Milos island, Cyclades Greece, the nicest beaches and hotels

<XMP><body> </xmp> Milos island, Cyclades Greece, the nicest beaches and hotels
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The island of Milos in the Cyclades in Greece.
Like Santorini the island of Milos is originally a volcano, with the main harbor Adamas situated in the crater of it. The island owes its reputation mainly to the discovery of the statue "The Aphrodite of Milos" which dates from the Hellenistic period, of which a copy can be seen in the local Archaeological Museum. Thanks to its large protected port Milos was an important centre in the ancient time, and in the pre-Hellenistic time there was an important Minoan settlement in Filiakopi on the north coast. On the island also Mycenean and Archaic settlements have been found. Most inhabitants of the island live in the north of Milos, and the south is very sparsely populated. Most tourists wills stay in the triangle Adamas - Plaka - Apollonia during their visit, so for the ones that love peace and quiet it pays to rent a car or take the public transport to go exploring. The main port of the three villages nowadays is Adamas, and from here the view seems as if you are overlooking a big lake, because you can not see the exit. On the north side of Adamas there are 4 other villages, Tripiti, Triovasalos, Pera, and the most beautiful and also the capital of the island: Plaka. Plaka is a beautiful, unspoiled and photogenic Chora (capital) with white houses and a nice tangle of narrow streets and alleys where you easily can lose your way. There are amazing views. In Plaka there are also a couple of museums worth visiting. The village is dominated by a volcanic mountain on which are a number of churches. On the top once stood a Venetian fortress / village. The other villages are also nice for a visit, such as Tripiti with his hill which windmills, and Klima and the port with the old fishermans houses on the water, where once the old (antique) capital stood. Another important village is located on the northeast coast of the island and it is called Apollonia. It is an attractive village in a sheltered bay. The village is emerging as a tourist destination. Here there are kaiks (Greek wooden boats) to the nearby island of Kimolos. In Apollonia there are some good tavernas and small hotels. In the bay is a beach with some trees. Even more beaches are scattered across the whole island, and these beaches are generally very quiet. The beaches in the west, the part where most of the monasteries of the island are, is only accessible by private transport. The best beach that is reachable by public transport is the sand / pebble beach of Paliochori. Milos is blessed with many beautiful but remote beaches, which are also ideal for discrete naturism. From Adamas you can also hop on a boat to the beach of Empourios that is situated on the other side of the bay.

A little bit more about the island of Milos in Greece
Milos is a Greek island in the Aegean Sea, one of the Cyclades, and is located southwest of the island of Kimolos. Milos is 150 square kilometres in size and has about 5000 residents. Like Santorini, it is of volcanic origin. Hot springs and sulphur testify to the volcanic activity. This is of economic importance for the extraction of minerals: the soil provides for Sulphur, perlite, puzzolaan and kaolin. From the port Adamas, which is located in the large bay ferries depart to a number of islands and the mainland. A few kilometers away from Adamas is also the airport of the island. When excavations were made here in 1820 the famous Venus of Milo was found (actually Aphrodite of Milos, now in the Musee du Louvre in Paris). Archaeological excavations show that the island was already inhabited in the neolithicum. In the Minoan period Milos provided volcanic glass (obsidian) for the manufacture of ornaments to Crete. After the arrival of the Dorians in Greece (ca. 1100 BC) the island Was colonized from Laconia. During the Peloponnesian War Milos refused to join the Delos-Attic Sea Treaty and Athens send a punitive expedition in 416 BC. Thucydides tells how the Athenian envoys first negotiated on supercilious and cynical tone, however, when the residents refused to bow to the head the Athenian imperialism, the men were all slain and the women and children were towed as slaves. In response to this humanitarian disaster Euripides wrote his tragedy Trojan women.

