A Guide to Family Friendly Milos

We recently went to Milos at the beginning of September 2022 and had the most wonderful time. Milos has been getting a lot of buzz lately, and let me tell you — it’s worth it. The island is beautiful, with crystal clear waters and an extra-terrestrial landscape. We also found it to be very family friendly, and a great place to bring our toddler.

Logistics:

Milos is easily accessible by Ferry as well as Airplane. Flights leave out of Athens, Thessaloniki, as well as other locations.

By ferry from the port city of Piraeus, the journey is typically 3-4 hours by fast ferry and up to 7 by slower ferry. One thing to keep in mind when choosing fast vs. slow ferry — if it’s a particularly windy day, the journey on the fast ferry can be much rockier. Bring seasickness supplies! We traveled with both Seajets and Zante and both experiences were good. I have traveled with Blue Star as well as it was also good!

I would definitely recommend renting some form of transportation while you are there. Because Milos has become very popular in recent years, you should rent a car ASAP, especially if you want an automatic car. There is bus transportation around the island, but it would obviously be much easier to have your own form of transport.

Stay:

The two most common places to stay on the island are Pollonia and Adamas, but there are of course other options as well, like Plaka and Klima.

We chose to stay in Pollonia because it is quieter and smaller compared to Adamas. Restaurants are walkable (except nights that we wanted to leave the area), there is a nice beach close by, as well as a park for little ones. This area is a little bit more up and coming, so you should book as early as possible, especially if traveling in July or August.

If you are looking for luxury accommodations, I would highly recommend Phos Milos in Pollonia. We stayed here with our toddler and they were nothing short of amazing. I have found that a lot of luxury accommodations do not really cater to families, but that was not the case at all with Phos. Without even needing to ask, they set up a crib for us, which included Coco-mat sheets and a comfortable mattress. It was great! The room itself is also beautiful, with an aesthetic matching the island. Although breakfast is not included, there are some great places on the island to get food in the morning. (Side note, most of the hotels we looked at in Milos did not include breakfast, so this might be more of the norm there, versus other places.)

If you are looking for something a little bit more budget friendly, Michalis Studios is a great option. Clean rooms, Korres products, and nice views of the Aegean. The manager, Alexandros, is also wonderful and has a lot of great recommendations!

Eat:

Palaios Bakery & Cafe

Karpouzopita at Palaios Bakery & Cafe

Kivotos ton Gefseon

We found the food in Milos to be delicious, with prices on par with most of the other islands (not including Mykonos and Santorini).

• Gialos (Pollonia): A very fun restaurant with delicious food right on the waterfront. Everything that we got on the menu was delicious! It can be very busy, so I would recommend making a reservation.

• Enalion (Pollonia): This restaurant gets all the points for being family friendly — which honestly can make all the difference when traveling with a little one.

• Alevromilos (Parasporos): This place is a little off the beaten path, right outside of Adamas. You will probably need a car to get there, but there is ample parking, and a small park for your kiddos to boot! The food is also delicious and there is ample outdoor seating. My husband’s slow roasted lamb was something of dreams. Chef Vassilis knows his Greek food, and also offers cooking classes.

• Kivotos ton Gefseon (Pollonia): Delicious breakfast, delicious desserts. We also purchased some of their honey , marmalades, and tomato paste. We also came here for dessert multiple days in a row.

• Palaios Bakery & Cafe (Plaka): An excellent place to try karpouzopita, or watermelon pie — a speciality that can only be found on the island of Milos and nearby Folegrandos.

Swim:

Firaplaka Beach

Provotas Beach

Agia Kyriaki Beach

• Firaplaka: I had my doubts about this one, but it truly did not disappoint. You will park along a dirt road, and then walk down to the beach, where you will be met with crystal blue sandy waters. We found this beach to be slightly warmer than Provatas (although to be honest, most of the water in the islands is on the colder side.) There are plenty of beach chairs for rent, which typically go for about 30 euros for two. There is also a small beach bar, as well as kayak rental. It is very family friendly as the water is shallow.

• Provotas: This is a wonderful beach, with beach chairs and umbrellas for rent, as well as a few tavernas. The parking situation down by the actual beach can get a little dicey, but there is plenty of parking up the hill if you are willing to walk. The waters are clear and sandy, and it stays shallow for a long ways out — all in all, perfect for a family with littles.

• Agia Kyriaki: We didn’t go to the beach for actual swimming, but we did take a boat tour from there. I have seen photos of it online, with clear waters and many people swimming. When we went, there were many boats docked there, and it seemed to be more of a place where people we catching boat trips rather than swimming.

• Kleftiko Beach: This beach is only accessible by boat, and there are plenty of boat tours that you can take there ranging in price. We went with the half day boat tour via Zephyros and definitely recommend it. The pricey is very reasonable — 35 euros — and includes time for swimming at two locations, including Kleftiko Beach. The tour guides are great, and our boat was fortunately not too crowded. They also provide snorkel equipment, noodles for floating in the water, a Freddy cappuccino, and some light snacks. Everyone on the boat agreed it was great!

• Sarakiniko Beach: So — we unfortunately did not make it here. Between trying to get to see as much as possible and having a toddler, this is one we just had to scratch off the list. But luckily we will be back! Sarkiniko beach is known as the “moon beach” and is made up of stunning, white rock formations. Word is that it’s the place to be for sunsets.

All in all, we loved Milos and I would definitely go back. My biggest regret for this trip is that we didn’t spend more time there. It’s truly an island that needs a week. We will definitely plan to go back in the future!