Milos and Polyaigos Full-Day Sailing Cruise with Lunch

Adamas harbour and the gulf of Milos

The day begins in Adamas, the port of Milos, which sits inside one of the largest natural harbours in the Mediterranean. The bay is the flooded crater of an ancient volcano, and as the boat sails out you see the colourful fishing villages of the gulf, where the boathouses are carved into the soft rock at water level and painted in bright reds, blues and greens. Near the entrance of the gulf rise the Arkoudes, two rocks that look like bears resting on the water.

How to get to Milos: ferries reach Adamas from Piraeus in about three to seven hours depending on the boat, and Milos has a small airport with short flights from Athens. Adamas is where almost every boat trip starts, so staying here or in nearby Plaka makes an early 08:30 boarding easy. Arrive a little early to settle on deck and put your swimwear on under your clothes.

Sarakiniko and the Glaronisia islets

On the north coast the boat passes Sarakiniko, the most photographed corner of Milos. Layers of white volcanic ash have been shaped by wind and waves into smooth curves and gullies that look like the surface of the moon, broken only by deep blue water in the narrow inlets. From the sea you understand the scale of the rocks far better than from the beach car park, and the sunlight on the white stone is dazzling in the morning.

Further east the Glaronisia appear, small islets made of tall hexagonal basalt columns that formed as lava cooled slowly. The name means the islands of the seagulls, and the birds still nest on the ledges. The boat slows down so you can photograph the columns and the dark sea caves at their base. Both sights are passed from the water; the swimming comes next at Polyaigos.

Polyaigos: the uninhabited island

Polyaigos lies just north-east of Milos and has no permanent residents, no roads and no buildings except a small chapel and a lighthouse. It is a protected nature area where the rare Mediterranean monk seal still finds quiet caves, and the shallow sandy bays along its coast give the water a bright turquoise colour that many visitors compare to a tropical lagoon. Sailing boats anchor in one of the sheltered coves and you jump straight from the deck into the sea.

This is the longest and most relaxing swim of the day, with masks and fins provided to explore the white sand and rocky reefs below. A Polyaigos boat trip is the only way to reach the island, which keeps it peaceful even in high season. On the way to the east coast of Milos the boat passes Thiorichia, where the empty buildings and rusty rails of the old sulphur mines, closed in the 1950s, still stand above the beach.

Gerakas and the south coast

Rounding the south-east of the island, the boat follows a coast of red, ochre and white cliffs created by volcanic activity. Gerakas is a small beach backed by pale rock where the water is a deep emerald green, and it is the second swim stop of the day. Many of the beaches on this side of Milos are hard to reach by land, with steep paths or ladders, so arriving by boat is by far the easiest option.

The south coast is also the sheltered side of the island when the summer north wind, the meltemi, blows in July and August. On windy days the captain may change the order of the stops or spend more time on this side to keep the sea comfortable. The crew decides on the day, always with safety and a smooth sail in mind, and every change is explained on board.

Kleftiko sea caves and lunch at anchor

Kleftiko is the highlight of the cruise and the place most people picture when they think of Milos. Tall white rock pillars rise from turquoise water, linked by arches and tunnels that you can swim through. The name comes from the pirates who once hid their ships here, out of sight from the open sea. There is no road, so a Kleftiko boat trip is the easiest way to see it; the alternative is a long hike across hot, rocky ground.

The boat anchors in the bay and you have time to swim and snorkel into the caves before lunch. Lunch is served on board in this setting: pasta with tuna sauce and a fresh salad, with vegetarian, vegan or gluten-free meals on request. Is Kleftiko worth visiting? For most of our guests it is the moment of their whole holiday in Milos.

Sykia cave, Cape Vani and the return to Adamas

After Kleftiko the boat turns north along the wild west coast, which has no villages and can only be seen from the sea. The first sight is Sykia cave, a large sea cave whose roof has collapsed, letting sunlight fall onto a small beach and green water inside. Depending on the sea the boat stops in front of the entrance for photographs.

Further north you pass Cape Vani, where the remains of an old manganese mine cling to rust-coloured cliffs and a natural rock arch stands in the water. The best time to visit Milos by boat is from June to September, when the sea is warm; late afternoon light on this coast is beautiful. The boat re-enters the gulf and reaches Adamas around 7 pm.