December 10, 2022
Sarakiniko Beach - Everything You Need to Know
The iconic volcanic rock landscape of Sarakiniko is the most famous location on Milos. In fact it’s often the reason people plan a trip to this rugged and remote island. We had high hopes for visiting Sarakiniko beach before going to Milos. To the point that we were concerned it wouldn’t live up to the hype of Instagram. But in our opinion, amazingly social media hadn’t given us a false sense of the place.
The white lunar appearance of Sarakiniko beach is mainly a result of the wind and waves sculpting the volcanic rock which is entirely absent of vegetation. Along with the white towering cliffs of Kleftiko, Sarakiniko is the biggest drawcard to Milos. It’s the perfect area to spend a few hours whether you’re an adrenaline junkie looking for some unique cliff diving, or just looking for a relaxing beach day perched atop one of the most unique landscapes you’ll ever see.
We also have a detailed guide to Milos including day tours, the best beaches, where to eat and where to stay, and a seperate detailed guide to Kleftiko beach.
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In this article
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How to get to Sarakiniko beachHow to get to Sarakiniko beach
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Best time to visit Sarakiniko beachBest time to visit Sarakiniko beach
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Best spots to explore at Sarakiniko beachBest spots to explore at Sarakiniko beach
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Facilities at Sarakiniko beachFacilities at Sarakiniko beach
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What to bring with youWhat to bring with you
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Nearby places to seeNearby places to see
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More guides on Milos and the CycladesMore guides on Milos and the Cyclades
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Where to stay on MilosWhere to stay on Milos
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How to get around MilosHow to get around Milos
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How to get to MilosHow to get to Milos
How to get to Sarakiniko beach
Sarakiniko beach is located on the northern coast of Milos, only 10 minutes from the port town of Adamas. It’s conveniently located near plenty of other attractions. It’s only 11 minutes to the hilltop town of Plaka, 12 minutes to Klima where you’ll find the colourful fishing huts, 9 minutes to Mandrakia which is a tiny fishing village with spectacular sunset views. We were staying in Pollonia, which is located on the north-east side of the island. It would take us about 20 minutes on an ATV to reach Sarakiniko.
Buses go to Sarakiniko beach from Adamas five times a day (except for winter). Even if you’re not staying in Adamas, as it’s the port town plenty of buses go here and you can just transfer. Just keep an eye on timetables. We have a section below on how to get around which includes bus prices and timetables.
Most people opt to hire their own transport on Milos. At Sarakiniko there is plenty of free parking. You won’t have any issue finding a spot no matter the time of day. It’s a very short walk (we’re talking minutes) to the moonscape of Sarakiniko from the car park.
Best time to visit Sarakiniko beach
Best time of the year to visit Sarakiniko beach
We visited Milos in the first week of June and were told by countless locals that it was the best time to visit the island. The season had officially started, so mostly all tourism providers and restaurants had already opened up. Come July and August, everywhere in the Greek islands gets super crowded (like everywhere in Europe during summer). Honestly, the best thing about Milos is how peaceful and quiet it is. Crowds would ruin the best part of your experience on Milos in our opinion.
June is by far the best month
The weather we had in June was absolutely perfect for swimming and staying outdoors all day. A good thing to know is that the Meltemi (strong, dry northerly winds) will sometimes start in June. We only had a few days where we experienced them in early June. The Meltemi winds are a strong, dry northerly wind that is typically more of an issue between July and August across all of the Aegean. If you’re really hoping for some cliff diving, be aware that Sarakiniko is located on the northern coast of Milos so the Meltemi here can be strong which will make the waters very rough.
A late summer holiday in September would also be perfect in Milos. The winds will have died down, the crowds dispersed, the water still warm. Most tour operators and facilities are open between May and October on Milos. Outside of these months, you will find it more difficult to find accommodation, open restaurants and running tours.
