Kleftiko Milos Greece: the best beach in Milos

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Are you looking to go to Kleftiko Milos Greece? You’re in the right place! Eric and I have been going to Greece for years and absolutely loved visiting Kleftiko! It’s one of our favourite romantic destinations for many reasons!

If you are planning a trip to Milos, you have probably come across Kleftiko beach and are wondering how to get to Kleftiko Milos. Kleftiko Milos is a majestic nature spot of rock formations in a protected cove on the island of Milos. Kelftiko is known as one of the best beaches in Milos. It is especially famous for its crystal clear waters and it rocky arch in the middle of the cove that make for incredible photos and snorkelling time. The secluded Kleftiko is appreciated by tourists and locals for its beauty but also for the peace and quiet it offers away from the main part of the island. 

Updated January 2023

After a week spent exploring Milos island, we can testify that Kleftiko Milos should definitely make your to do list when visiting Milos. By the end of this blog post, you will know exactly how to get to Kleftiko Milos, what to do at Kleftiko and around Kleftiko. 

Where is Kleftiko Milos?

Kleftiko Milos is located on the southwest of the island of Milos in the Cyclades aka the Greek islands. Milos is a quiet island appreciated by couples and families located a couple hours by plane from Athens and forms a triangle with the islands of Paros and Santorini which are also worth visiting. 

The Southwest of Milos

The southwest of Milos, Greece is very rough. When we rented our car at Milos airport with Budget, the first thing the employee told us was that this was pretty much a no-go zone on the island. 

To give you and idea, on the map of Milos, the west side is marked as having no service, no car rental service and no paved road. It only has really rough dirt roads. 

I’m always a bit wary of what locals tell us as, as I understand it, it might just be that they want to protect their cars even though the roads are not as bad as they say. Well, I think this time, it is worth trusting the locals! As a true adventurer, I love exploring places were people don’t go or places that are not too well-known. So I was a bit bummed out that the West was out of the question. I decided to check other people’s experiences to see if the West roads are really that bad. 

What others think about driving in the Southwest of Milos

From several comments I saw online on different forums, people who did drive those roads to explore the West agreed that they wouldn’t have done it if they had known the roads would be that bad. Some reported having to move big rocks to the side of the road to be able to drive forward. Some reported that they had to rent a Jeep which is quite pricy if you are on a budget and that even then, it was not a piece of cake at all. 

Those comments gave us a pretty good idea of how rough the West side was and how difficult it would be to access Kleftiko by car.

How to get to Kleftiko beach

Due to its localisation, Kleftiko Milos is not the easiest beach to access by car on Milos island. Before our trip to Milos, we researched Kleftiko quite a bit to find our best options. We concluded that we had two options, one free and one paying. 

By hiking

Your first option to go to Kleftiko is to hike. At first glance, it sounds like your best option as it is free, you can go at your own pace and who wouldn’t want to hike to one of the best beaches in Milos? Well, for one, me. And you might also want to reconsider if that was your first choice. 

Hiking to Kleftiko is not impossible and some other bloggers have done it. That said, it is not the easiest option and your dream hike could potentially turn into a nightmare. However, if you feel up to it, here is how you can reach Kleftiko by hiking. 

First, you will need to drive to the West pretty much as far as you can, past the small village of Xyloteria. As I explained in the first section of this post, this is already a challenge in itself. The drive takes about 40 minutes. A few months ago, people had shared that there was a sign at some point indicating Kleftiko. The sign was where you should park. Well, apparently that sign is gone, so now it is up to you to find where to stop to go down to Kleftiko. To be honest, knowing that, I was already tired before having even started. Knowing Milos now, looking for a path in the wilderness is a lot harder than you’d think and it could take you an hour before you find the right path. That said, if you do, the walk to the beach takes about an hour. 

If you are feeling up to doing the hike to Kleftiko, make sure not to go alone and to bring plenty of food and water with you. 

However, there are a lot of drawbacks to doing the hike in addition to the ones I’ve already mentioned. 

First, you will need to rent a car that can handle such rough dirt roads like a Jeep. This will definitely affect your car budget quite a bit. You will also need to find a place that agrees to rent you a car to go to the West side. 

Second, there is no car service in that area. This means that if your car breaks down or you need help, you will be on your own. 

The cherry on the cake (or at least one of them) is that this part of the island is filled with snakes, including venomous and poisonous snakes. I honestly don’t mind snakes, I think they can even be quite cute. But the idea that I can get bit by a poisonous snake on my trip in Greece doesn’t really delight me. 

You might also want to pay attention at the time of sunset. The sun sets a bit earlier in September (around 7:30pm) which means you will need to be back by then and leave the beach at around 4:30pm. 

Finally, when hiking to Kleftiko, you don’t get to see and stop at other beaches only accessible by boat such as Gerontas beach. 

By boat

Your second option is to go to Kleftiko by boat. Going to the beach by boat is quite common in the Greek Islands. For example, some of Paros beaches are more easily accessible by boat. You have two options here. You can either book a boat tour to Kleftiko with a group or rent a private boat for a half day or a full day.

Horizon Yachts Milos is one of the companies that offer boat tours. The tour starts from the main port of Adamas and takes you to Kleftiko with stops at the Kleftiko caves. The tour then takes you back to Adamas. It starts at 10 am and finishes at 5:30pm. The tour includes an open bar, food, and snorkelling equipment. Such a tour costs €90 per person for a boat with 18 people or €120 per person for a boat with 10 people. There are also requirements regarding the current health situation. Although going on a tour with a group is more budget-friendly, the company also offers a private tour for the price of €1200.