Milos Hotels - Aphrodite Hotel Apartments In Adamas
The Aphrodite Hotel in Adamas in Milos is located in a quiet spot in the village, near the beach. The port is situated 500 metres away and the beach of Lagada with trees (for shadow) is 100 meters away. On the other side of the village of Adamas, at 1 miles, is yet another beach, the beach of Papikinou. The rooms are spacious and comfortable and nicely furnished. All apartments in Hotel Apartments Aphrodite of Milos have air conditioning, television, a fully equipped kitchen with a refrigerator, oven and microwave, enough cupboards, a large bathroom with shower and a living room. All apartments have a balcony (upper two floors) or a patio (ground floor). From some of the balconies you can see the beach of Lagada. Cleaning of the apartments is daily and every three days, the linnen is changed. Parking is 30 meters away. If you prefer to be picked up by appointment at the port or the airport, or back this is also possible. The hotel has its own minibus.
Send an e-mail to the Aphrodite Hotel Apartments in Milos. Telephone: +30 6944867683; +30 22870-22020

The beach of Lagada on the picture above and the Aphrodite Hotel Apartments on the pictures below.

Milos Hotels - Artemis Bungalows in Paliochori Beach.
The Artemis Bungalows are situated at the best point of Paliochori, with direct access to the best beach of Milos, Paliochori Beach. The complex consists of 23 bungalows, all with a sea view, at about 50 metres from the sea. The bus stop is 30 metres away and at a distance of 20 metres is the Artemis fishtaverna, with a magnificent view of the beach. The beach of Paliochori is a few miles long and consists of colored sand and small pebbles. In some places the water is warmer because of the underground mineral resources. In front of the coast are beautiful rocks from volcanic origin. The landscape around the village is very colourful. In the central part of the village are 3 taverna's, a bar and a club. During the summer months there is a regular bus service to the port of Adamas, which is about 10 miles north of the village.
Send an e-mail to Artemis Bungalows. Telephone: +30 6946161717; +30 22870-31222.

Milos Sights.
In Plaka and the villages around it you will find most of the attractions of Milos. Plaka there is a museum with a copy of the Venus de Milo. The old city of Tripiti is worth a visit. It is situated on a slope and it was capital of the island from around 1000 BC to the Byzantine period. The best preserved are the walls and a Roman theater. This place is also a memorial where the Venus de Milos was found. The lower section of the city stood behind the ancient port and has been dominated by a small hill with a temple on it (a small church built with stones of this temple is now in its place). The most impressive remains of the old city are the catacombs, the earliest known Christian site in Greece, probably dating from the 1st century AD. It consists of three tunnels with rooms on the sides. The longest tunnel is 184 metres long. Only the central catacombe is now open to the public. Another attraction is the village Filakopi that dates from the Bronze Age. Located in the northeast of the island between Adamas and Pollonia. Some of the houses in the city are located in the sea. It is one of the biggest cities outside Minoan Crete and Santorini. Also in the Mycenean period, this was still the capital of the island, to around 1100 BC when it went into decline. Some of the things that have been excavated can be seen in the Plaka Museum, but the best pieces are in the Archaeological Museum in Athens. A boat trip around the island is also a fun excursion: a trip along the coast of the volcanic island and the island inaccessible island of Antimilos.

Milos Ferries.
Milos has a daily connection to the mainland (Piraeus) during the summer season. A direct connection takes about 5 hours, but if the ferry also calls on other islands (Kithnos, Serifos, Sifnos, Kimolos), it takes a bit longer than 7 hours. There are also special fast boats which take about 4 hours for the journey. During the summer season, there is also a boat line between Ios and Milos, Sikinos, Folegandros and Crete and the more easterly Cyclades like Paros and Syros (NEL Lines). It is also possible to fly to Crete (instead of Athens), and from there take the boat to Milos. The boat trip to Crete last very long, almost 8 and half hours, and this boat is less frequent - to include Heraklion, the capital of Crete (if you want to know you can check the internet at Lane Lines, because sometimes there is suddenly a boat to Sitia or Agios Nikolaos in between). Lane Lines ferries even go to Rhodes, Kasos and Karpathos. All this said, it is wise to check the initiaries of the ferries on the internet in advance because they often change, and also from year to year things and routes can change. Also check the websites of "Aegean Speedlines" (route picture on the left).

Hans Huisman, http://www.angelfire.com/super2/greece/ Colombo Francesco Luigi, Andreas Belivanakis, Antonis Vichos & Nikolas Mathioudakis, 2009