Milos Island, GREECE

About Milos

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Click on link to jump ahead or scroll down to see all: Introduction
Milos is most well known as the place where the famous statue, the "Venus de Milo" was discovered. 

Due to its volcanic origin, Milos is one of the most dramatic Greek islands, with its spectacular rock formations, superb beaches and white villages perched on multicolored cliffs.

The inhabitants of Milos are economically dependant on Mining and Tourism.  Tourism has only recently developed and the island remains untouched by hotels chains and package tourism. Mining has occurred since ancient times and occupies about half the workforce.  This dual economy has preserved an authentic local culture that is not found on many of the other islands that are entirely dependant on tourism.
Where is Milos

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Milos is the most southwesterly of the Cyclades group of island in the Aegean Sea of Greece, lying about half way between the City of Athens and the island of Crete.

Milos is 160km from Athens, 60km from Santorini and 115km from Crete .  On a clear day, the mountains of Crete and of the Peloponnese, as well as most of the islands of the Cyclades group, can be seen from Milos.

Getting to Milos

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Travel info......
To get to Milos first you must fly to Athens, then you have the option of a FLIGHT or a FERRY.

FLIGHT from Athens
Olympic airways operates two return flights daily, from Athens International Airport.  Visit the Olympic Airways site for flight times and online bookings.

The flight takes 30 minutes and costs about 40 euro, one-way. The approach to Milos is quite spectacular and gives a good perspective of the rugged topography and complex coastline.

By FERRY
To get to the ferry port of Piraeus from the Airport take the direct bus (every 30 min, 24 hr/7 days), takes 1-1.5 hours, costs 4 euro. Or the new Metro (costs 10 euro). 

Milos can be reached from Piraeus by passenger ferry 1-2 times per day in winter, increasing to 4-6 per day in summer.  Various ferries service the route.  The journey takes 4-7 seven hours depending on the number of islands visited on the way.  The cost is 28 euro for the slow ferry and 48 euro for the newer, fast ferries.  

You can book online www.milostravel.gr
Airline operators from the UK: 

Aegean Airlines will be operating two flights per day to Athens from London Stansted beginning May 2006 - HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.

Easyjet  has good prices, especially in the Spring and late Autumn, (less that 100 pound return) if you book well in advance. However, in summer and September, they can be more expensive than their competitors. 
British Airways offers good deals if you book well ahead. 
Olympic Airways  also offer direct flights to London or Manchester.  You can book and check your baggage through to Milos.
  Other European airlines must include a stopover in their country of origin, thereby increasing travel time and usually, the price.

  From Germany:  Easyjet now has a daily flight from Berlin to Athens.

From Scandanavia:  Stirling airlines, has several flights per week from Copenhagen, Oslo and Stockholm, to Athens and usually offers lower fares than SAS.
Other European operators with connections to Athens include: KLM via Amsterdam; SAS, via Copenhagen; Swiss, via Zurich; Lufthansa via Frankfurt.
Arrival Info: Once you arrive in Milos - Take a taxi to KAFENEIO PERROS (our reception) in the village of TRIOVASALOS.  From the airport the taxi takes 15 minutes and costs 12 euro.  From Adamas (the ferry port) it takes 10 minutes and costs 6 euro.  From Adamas you can also take a bus.
For info about staying in Athens, click here.

The island is about 20km in an east-west direction and about 10km north-south.  It has a large bay, opening to the north, that almost divides the island in two and provides a large natural harbour .  The surface area is 151 square kilometers and the coastline is over 130km long.  The eastern side of the island comprises low hills and fertile valleys, which produce grains, vegetables, olives and grapes.  On the western side, the landscape is barren and mountainous, dominated by Profitis Ilias, the highest peak at 752m.  Most of the 5500 inhabitants live in 7 villages in the northeastern part of the island.  From our base in the village of Triovasalos, it is less that 10 minutes drive to some of the best paddle locations on the north coast, half an hour to the south coast and about 1 hour to the remote west coast. 

As with its more famous neighbor Santorini, 75km to the southeast, Milos is composed almost entirely of volcanic rocks.  Unlike Santorini, which was formed from a single volcanic centre, Milos is composed of dozens of eruptive centers of different ages.  This complex volcanic origin is responsible for the wide variety of useful rocks and minerals that have been mined over the millennia and for the unique and colorful rock formations that comprise the coastline.  Although the volcanic activity has ceased, earthquakes occasionally rock the island - the last major one was in 1993.  Geothermal activity continues to the present day, and can be seen in the form of steam vents, native sulphur deposits, hot springs and a natural sauna cave.

Of particular interest to kayakers, are the abundance of sea caves, which occur all around the island. Numbering well over 100, they are particularly abundant in the southwest of the island, around an area called Kleftico.  Many are in the form of impressive arches and some form tunnels over 50m long.  Some have massive, cathedral like roofs, while others have small entrances and crooked passages, requiring torchlight for exploration.

The Weather Conditions

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Milos experiences a typical eastern Mediterranean climate; long dry summers, short wet winters and relatively warm waters, year round:-

Average monthly weather statistics for Milos in degrees Celsius.  Click here for conversion to Fahrenheit.

  J F M A M J J A S O N D
Maximum temperature (oC) 14 14 15 19 23 27 29 29 26 22 19 15
Minimum temperature (oC) 9 9 10 12 16 20 22 22 20 17 12 10
Sea temp at 2pm (oC) 14 14 15 17 19 22 24 23 23 20 18 16
No. of rainy days 15 10 10 7 4 2 0 0 2 7 10 15
Hours of sunshine (per day) 3 3 5 9 11 13 14 13 11 9 5 3
  <-Ideal swimming temp. ->  
When to visit

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Anytime from April to November offers excellent paddling conditions: clear skies, calm seas, warm water and air temperatures.  April and May is when the island is at its most beautiful, green after the winter rains and full of wildflowers.  June, September and October have the perfect combination of moderate air temperatures and warmer water temperatures - perfect for swimming.

July and August are the hottest months - You are assured 13 hours sunshine, everyday and water temperatures above 22 degrees, perfect for lots of swimming and snorkeling.  The warm summer nights are  perfect for moonlight strolls and eating -out, and remember, you will all ways be comfortable in our air-conditioned guesthouse.

March and November see very few visitors to the Greek Islands; airfares from northern Europe are very low; and, as kayaker's, we virtually have the islands to ourselves.  The mild temperatures of early spring and late Autumn are recommended if you are more interested in kayaking than swimming and are perfect for longer expeditions.

The Winter weather is effected by continental cold-fronts, that pass every 7-10 days.  This results in windy, cold and wet weather for 3-5 days then mild and sunny weather for about the same. After the rains we are rewarded with an exceptionally clear atmosphere providing stunning views to the other Cycladic islands and sometimes to Crete and the Peloponneese.  The sea temp is never below 14 degrees and often warmer than the air, so its always pleasant on the water.
The Sea Conditions

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As the Mediterranean is a closed sea, there is no ocean swell and negligible tide.  Together with the warm water temperatures, the conditions much easier and safer to paddle than oceanic conditions.  

The wind is the dominant factor affecting sea conditions and it can be strong and persistent at any time of the year.  When the wind blows up, it usually persists for 2-5 days, then dissipates for about the same.  There is little variation in the wind strength throughout the day; if its windy in the morning it will be windy all day and vice versa.  When its not windy the sea is dead calm.  On strong wind days sheltered waters can be found on the lee side of the island.

Wind direction and strength are predicted very accurately.  The site I find most reliable is the 6 day forecast on - http://www.weatheronline.co.uk