Milos: A Lunar Landscape in the Cyclades

Volcanic activity since ancient times has endowed the island with abundant rocks and minerals, as well as rare morphological formations.

It is no coincidence that Milos is one of the most famous islands for its beautiful beaches, which exceed 70 in number.

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Starting from the northern end of the island let’s take a tour of some of the trademark beaches of the geologically wealthy island of Milos.

Sarakiniko

Sarakiniko beach is located in a unique lunar landscape, in the north-eastern part of the island and a distance of 5 kilometres from the capital of the island, Plaka.

Due to its extraordinary beauty Sarakiniko has been used many times by advertisers including leading fashion houses who have showcased their brand against the wildly beautiful, natural setting in global campaigns.

Prada, Louis Vuitton and Dior are amongst the multitude of luxury fashion houses who have used Sarakiniko as the idyllic backdrop to promote their products.

Sarakiniko is a small beach surrounded by all-white smooth rocks, sculpted by the wind and the sea.

The volcanic eroded rocks penetrate the emerald sea creating small and large caves, while the lack of greenery, combined with the white colour of the rocks and the intense reflection of light, create a landscape reminiscent of the moon.

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Many of the rocks also contain fossils.

Sarakiniko got its name from the Saracen pirates who used the place as a base and shelter. You can still see the carved anchors from their ships amongst the rocks and the caves that they carved out of the soft rock at the bottom of the canyon at the mouth of its small sandy beach.

From Sarakiniko one can enjoy swimming in the sea with a view of the nearby islands Sifnos and Kimolos.

Papafraga

Blue-green waters between impressive white-grey rocks form the natural scenery of Papafraga that enchants all who visit.

The cavern of Papafraga is a deep sea cave, surrounded by high walls of light-coloured rocks, and to reach it you have to descend down via a steep carving in the rock wall.

During the Byzantine period, Papafraga was used as a launching pad for pirates, while it was named after the late Frank Pope who used the beach to protect his boat.