Best time of day to visit Sarakiniko beach
The striking colours of the turquoise water against the white moonscape are best at midday. Remember that there is no shade here, so visiting in the middle of the day during summer won’t be very pleasant. But we found it perfect during spring! Sunrise will be quietest with beautiful colours illuminating the rock as the sun rises over the ocean.
If you want to experience Sarakiniko beach by yourself, arrive before 8am. This is probably the most popular beach on Milos so from about 9am the crowds pour in. Although Sarakiniko is popular, it’s also massive, so you’ll always be able to find pockets for yourself. Sunset is surprisingly quiet, with crowds usually clearing well before dusk. The sun sets behind the rocks, casting beautiful light over the landscape making this one of the top spots on the island for a sundowner.
Best spots to explore at Sarakiniko beach
You’ll find all the best spots at Sarakiniko to the left, including the best spots for cliff diving. You’ll come across the beach first. The sandy beach is quite small but there is plenty of space to spread out your towel on the surrounding rock. It will only take you a few minutes to walk here from the carpark. Keep on walking past the beach to experience the incredible limestone landscape that you’ve come to Milos to see.
Sarakiniko’s moonscape is a mix of rock arches, canyons, cliffs, cenotes, and caves. You’ll find the canyons past the beach and rock arch, over to the left away from the water. You’ll be able to see them quite easily, but don’t be afraid to get adventurous and climb up the steep limestone hills to get a good perspective of the area! If you’re not planning on swimming or taking photos, you should plan to spend about 2 hours here.
Facilities at Sarakiniko beach
You could easily spend half a day at Sarakiniko beach, especially if you’re going for a swim. Sarakiniko is entirely a public beach, and is free to visit. This means that there are no facilities – no beach clubs, no food stalls or restaurants, no toilets, no drinks, no shops. So bring lunch along with you if you’re planning on sticking around for a while. It is within a short driving distance to towns such as Trypiti (11 minutes) and Adamas (9 minutes) where you can find a restaurant and a bathroom.
What to wear and bring to Sarakiniko beach
If you’re visiting Milos between June and October, you will definitely want to go for a swim (winds permitting), so make sure you bring a swimsuit! Given that there are no facilities for you to get changed in, you’ll be best off just wearing your swimsuit under your clothes. Even if you’re not into cliff diving, there are plenty of spots you can easily get into the water for a quick swim.
If you’re planning on visiting at sunset, especially in the shoulder months (June and September to October), bring a light sweater as the temperatures do drop at dusk. Don’t worry, the water is still very very warm and you will have no issue spending some time in the sun.
You won’t find much shade
Like most beaches on Milos, there’s almost no shade at Sarakiniko beach. There are a couple of very small trees behind the sandy beach area, but the rest of the area is completely exposed. With this in mind, make sure you bring sun protection including sunscreen and a hat and plenty of water.
Walking around is really easy as limestone is so grippy, but the rock can get hot so bring a pair of sandals or flip flops and a towel to sit down on. If you are planning on cliff jumping you’ll be climbing rocks with sea urchins (which suck if you step on them) so you might consider wearing water shoes or sneakers that you can get wet.
Other places to see close to Sarakiniko beach
Mytakas Beach
Mytakas is a small, quiet beach located on the north side. This beach is best for avoiding crowds, with lots of space to spread out and plenty of trees for shade. It was quite rough when we went due to the northerly Meltemi, so keep in mind that there will be waves if you are visiting during the summer season. There is a very small seasonal cantina, which was closed in early June. Prepare for no amenities if you are visiting out of season.
Trypiti
This beautiful town is totally underrated in our opinion. It was dead quiet while we strolled through the narrow streets on our first day in Milos. There are iconic white windmills, a gorgeous big church and due to its location the town is packed full of restaurants with panoramic views over the ocean. It’s located really close to Klima and Plaka, so visiting these three towns in one afternoon is definitely possible.
