Milos.

If you’re brave enough to dive into the sea from cliffs, have a look at where locals do it first (and also how they get back to the shore) to make sure it’s safe. For the ones preferring a more laid-back beach experience, there’s a small sandy beach with calm water.

Be aware that there’s no shade from the sun here so remember to bring sunscreen and a hat.

If you’re visiting Milos in summer, it can get pretty crowded at Sarakiniko during the day, so I recommend heading there for sunrise instead. Not only will you have the beach to yourself but you’ll also get to watch the beautiful lunar landscape come to life as the rising sun paints the cliffs orange and pink.

If you’re not a morning person though, you can also enjoy the sunset at Sarakiniko but there will be more people.

Facilities: Since the area is protected as a natural landmark, there are no facilities, so bring whatever you need.

How to get to Sarakiniko Beach

The beach is very easy to access and there’s a big parking lot. It’s only a 10-minute drive from Adamas or a 12-minute drive from Plaka. It’s also possible to get to Sarakiniko by bus from Adamas but there are only a few departures per day. Check the bus schedules at MilosBuses.

2) Firiplaka Beach

Located on the southern coast of Milos, Firiplaka Beach (also spelled Fyriplaka) has a large bay with shimmering turquoise water, golden sands and cliffs in shades of orange, pink and white. 

In the middle of the beach, there’s a massive rock jutting out of the sea which hides an archway that you can swim through. With its colorful landscape and crystal clear water, Firiplaka Beach is undoubtedly one of the most beautiful beaches of Milos.

Because of its beauty and easy access, it’s also one of the most popular beaches on the island. However, it’s a long beach so it never feels overcrowded and you can always find a spot that is more private. I’m so glad that we decided to explore Fyriplaka Beach because it turned out to be one of my favorite things to do in Milos.

Tip: Due to its location on the south coast of the island, Firiplaka is the perfect place to escape from the ‘meltemi’ – strong northern winds often blowing in Milos in July and August.

Facilities: It’s an organized beach where you can rent sunbeds and parasols and buy refreshments from a small beach bar.

How to get to Firiplaka Beach

The beach is easily accessible by car, scooter or a quad bike and the drive from Adamas takes about 20 minutes. You can also get there by bus from Adamas but be aware that the buses are not very frequent.

P.S. When you visit Firiplaka Beach, you should also pop over to Tsigrado Beach in the neighboring bay, just a few minutes’ walk away (more about it below).

3) Gerakas Beach

Gerakas is a small sandy beach surrounded by volcanic rocks on the southern coast of Milos. It’s a secluded beach that can only be accessed by boat and is a popular stop on boat tours in Milos.

What made this beach so special for me was the color of the water – it was probably the most vibrant shade of turquoise I’d ever seen (similar to the famous Blue Lagoon I visited on my Malta trip). I remember just staring at the sea and being completely mesmerized by it. In my opinion, Gerakas Beach is a must-visit spot and one of the best beaches in Milos.

The best way to experience this jaw-dropping beach is to grab your snorkeling mask, plunge into the sea from your boat and swim to the shore. In places like this, it’s super handy to either have a waterproof GoPro or a waterproof bag so you could bring your camera to the shore and capture some photos of this incredible spot.

Facilities: None but since you’re likely to visit the beach on a boat tour, food and drinks are usually provided.

How to get to Gerakas Beach

As I mentioned, Gerakas Beach is only accessible by boat, so to get there, you’ll have to take a boat tour or rent your own boat. Most Milos sailing tours include a stop at this beach but make sure to confirm this before you book your tour. Here are a few boat tour options that include Gerakas:

A cheaper but equally fun alternative to a sailing tour is to visit Gerakas Beach on this 3-hour kayaking tour. It starts in Firiplaka Beach and takes you to Tsigrado Beach and Gerakas Beach. The tour also includes snorkeling stops.

4) Firopotamos Beach

Firopotamos Beach (also spelled Fyropotamos) lies on the northwestern coast of Milos. Here you’ll find a sheltered bay with brilliantly blue water surrounded by quaint white houses. The beach consists of a mix of sand and pebbles and has several trees offering shade from the sun. Although the beach is quite isolated, it gets pretty lively during the day.

Since Firopotamos is an old fishing village, the houses around the bay (which are called ‘sirmata’) have traditionally been used by fishermen to store their boats. These days some of the houses have been renovated and converted into gorgeous tourist apartments.

