15 Mistakes To Avoid in Milos, Greece

Published: July 19, 2025

Milos is one of the most magical islands I’ve visited. It’s home to over 75 of the most unique and incredible beaches in Greece. But as dreamy as it is, there are a few things that can catch you off guard if you’re not prepared. Here are the most common mistakes travelers make in Milos (including some I made myself) and how to avoid them for a perfect, stress-free Milos vacation.

This post may contain affiliate links that, at no cost to you, I earn a small commission from. Thank you for supporting my blog!

Mistake 1: Not Planning Around The Wind

Milos can be really breezy. The Meltemi winds are no joke and can make or break your beach day. It’s important to check the wind forecast for the week when you arrive and adjust your itinerary as needed. The northern shore of Milos is the most exposed to the wind. Spend the windiest days exploring the southern part of the island like Fyriplaka and Tsigrado and save the northern shore beaches for the calmer days. Use apps like Windy or Windfinder to plan your days.

I made this mistake and we ended up at the iconic Sarakiniko Beach on a very windy day. The water was so rough that no one could swim. It was still beautiful to see, but disappointing to miss the cliff jumping!

Mistake 2: Sitting or Sliding Down the Rocks at Sarakiniko Beach

Visiting Sarakiniko is a must in Milos. The iconic moon-like rocks against the turquoise water is breathtaking and on calm days it is fun to swim and jump from the rocks. However, there is a big danger lurking on some of the rocks in Sarakiniko. Stinging sea anemones cling to the rocks along the waterline in the beach area. Avoid touching rocks that are brown or yellow, like in the picture below. Only touch rocks that are completely white. Many people sit or slide down the rocks on the sides of the beach and end up getting stung. You can see pictures of the stings in the TripAdvisor reviews for Sarakiniko or on this Facebook group post. At the main beach area, only enter the water from the sandy opening shown in the middle below and stay in the center, away from the rocks.

Mistake 3: Not Bringing Food & Drink to the Beach

Most of the beaches in Milos don’t have any amenities so there isn’t anywhere to get snacks and drinks. Additionally, there really aren’t a lot of places nearby the beaches to grab food. Your best bet is to pack food and drinks and bring them with you. We have this travel cooler that folds flat and is easy to pack in our luggage.

Mistake 4: Skipping the Car Rental

Don’t make the mistake of thinking Milos is small enough to get around without a car–it is not. Public transport is limited and taxis are hard to come by. You’ll need a car or ATV rental to get around. Use rentalcars.com to compare prices from all of the rental companies on Milos.

Mistake 5: Relying on Google Maps in Milos

The roads in Milos are winding and extremely narrow. Some of them seem like they should be a one way street, but they aren’t. Google Maps is notorious for taking you down roads that are extremely narrow or not easily accessible. Waze is a much better navigation app to use for directions on Milos.

Mistake 6: Wearing Flip Flops To Tsigrado Beach

Tsigrado Beach, also called Ladder Beach, is another one of the beautiful and unique beaches in Milos. The only way to access Tsigrado Beach is by climbing down to the beach, over rocks, through a narrow crevice and climbing down a series of ladders to the beach. Sneakers or closed-toe hiking sandals like these are an absolute must for this journey. Flip flops aren’t sturdy enough.

Another mistake for Tsigrado Beach is not bringing a backpack. Having a tote bag on your shoulder is incredibly difficult while trying to climb through the crevices and down the ladders. The bag will keep falling off your shoulder and getting in your way. A backpack is a must.

Mistake 7: Not Geographically Planning Out Your Itinerary

Don’t waste hours and gas zig-zagging the island every day. Plan your itinerary so that you explore one part of the island each day. Spend one day at the northern beaches, one day at the southern beaches, and one day at the fishing villages and Plaka. Click here to view my ultimate 5 day Milos itinerary--which covers all of the best things to do in Milos.

Mistake 8: Not Packing Water Shoes

Many of the beaches in Milos are rocky, and it would be a big mistake to not bring along water shoes. Want to know more packing essentials for Milos? Explore What to Pack For Milos.

Mistake 9: Step Down in the Caves at Sarakiniko Beach

Sarakiniko Beach has several caves you can explore and parts of the cave can get quite dark. There are a few step-downs within the cave that are easy to miss if you aren’t looking down and using a flashlight. There are several reviews on TripAdvisor from people who were injured from a fall as a result of missing those steps. If you want to explore the caves, use a flashlight and always look down at the ground where you are walking so you don’t miss any steps.

Mistake 10: Not Booking a Boat Tour to Kleftiko

You cannot come to Milos and skip Kleftiko. It’s the island’s crown jewel and the top thing to do in Milos, but it is only accessible by boat. With the towering white rock formations, endless sea caves to explore and the clearest turquoise water, Kleftiko is straight out of a postcard.

I highly recommend this full day boat tour, it was absolutely incredible. We towed a zodiac boat behind the catamaran and hopped on it in Kleftiko to explore sea caves. Click here for my detailed post on our Kleftiko boat tour experience.

Plan your Kleftiko boat tour at the beginning of your trip, that way in the event that high winds cancel your boat day, you have several days available to reschedule.