Plaka
We wished we had gone to Plaka earlier than we did during our trip. We came here on our last night and the atmosphere was just incredible. You have probably seen that one of the best spots on the island for sunset is the church here, the Church of Panagia Korfiatissa. It’s a stunning location, but be warned it’s busy. It was probably one of the most crowded places we came across on the island. The town is a beautiful white washed village with panoramic views and winding alleyways absolutely chock full of charming little boutiques.
Klima
This totally unique fishing village is probably the most famous village on the island. The charming strip of colourful houses is one of the smallest settlements on Milos and is incredibly photogenic. It is particularly popular for sunset, so expect crowds. You only need a short amount of time here as Klima is not very big at all. You can swim here and there are plenty of restaurants though you will want to book ahead if you’re visiting during peak season in July and August.
Left: Colourful fishing village of Klima, Right: Beautiful mountain top restaurant in Trypiti
More guides on Milos and the Cyclades
We have a detailed guide for everything to see and do on Milos including a thorough cost breakdown, suggestions for where to eat and drink, best boat tours, incredible beaches and so much more! We also have a 10 day Greek island hopping guide that includes the beautiful island of Milos as well as nearby Sifnos and Paros.
Where to stay on Milos
Milos has plenty of unique accommodation experiences from the windmills in Trypiti to the boat houses in Klima. It is worth considering whether such accommodation will be suitable if you are visiting in the peak of summer heat (think about having no air conditioning in 30 degree weather). During the low seasons however, these quiet villages would offer a peaceful and private getaway.
We stayed in Pollonia at Korina’s Rooms and would highly recommend it. There was parking for our ATV, the room was spacious with a small balcony and the aircon was nice and cold. Korina has just recently renovated the rooms and you could tell she poured a lot of love into it. Pollonia is located a bit out of the way, but we loved staying here. It has everything you could need including a beautiful sandy beach, and some of the best restaurants on the island without being very crowded.
If we were to go back, we would probably opt to stay in Plaka. We loved the atmosphere here and really wished we had spent more time in this village.
How to get around
ATV
The best way to get around in our opinion is by ATV. An ATV will be €30-€70 (depending on when you visit and how many cc’s you want). We hired ours at Apollonas Sunshine for €65 a day for a 550cc and would definitely recommend this company. We organised for them to bring the ATV to our accommodation and even when we were delayed several hours they were quick to get it to us. They will also pick it up from your accommodation as well. Rates include helmets, which you should ALWAYS wear – you’re in an open vehicle after all and bitumen isn’t kind to unprotected skulls.
Traffic on the island is fairly good and locals are obviously used to driving around ATV’s and scooters. Like anywhere, the taxi drivers can be a bit aggressive so just keep slightly to the right if you are being tailgated and they should go around you. Be sure to book early if you’re planning on hiring an ATV. We went in the low season and still had limited choice due to a lot being booked out already.
Scooter / car
You can also rent a car or a scooter. A scooter will cost between €20-€30 a day, and you should be able to pick up a basic rental car for around €65 a day. If renting a car, consider that it will be more difficult to find parking. Especially if you are visiting during the high season. We went in low season and even with an ATV we had difficulty finding a park during the day at a couple of spots, especially at Adamas (the port town). At other spots around the island, the parking bays are narrow and small with limited access for cars, but having a scooter or ATV won’t be a problem.
Something to consider if you are renting a scooter is that you will be limited in terms of accessing some of the tracks. Most of the roads are fine, but there are tracks leading down to more remote beaches that can’t be accessed on a scooter. We also had a storage box on the ATV, which most scooters did not seem to have. When you’re out exploring all day, it’s useful to have a box for your towels and drink bottles so you don’t have to have a big backpack on the whole time.
Budget tip
Renting an ATV or car will be cheaper in the low season. Renting during the low season will save you €10 a day when hiring a 125cc scooter or €15 a day for a 150cc ATV.
