Sarakiniko
Smooth white volcanic rock curving above a turquoise bay — a moon-scape the children will never forget.
Milos
Moonlike coves and fishing harbours
Best time
May – June & September – October
Gentle pace
4–6 slow days
Ideal for
Beach lovers · Couples · Island hoppers
Milos is the Cycladic island the crowds forgot — a volcanic half-moon of moonlike white rock, turquoise coves and more beaches than any island its size, from the white cliffs of Sarakiniko to the colourful fishing boats of Klima. It has the beauty of Santorini without the crowds, and the beach life of Naxos with far more drama.
With children, rent a car and hunt the beaches — Sarakiniko, Tsigrado, Firiplaka — take a boat around the island to Kleftiko, and spend evenings in a colourful harbour house over grilled octopus.
Worth lingering over
A boat trip to Kleftiko
Sail to the island’s wild west coast of sea caves and white cliffs, once a pirate hideout.
Klima & the colourful boat houses
A row of fishers’ garages painted bright colours at the water’s edge — the perfect sunset spot.
Hidden gem
The sea cave of Papafragas
A few minutes from the old capital of Phylakopi, a narrow cleft in the rock opens onto Papafragas — a hidden swimming cove inside a sea cave, reached by a steep metal stairway down the cliff. Below, turquoise water glows between white stone walls, with a tiny sliver of sand and a natural rock arch. Most visitors drive straight past to the better-known beaches; those who stop swim in a secret stone cathedral, with the waves echoing all around.