“The best islands in the world… are the kind of Instagram-perfect destinations that travelers fantasize about on winter evenings: dreamy, sun-drenched landscapes surrounded by the bluest waters.” This was how Travel + Leisure introduced their list of the world’s best islands for 2021, when this breathtaking Greek island beat all the competition.
The small but perfectly formed Cycladic island, Milos, lies 52 nautical miles from its neighbour Santorini, but might as well be a world away based on the fraction of the number of visitors it receives by comparison. While Santorini sees some 3.4 million tourists each year – even 17,000 a day – Milos welcomed less than half that number in 2023. Boasting dozens of picturesque beaches, colourful fishing villages and tavernas with mouthwatering local dishes, Milos deserves a top spot on any travel bucket list for 2025.
Yet it’s not just Travel + Leisure that sings Milos’s praises. World-renowned travel magazine Conde Nast has also named the island “the Greek island of the summer” for 2025.
It wrote: “Born of earthquakes, tsunamis and undersea volcanic eruptions over hundreds of thousands of years, Milos was destined to carve out a distinct name for itself. But, up until the mid-2010s, the mineral-rich Greek island was little more than an unassuming summer hideaway for doe-eyed Athenian couples.
“With more than 70 sand and pebble beaches, considered among the best in the Aegean, to choose from, Milos had a single vacay MO: swim, eat, sleep, repeat.”
Covering an area of just under 62 square miles, Milos was made famous by the discoveries of the famous Venus de Milo, Poseidon of Melos and Asclepius of Milos statues. Located between mainland Greece and Crete, and its possession of obsidian, made it an important centre of early Aegean civilisation.
Milos also boasts several beautiful villages. Adamanta has one of the biggest natural harbours in the Mediterranean, while Plaka, the capital, is home to traditional Cycladic architecture of narrow cobblestone alleys fringed by whitewashed houses with brightly coloured windows and balconies adorned with bougainvillaea. The Venetian castle-fort in the Old Town offers one of the most breathtaking views of the sunset on the island, if not the whole of Greece.
The charming fishing village of Klima also must not be missed. Its most famous feature is its iconic architecture – rows of blue, red, and yellow-coloured two-storey boathouses, known as “syrmata,” lining the waterfront. Originally used as shelters for fishing boats, these garages now often serve as quaint holiday homes.
Milos’ volcanic past is reflected on the large number of hot springs, caves and geological formations found around the island, such as Kanavas, Alykis, Provatas, Pikropigis springs, Papafragas and Sikia Caves, and Kleftiko Cove. For those who enjoy exploring the world’s natural wonders, these are a must-see.
The island also hosts several significant archaeological sites, such as the early Christian catacombs, the Bronze Age settlement of Phylakopi and museums like the Mining Museum which showcases Milos’ 11,000-year-old mineral history.
Then, hop on a boat and explore the incredible Sikia Cave, a magnificent cave whose roof has since fallen in to reveal an almost-perfectly shaped window up to the blue sky above.
Flights to Milos are on offer for April at an impressive price of £662 with Ryanair and Olympic Air, flying from Luton Airport to Milos (MLO) with a stop at Athens International (ATH).
This story originally appeared on Express.co.uk