Scooter
| Low | Medium | High |
|---|---|---|
| 20€ - 40€ | 25€ – 55€ | 35€ - 70€ |
ATV
| Low | Medium | High |
|---|---|---|
| 30€ - 55€ | 45€ – 80€ | 55€ - 90€ |
For example, an automobile company on Milos breaks down the seasons as follows:
Low Season: 01/01-14/06 & 01/10-31/12
Medium Season 1: 15/06-30/06
Medium Season 2: 01/07-31/07 & 01/09-30/09
High Season: 01/08-31/08
When we went in early June, it was considered low season. It is really worth considering planning your trip during this time if you’re looking to save money. The weather is beautiful and warm at this time of year, without being stiflingly hot, and all tourism operators are already running. So you won’t miss out on anything, and you’ll get it all for much cheaper.
Bus
There are also a few bus routes around the island. Timetables for 2022 and 2023 can be found here. All bus tickets are issued on the bus, and are €1.80 per person each way. There are four routes that cover the majority of main sightseeing points. You will need to plan ahead and factor in the times in between scheduled buses as there can be up to two hours before the next one will arrive.
How to get to Milos
Milos is part of the Cyclades islands group, close to Sifnos, Serifos and Paros. In fact we visited both Sifnos and Paros on the same trip as Milos. Sifnos is less than an hour ferry away, and Paros is under 2 hours away.
If Milos is going to be your first destination, then the easiest way to arrive will be by ferry. Ferries leave Athens (Piraeus) and take about 3 hours on a faster ferry, costing around €75 one way. We booked all of our ferry’s on Ferryhopper and used the app to check in and for our boarding passes. It’s a really easy app to use, so we’d suggest downloading it before your trip, but you can always go through your email as well.
You can also take a 40 minute flight from Athens to Milos for around the same price as the ferry. There will usually be multiple flights a day, with all operators offering flights for under €100. We consider taking the ferry as the better option, only as it’s such a short haul flight and a ferry will be much more environmentally friendly.
Make time for Athens
However you decide to get there, you’ll likely be leaving from Athens. Make sure you leave yourself a day to explore this ancient city that most people skip over on their way to the islands. We were surprised at how young and vibrant Athens was. It has incredible nightlife, and plenty of trendy suburbs littered with cocktail bars and boutique shops. Pair this with some of the most outstanding historical landmarks and you will not run out of things to do in a 24 hour stopover.
We would also strongly suggest leaving yourself a night in Athens on your return to allow for any delays coming back from the islands (they really do get delayed a lot).
Be prepared
Be prepared for delays with all ferries around the Cyclades. You may have booked the fast ferry, but if conditions on the day don’t allow for it they will revert to the slower ferry. This happened on our first ferry from Piraeus to Milos. It was supposed to take 3 hours but ended up taking twice that because of the weather. Even with this delay, we were lucky compared to some horror stories from other people we met while traveling including cancellations and long overnight journeys on small boats in terrible weather. If you’re flying in and out of Athens, we suggest spending the night there on both sides of your trip to allow for any delays with ferries (or your flight!).
Even if you don’t get motion sickness normally, we would urge you to consider stocking up on travel sickness medication before you go. One couple we met had such bad weather on one of their ferries that the entire boat was sick. Bec is seasoned when it comes to motion sickness, so we had plenty of Kwells on hand and avoided getting sick on any of our ferries. Just ask your pharmacist for a non-drowsy option!
Thanks for stopping by!
We hope we’ve inspired you to plan a trip to the beautiful Sarakiniko beach on Milos, an island for adventurers and romantics. Milos is gaining in popularity and it’s easy to understand why. On top of the impressive white volcanic rock landscapes at Sarakiniko, there are also endless coves of turquoise water to discover and unique sailing experiences to remote coastlines.
Before you head to Milos, check out our detailed guide to the island here, as well as our comprehensive guide to Kleftiko beach. We have also prepared comprehensive guides to Sifnos and Paros, as well as the ultimate 10 day Greek island hopping itinerary.
If you have any questions, please let us know, and please subscribe!
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