Milos is a true delight. Dramatic landscapes, wonderful beaches, quaint villages, great restaurants, easy to get around, and friendly locals.

For a great introduction to the island, read these New York Times articles:

• A Guide to Milos, a Greek Island With Fewer Crowds and More Beaches
• Around Milos, Swimming the Aegean Sea

Where to stay

There are several small luxury hotels on the island in remote locations. Here’s a list to start with from Conde Nast Traveler

Locations to consider for proximity to restaurants

• Adamas: port town with shopping, beaches, museums, and some nightlife
• Pollonia: nice beach town on west coast with several good restaurants
• Plaka: quaint hill town with great views over the island and sea, many restaurants, shopping, and museums
• Tripiti: another quaint hill town with stunning views and a few restaurants.

Where we stayed: Mandrakia

Mandrakia is a small traditional fishing village with several apartment or villa rentals. There is one restaurant — Medusa — and it is fantastic! One of the best restaurants on the island.

We chose to rent this Airbnb located right on the water, best decision ever as not only was the beach cottage adorable, but RIGHT next door to Medusa restaurant. If the restaurant was full, they would even serve us at our patio and then magically clean it all up once we had retired to bed in a food comatose. There was a heat wave during our visit, but we could walk a few steps to the sea as much as necessary to cool down.

Restaurants

Here is a list of where we went. I can honestly recommend them all. Favorites, if I had to pick…O!Hamos!!, Medusa, and Enalion.

Medusa: fantastic traditional restaurant in the quaint fishing village of Mandrakia. Freshly caught octopus hang to dry nearby. This place is busy from 11 am to after midnight so make a reservation if possible. Or, put your name down and stroll through the village at sunset when all the locals are hanging out or swimming.

Enalion: pretty beach-side restaurant in Pollonia. Fresh fish, pasta, a few non-seafood options, and vegetables from their farm.

O!Hamos!!: Quaint non-seafood restaurant on the outskirts of Adamas set within a garden shaded by overhead vines. The meat, poultry, and vegetables all come from their own farm. VERY popular and they don’t take reservations so go when they open OR plan on a wait. I believe they do have their own beach area across the street where you can get drinks and lounge chairs while you wait.

Mikros Apaplous: Gorgeous sea view from this Adamas restaurant. My linguini with seafood was excellent. Yummy complimentary lemon mousse with brûlée for dessert.

Barriello: Upscale but not stuffy restaurant in the hill town Tripiti with an amazing view over Milos and the sea. Get there before sunset! Tables set within a courtyard and garden. Make a reservation well in advance. Food and wine were all fantastic.

 

Okto: RIGHT next to Barriello so same amazing view. Actually, a better view due to location of the tables. We didn’t dine here for dinner, but breakfast was wonderful, freshly squeezed juice. Lunch/dinner menu looks fantastic — I think we will try it for lunch in July 2023.

Avli Milos: Popular taverna in the center of Plaka. No reservations so prepare for a wait. It is popular for a reason — great food and fun vibe. You can get a glass of wine while you wait, and lots of great shops surrounding it as well.

What to do in Milos

Sail around the island with Polco Sailing. Recommended by The NY Times and I completely agree. We were blown away by the sights, friendly crew, lunch, and unlimited drinks on our West Milos Kleftiko sailing cruise. You will visit some amazing caves accessible only by boat. Sailing with them again in July 2023, this time on a catamaran around Milos and Poliegos.

Visit one of the traditional fishing villages. Mandrakia, Klima, or Firopotomas. If it is Mandrakia, combine it with lunch or dinner at Medusa. Swimming possible from Mandrakia as well. Klima is also another good one, on the west coast. Great sunset from here at Astakas Cafe. Firopotamos has a beach where you can rent chairs and umbrella — Mama Mia filmed from here with it’s beautiful turquoise waters.

Explore the historic town of Plaka, hopefully including a sunset view from the castle. The town is hopping at night, lots of restaurants and shops. There is an archeological museum here with a copy of the Venus di Milo statue. The pretty center is car-free so bear in mind that parking may be challenging. We ate at Avli Milos taverna which does not take reservations so expect a wait.

Saraniko Beach — the most popular Milos photo on instagram. Stunning landscape. Prepare for crowds so go at sunrise if possible.

Pollonia Beach and town. Easy parking here, plenty of restaurants, great beach with loungers.

Tripiti town: It’s not a huge town but you can visit the Catacombs here and there is an ancient theater built by the Romans.

Beach hopping — not really a beach person so we stopped at a couple but didn’t spend time. Still, some really stunning ones due to the rock formations and water color. Milos known for it’s beautiful beaches.

Daytrip to Kimolos: 20 minute ferry from Pollonia. Not many tourists. The main town, Chorio, is a 10-15 minute walk from the port.