If you like the idea of spending a night in a dreamy Greek village and waking up to the sound of the waves, consider staying at one of the seaside houses in Firopotamos. Some of the most beautiful places to stay here are the Aquanis Anchored and Milinon Suites.

Facilities: There are beach chairs for rent and a small snack bar.

Tip: Besides visiting the beach, be sure to also go for a walk through the village to see the lovely houses, an old church and the view over the bay.

How to get to Firopotamos Beach

Although the roads leading to Firopotamos are a bit narrow and curvy, the beach is easily accessible by car or a scooter. It’s about a 15-minute drive from Adamas or a 10-minute drive from Plaka. There is no public transport to Firopotamos.

5) Polyaigos Island

The Blue Bay (or Galazia Nera) is situated on the uninhabited Polyaigos Island (also spelled Poliegos or Polyegos). It doesn’t have an actual beach and it’s not even a part of Milos so you might be wondering why I’ve included it here. The reason is that it’s an amazing swimming spot which most people visit on a boat tour from Milos. It’s a breathtakingly beautiful place so I just couldn’t leave it out of this list.

The water in this small bay has an unbelievable azure blue color. It’s such a vibrant shade of blue that it almost looks like it’s glowing! This combined with the impressive cliffs in shades of orange, pink and white creates an otherworldly scenery. Photos simply don’t do justice to this place.

Although there’s no beach to put your towel down, swimming in this paradise-like spot will likely be one of the highlights of your trip to Milos.

Facilities: None. Take whatever you need with you on the boat. If you join a sailing tour, food and drinks are usually provided. 

How to get to Polyaigos Island

The only way to get to the Blue Bay at Polyaigos is by boat. There are various Milos boat tours that include a stop here, such as this 10-hour tour on a catamaran.

Related post: Looking for other Greek islands with beautiful beaches? Then read my guide to the best beaches in Antiparos.

6) Papafragas Beach

Papafragas Beach is definitely one of the most unusual beaches on Milos Island. This small beach is situated on the northeastern coast of Milos and resembles a narrow canal between vertical cliffs. 

When you get to the entrance of Papafragas Beach you’ll see a sign warning you of the danger of descending to the beach due to the risk of falling rocks. Despite the warning sign, the beach was full of people so we built up the courage to go down the rocky steps as well. The descent was much easier than it looked and it took just about a minute to get to the bottom. Just be careful not to slide on the rocks and you’ll be fine.

Once down, you’ll find yourself on a small stretch of sand between two cliffs that form a long canal to the sea. It is possible to swim all the way to the open sea through this canal but during our visit the water was quite choppy so we didn’t dare to go too far.

Depending on the direction of the wind and waves, the water at Papafragas can on one day be quite dirty and uninviting and the next day be pristine blue. So if you get unlucky and the water doesn’t look good, just give it a second chance and come back another day.

Although Papafragas Beach is a very unique beach and worth seeing, the space is very limited so you probably won’t want to spend an entire day there. We just took some photos, a quick dip and then moved on.

Facilities: None

How to get to Papafragas Beach

Papafragas is easy to access and is about a 15-minute drive from Adamas. There’s also a bus going to Papafragas from Adamas several times a day. 

7) Kastanas Beach

Kastanas Beach is definitely one of the more off-the-beaten-path beaches on this list and getting there can be a bit of an adventure. It lies on the less developed eastern coast of Milos and to access it, you either have to take a boat or drive through sulfur mines along dodgy dirt roads. We chose the latter option and we did it with a scooter.

When you rent a scooter in Milos, you might be told that due to the condition of the roads, you’re not allowed to drive the scooter to the part of the coast where Kastanas Beach is located. At least this was the case for us. However, this doesn’t mean that you can’t get to the beach. If you don’t want to break the rules, simply drive to the point where the off-limits zone starts, park your scooter there and walk the remaining kilometer or so to the beach – that’s what we did.

Once we reached Kastanas Beach, it felt like we had discovered a little piece of paradise hidden between sulfur mines. There’s a small cove with a pebble beach bordered by spectacular pink, white and red cliffs and mesmerizing aquamarine water. On the left side of the beach, you’ll find a sea cave and a natural arch you can swim through.

Since it’s such a secluded place, there are almost no people here. It’s the perfect spot for those looking to escape the summer crowds of Milos.