In normal times, this tour is probably what we would have picked as it is budget-friendly. That said, it is not what we chose to do for the following reasons:

• we both get very easily seasick and a full day on a boat really didn’t sound like it would work out for us
• we just weren’t fond of spending so much time in close proximity with people at this stage but that’s a very personal choice.

Instead we chose to rent a private boat just for the two of us. We rented our boat with Bloomarine for a half day from 9am to 2pm. It was a 4.5 meters speedboat with 30hp (4stroke) engine. The boat is just for you so you need to feel comfortable driving it around although you don’t need a driver license. We paid €180 plus gas for a total of €222. The boat comes with a cooler, instructions from George, an anchor and a sun protector which you can fold if you don’t want it. The departure point was Agia Kyriaki in the south of the island, about 30 minutes from Adamas, which is an easy drive.

We were so happy with our choice of renting a private boat. We had full control of our schedule and could spend as much time as we wanted at every spot. We were also free to get off the boat and swim to the beach whenever we needed a break from the seasickness and let me tell you I definitely appreciated that! Needless to say that Eric also had a blast driving that boat around!

Renting a private boat was the option that made sense for us, our budget and our plans. In the end, it really depends on what you are looking for and also your budget. 

Best time to visit Kleftiko beach

As Kleftiko is one of the best beaches in Milos, it gets crowded during the day as private boats, sea kayaks and tour boats gather around these majestic rocks. I would recommend visiting Kleftiko in the morning as it is definitely a lot quieter then. If you can leave by boat at around 8:30am from Agia Kyriaki, you will be at Kleftiko at around 9:15am which is a great time to get there. 

Also be mindful of the weather. Milos island is pretty small and can get quite windy especially on the coast. If you can, try to pick a calm day to go by boat. With Bloomarine, in September, we booked the boat only a couple of days in advance, which will give you some time to know what the weather is going to be like. 

Best things to do at Kleftiko Milos

There are quite a few things you can do at Kleftiko Milos. 

Swimming

The water at Kleftiko is so clear you would think you could drink it. There are no sharks here, in contrary to some parts of Santorini, and if there were, you’d be able to spot them from afar! Milos also gets really hot during the day so Kleftiko is the best place to go for a swim.

Lounging

Whether you rent a private boat or go on a boat tour, there will be some time for lounging and just take in the view. Kleftiko is great for photos as you can see so morning time is nice as the place is less busy. Check out our Greece quotes to caption your photos on social media!

Snorkeling at Kleftiko

Kleftiko is a great spot to go snorkeling. The clear water and the cliffs and caves are great to explore with a mask! We would recommend bringing your own snorkeling gear although some companies are happy to lend you theirs. You can look at this guide to find the most suitable snorkeling gear for your level.

Sea Kayaking

When visiting Kleftiko, we noticed quite a few sea kayaks. Those are fun and allow you to go to places where you are not allowed to go to with a boat. For example, you can visit the caves with a sea kayak.

Exploring the caves of Kleftiko

Caves are super fun to explore! Everywhere we go, we explore them whether it is on one of the best beaches in Santorini or on Sarakiniko beach. Wether you decide to swim or rent a sea kayak, exploring the caves of Kleftiko is a fun activity to do while at Kleftiko Milos. 

How much time should you spend at Kleftiko

The time you spend at Kleftiko will depend on how you get there. If you are hiking to Kleftiko, I would recommend going early in the day so as to having as much time as you want to spend there and explore. 

If you are going by private boat for a half day like we did, you could easily spend an hour or two there and then spend the rest of your time exploring the rest of the beaches along the coast on your way back.

If you are going on a boat tour, you won’t have to manage time as the boat tour will tell you how much time you have at every stop. Make sure you listen and know when you have to be back on the boat.

What to see around Kleftiko Milos

I know this post focuses on Kleftiko Milos. However, Kleftiko’s site is not very big and you will probably have some time left after exploring Kleftiko to explore other sites around it. 

One beach you should definitely stop at after exploring Kleftiko is Gerontas beach. Gerontas beach will be on your way back to Agia Kyriaki. It ended up being one our favourite beaches on Milos. We stopped there to get a break from the sea as we were both feeling sick and loved it. We were alone there and the beach is well protected with cliffs on both sides. It has small little canyons in the cliffs on the beach and a beautiful view. Boat tours also stop there but only for about 15min. We, on the other hand, spend about an hour and a half there. 

This was one of our favourite moments of the morning. Milos truly is one of the best Greek Islands for couples! I mean, look at those photos!

Gerakas beach and Tsigrado beach are also two beaches you can stop at as they are easier to access by boat than car. Tsigrado beach is the famous beach with the ladder. Although quite small, it is beautiful. Gerakas beach is impressive by its horizontal lines carved into the cliffs.  

Practical information

Whether you decide to hike or boat to Kleftiko, there are no facilities there. I recommend bringing all the food and water you need for the amount of time you will be there. If you are hiking there, plan to have some more in your car in case something happens and you are stuck for the night. 

If you are doing a boat tour, there will usually be a toilet on board and they usually provide you with food and drinks as well. 

Any questions? Then drop them in the comments or on insta and we will get back to you asap.