Milos and Sarakiniko

Milos is the Cyclades with the volume turned up on geology: a volcanic island whose minerals have been mined since antiquity and whose coastline erupts in colour and form - nowhere more surreally than Sarakiniko, a sweep of bone-white volcanic rock sculpted by wind and sea into a lunar landscape of smooth waves, ridges and inlets that photographs like another planet and swims like a dream. Around the island lie some seventy beaches in improbable palettes, boat-only pirate coves, the painted boathouse villages of Klima and Mandrakia with their bright syrmata doors, and the spot where a farmer unearthed the Venus de Milo - the statue now in the Louvre, the pride and mild grievance of the island ever since.

Highlights

• Sarakiniko - the white moonscape at dawn before the crowds, and the leap-friendly inlet.
• Kleftiko by boat - the pirate coves and arches of the island's south-west corner.
• Klima's syrmata - the boathouse village painted every colour at the waterline.
• Plaka at sunset - the hilltop chora and castle view over the great bay.

When to go

May, June and September are ideal - warm sea, open tavernas, breathing room at Sarakiniko. July and August have discovered Milos thoroughly; sunrise and late evening reclaim the famous spots. Boat trips to Kleftiko run in settled summer weather and are worth planning the stay around.

Good to know

Milos's fame has arrived - it is no longer the secret the older guidebooks promised, and Sarakiniko at midday in August is a photo queue. The counterweight is real: seventy beaches spread the load, and a quad or car plus early hours recover the empty-island feeling daily. Some famous beaches need boats or rough tracks; sturdy footwear and planning beat improvisation. Swimmers should respect wind days - the moonscape's ledges bite in a swell.

Nearby

Kimolos island is a short local ferry; Sifnos and Serifos share the ferry line for Cycladic island-hopping.