Milos: the island of the famous Venus de Milo

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The island of Milos (160 sq km, 4,800 inhabitants) is an island of the Cyclades archipelago located in the extreme south-western part of the archipelago east of the Peloponnese. The island is located a short distance from the islands of Kimolos and the uninhabited Polyaigos which are located immediately north-east of Milos.

The capital of the island is the village of Plaka which is located on a rocky outcrop overlooking the Gulf of Milos. The famous Venus de Milo statue, now preserved in the Louvre Museum in Paris, was found on this island in 1820.

A VOLCANO STILL ACTIVE

Milos is an island of volcanic origin, the island almost completely encloses a bay, the Gulf of Milos, which is the ancient caldera of the now submerged volcano. The island of Milos is one of the active volcanoes of the Aegean arch, it is an ancient stratum-volcano, whose last eruption dates back to about 60 thousand years ago. On the island there are still signs of strong magmatic activity in the subsoil.

The island is mountainous, especially in its western section, where the highest mountain on the island, Mount Profitis Elias (748 meters) is located. The rocky coast of the eastern part of the island is flanked by some beaches which are mainly formed by volcanic rocks and sands.

Milos is rich in cliffs often formed by multicolored rocks of clearly volcanic origin. However, there are also numerous beaches. Volcanic phenomena are still very active. There is in fact still evidence of a strong magmatic activity in the subsoil of the island. There are also thermal springs.

The two main centers of the island are the capital Plaka and the nearby port of Adamas. Plaka is located on a hill just north of the port of Adamas, it is a classic Cycladic town made of white houses and perched on the hill. From the village of Plaka you can dominate the submerged caldera of the volcano and enjoy the spectacular sunsets. The most spectacular point to watch the sunsets is the Panaghia Korfiatissa viewpoint. The village of Plaka has two interesting museums: the Folklore Museum, which shows the life of the inhabitants of the Cyclades in past centuries, and the Archaeological Museum, with a reproduction of the famous Venus de Milo statue, now in the Louvre in Paris.

THE PLACE WHERE THE VENUS DE MILO WAS FOUND

Near Plaka, in Trypiti, the Roman catacombs and the remains of a theater and a baptistery are to be visited, here is also the point where, in 1820, the statue of Venus de Milo was discovered. Also to visit the small village of Klima, the ancient port of the island. On Plathenia beach, just north of Plaka at the entrance to Milos bay, some rock formations called Arkoudes are visible, a group of rocks with a particular shape. The port of Adamas does not have the charm of Plaka, it is a modern village, but it is teeming with life, here there are shops, clubs, restaurants and bars as well as a nice very popular promenade.

Near the small port of Pollonia, located in front of the island of Kimolos in the north-eastern end of the island, there are the archaeological excavations of Filakopi. The island is full of wild beaches located at the foot of the cliffs, according to tourist brochures there are about 70 of them. Among the most beautiful are those of Provatas, Firiplaka, Tsigrado and Paleohori located along the southern coast, in the latter there are also hot springs. The spectacular cliffs of Kleftico located on the southwestern tip of Milos can only be reached by boat, as well as numerous beaches and coves along the southern and western coast.

HOW TO GET TO MILOS

FLIGHTS AND FERRIES: Milos has a small airport that has flights twice a day with Athens (40 minutes flight). The island is also connected by ferries with Piraeus (between 3 hours and 7 hours crossing) and with numerous Cycladic islands such as Folegandros, Ios, Naxos, Paros, Santorini, Sifnos etc.