Looking for other tours? Check out my post on the Top Tours & Excursions in Milos, Greece here.

Mistake 11: Only Packing Spray Sunscreen

Spray sunscreen is not allowed on the boats in Milos due to slipperiness and staining. Be sure to bring lotion sunscreen for your boat tour.

Mistake 12: Driving a Car To Old Sulphur Mines Beach

Old Sulphur Mines Beach is another one of the beautiful and unique beaches on Milos. The beach has sulphur mines built into its cliffs and is really a site to behold! The road that leads down to the Old Sulphur Mines Beach is not paved, there are no guardrails and it is steep with drop offs on both sides of the road. Our car got stuck going back up the hill and we found ourselves in a very dangerous situation. I’ve been told that some rental car companies on the island now forbid you to drive there. This beach is worth visiting, but only if you rent an ATV to drive down there. Don’t attempt this in a car. Click here to watch my TikTok video on our scary experience driving down to this beach.

Mistake 13: Staying Near The Entrance of Fyriplaka Beach

Most people sit on the beach right at the entrance on Fyriplaka Beach, but it gets so much better the farther down that you go. Keep walking past the rock formation in the water–it’s less crowded, there are better swimming spots and even better scenery.

Mistake 14: Not Making Sunset Reservations at Bariello

You would be making a huge mistake if you didn’t eat a sunset dinner at Bariello. Besides the gorgeous sunset views over the water, Bariello has the most amazing food and hospitality. It was our favorite restaurant in Milos, and we aren’t alone–check out the reviews here! Reservations are required in advance and be sure to order the grilled feta cheese–chef’s kiss!

Mistake 15: Not Bringing A GoPro On Your Boat Tour

The boat tour to Kleftiko that we took included riding on a zodiac boat through the stunning sea caves. A GoPro is a must for this! If a GoPro is out of your budget, this knock-off version doesn’t have all of the bells and whistles as the GoPro but will definitely work well for this tour.

Bonus Mistake: Not Planning Ahead For Departure Issues

Milos only has flights back and forth to Athens–you can’t fly to other Greek islands from Milos without going back to Athens first. If you are island hopping, it is best to take the ferry from Milos to the next island. There are two ferries to choose from, the high speed and the regular ferry. The high speed ferry will get you there the fastest, but you experience much more movement in this boat. If you are prone to sea sickness, it would be a big mistake to take the high speed ferry. We took the high speed ferry and my husband and I were both fine, but we are avid boaters and have never experienced sea sickness.

If you are flying from Milos back to Athens, I highly recommend giving yourself an extra day in Athens in case your luggage is delayed in Milos. Due to a short runway for departing flights, if a plane is too heavy, checked luggage will be taken off of the plane in Milos before departure. The luggage usually makes its way to Athens on a separate flight or ferry, but sometimes it can be several hours to a full day before the luggage arrives. If you have a connecting flight from Athens scheduled on the same day, you might miss your luggage. We took a ferry from Milos to Santorini, so I don’t have personal experience with this, but you should read this post about it on a Milos Facebook group for more information.

Don’t make the mistake of traveling with out AirTags in your luggage. In the event you are separated from your luggage, you can track its location from your phone. This will help get it to you in a timely manner. Click here to purchase AirTags on Amazon.

VISIT MY AMAZON STORE

Shop my Greek Island Vacation Idea List

SHOP NOW

Final Thoughts

Milos is absolutely beautiful and one of the top islands in the Cyclades, but it’s not the kind of island where you can just “wing it.” A little preparation goes a long way. Plan smart, pack right, and avoid these easy-to-make mistakes and your Milos trip will be the stress free and perfect Greek-island getaway you’ve dreamed of!

Click here to explore the best places to stay in Milos, including pros and cons of staying in each part of the island.

Be sure to check out my other Milos posts at the bottom of this page, including my ultimate 5 day itinerary.

Greek Island hopping? Explore my Santorini posts here. including what to pack for Santorini.

Did You Find This Information Helpful?

Creating detailed travel guides takes time and love-your support helps keep this blog going. Buy me a coffee if you’d like to say thanks!

Follow Me

Follow me @postcardsfromcarrie on TikTok and Instagram for Milos content!

@postcardsfromcarrie 📌 Add this boat tour to Kleftiko in Milos to your Greek Island itinerary! ✨ A boat tour to Kleftiko is the top thing to do in Milos, Greece! ✨ The scenery is indescribable, the stark contrast between the bright white rock formations and the deep turquoise water is breathtaking. ✨ Exploring the sea caves was definitely the highlight of the day! ✨ The word of the day was “wow” because we must’ve said it a hundred times. ✨ I can’t stress enough how epic this experience is…a trip to Milos would be incomplete without it! ✨ 📣 Comment BOAT TOUR if you would like the link to the tour we used. ⬇️ Follow me for more travel tips and inspo! #milosgreece #milos #greekislands #greece🇬🇷 #greecetiktok #greecetravel #greecetrip #seacaves #kleftiko #traveltiktok #travel #traveltok #traveltips #travelinspo ♬ original sound - Headbangers Dan