Milos, Greece

While other Greek Cycladic islands such as Santorini and Mykonos represent over-advertised romantic getaways or party hubs, Milos is an entirely different story. If you appreciate beautiful sunsets and tiny fishing villages, and if you love experiencing authentic culture and discovering new towns by way of motor scooter, a week on Milos is the ideal holiday for you. 

At least it was for me. In fact, I'm already making preparations for my wedding in Milos. Now all I need is someone to marry! For now, I'll stick with visits to Santa Maria Village Hotel, the stunning family-owned bed and breakfast that we stayed at in June 2016.

Santa Maria Village is situated a quarter mile away from Adamas, the port where ferries from Athens dock. When we arrived at Adamas we took a taxi up the hill to our small B&B. When we arrived, the owner himself, a 40 year old Greek man, showed us to our garden room. We settled right into our spotless room and fell fast asleep, happy to be off the rickety ferry and in a place where we felt at home.

The next morning we woke and enjoyed a homemade breakfast on the garden terrace. Let me tell you, the mother of Santa Maria Village's owner knows what Greek yogurt is. Never have I tasted such delicious Greek yogurt. At first, we thought it was cream cheese because the consistency was very thick, not like American-Greek yogurt. But with a little homemade jam or honey, mmmm. My mouth is watering as I remember it now.

Beautiful Dining Everywhere

We spent our first day at the pool, just steps from our room. The July temperature was perfectly sunny and the pool overlooking the bay offered gorgeous views. The brother-in-law of the owner, who doubles as bartender, offered me the "house salad." Of course, in Greece, a "house salad" was a huge bowl of juicy tomatoes (probably grown just down the hill), chunks of cucumber, and blocks of the best mozzarella cheese I've ever tasted.

We don't always understand Greek humor.

The next day we were feeling a little more adventurous. We walked 10 minutes down a small dirt path into Adamas town and dropped in at a scooter rental shop. We spent the rest of the day exploring the island, driving from town to town on our scooters, making a few pitstops along the way. It only took us a few hours to loop around the whole island.

The View From Plaka

We kept our scooters for the duration of our stay and explored the island in depth, finding the best lunch spots, the prettiest hilltop views and the yummiest bakeries. At nights we made our way down to Adamas and tried a new Greek restaurant each evening.

Plaka, Milos

On my favorite night spent in Milos, we hopped on our scooters just before sunset and drove up to the highest town on the island, Plaka. We searched through the uneven, cobblestoned streets for the perfect spot to sit and enjoy the sunset. We happened a church overlooking the ocean. The blue domed Greek Orthodox style matched perfectly with the color of the sky.

Courtyard of Orthodox Church, Plaka, Milos

We eventually found a secluded rooftop bar facing west over the ocean. We had drinks and, you guessed it, yogurt all while we watched the sun slide into the calm sea. That night was absolutely stunning. 

Sunset from Plaka Village

After a week of pure joy discovering Milos and relaxing in the beautiful weather, we had to say goodbye. We took a prop-plane from the small, one-gate airport and arrived back in the busy port of Piraeus just outside of Athens, by afternoon. I'm planning my next trip back as soon as possible.

Until next time, Milos!