Facilities: None

How to get to Kastanas Beach

It is possible to drive to Kastanas beach with a car and even with a scooter like we did but you just have to be careful, not only because of the condition of the roads but also because of the many mining trucks in the area. Once you’re in the mining area, you can’t rely on Google Maps to get to the beach because the information there is outdated. It’s better to follow the signs pointing to Kastanas Beach.

There is no public transport in the area.

8) Tsigrado Beach

Hidden between tall rock walls on the southern coast of Milos Island, Tsigrado Beach is notorious for its tricky access. In order to get to the beach, you need to climb down a narrow crack in a cliff using ropes and ladders to aid you. It might sound challenging, but it really isn’t that bad and many beach-goers climb up and down this route every day.

However, if you have limited mobility or have small kids with you, I wouldn’t recommend going to Tsigrado Beach via this path. Instead, you could visit the beach by taking this 3-hour kayak tour from the neighboring Firiplaka Beach.

Whichever way you’ll choose to go to the beach, once you’re there, you’ll be rewarded with a view over a stunning turquoise bay, caves, arches and rock formations. Remember to bring your snorkeling mask to explore the clear shallow waters.

Despite the somewhat challenging access, this beach can get pretty crowded since the space is limited. Also, if you want to sunbathe, don’t leave your visit to Tsigrado for too late during the day because the beach will be in shade. 

Facilities: None

Tip: Visit Tsigrado Beach and Firiplaka Beach in one go since they’re located just next to each other.

How to get to Tsigrado Beach

Tsigrado Beach is a 20-minute drive from Adamas. There’s also a bus that takes you there from Adamas.

9) Paleochori Beach

Paleochori (or Paliochori) is a beach that I really wanted to visit but unfortunately didn’t have time for.

What makes this beach different from the rest are the underwater thermal springs heating the seawater in some parts of the beach. In addition to that, there are some amazing pink and orange cliffs that create a beautiful contrast with the surrounding crystal blue water. 

Paleochori Beach is also known as a great snorkeling spot so remember to bring your mask. Not only will you get to see fish but also tiny gas bubbles rising from the seabed due to geological processes in the ground.

Thanks to the thermal activity in the area, the sand in some parts of the beach is so hot that it’s possible to cook in it. For an unusual dining experience head to Sirocco beach restaurant which is known for their ‘volcanic food’ cooked on hot sands.

Facilities: Paleochori is an organized beach with restaurants, beach chairs and umbrellas for rent. There are also water sports activities like jet ski, SUPing and kayaking.

How to get to Paleochori Beach

The beach is easily accessible and you can either take a bus from Adamas or drive there with your car/scooter/quad bike. The drive from Adamas takes roughly 20 minutes.

Milos beaches map

The map below gives you an overview of where each of these beaches in Milos are located. Click on the icon in the top left corner of the map for more details.

How to get to Milos

Most people get to Milos by ferry. If you’re coming from Athens, the ferries depart from Piraeus port and the the journey can take 3 to 8 hours depending on what kind of ferry you take (high-speed or regular). The price for a one-way journey is 42-58 euros.

You can also take a ferry to Milos from the other Cyclades Islands, such as Santorini, Ios, Mykonos, Naxos, Paros and also from Crete.

If you’re traveling during the summer, book your tickets several days in advance to make sure you get a spot. Find the ferry schedules and buy the tickets at FerriesInGreece, which is the main website for buying ferry tickets to all the Greek islands.

You can also fly to Milos from Athens International Airport. The flight takes about 45 minutes.

Best beaches in Milos: Final thoughts

As you can see, Milos is a true paradise for beach-hopping. Whether you like sand, pebbles or cliffs, organized beaches or ‘wild’ beaches, wide open spaces or narrow coves, there’s something for every taste.

I hope that you found this Milos beaches guide helpful for planning your trip. If you have any questions, please leave them in the comments.

Although beaches were by far my favorite part of Milos, this dreamy island has more to offer! Check out my post on the best things to do in Milos for more inspiration for your trip. And if you’re considering exploring other Cyclades Islands as well, have a look at my guide to the beaches of Antiparos, a picturesque lesser-known island next to Paros.

Looking for more Greece travel tips? Then take a look at the following posts:

• Best things to do in Meteora
• Best hiking trails in Greece
• Hiking Vikos Gorge, the Grand Canyon of Greece

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