6 Best Sights in Milos, The Cyclades

The reason that many people visit Milos, Sarakiniko is the eerily sculpted inlet whose bone-white rocks lie in the sea like vast Henry Moore abstract forms. The limestone and diatomite moonscape made up the seabed 2 million years ago and fish and shell fossils can often be seen in the rocks. Try to get there before 7 am as the sunrise is spectacular and you will be largely alone. Explore the right-hand side before settling down on the left for sunbathing, swimming, and cliff diving—past the cliffs on the right is a shipwreck half submerged in the sea, and there are abandoned mine tunnels to explore. Beware though, there is no shade and the light reflecting from the white rocks is mesmerizing and intense. There is parking at the top that also serves as the bus stop. Amenities: parking (no fee). Best for: sunrise; sunset.

An elegant Ernst Ziller–designed Neoclassical building contains one of the better island collections. Glass cases house findings from Klima, Nyhia, and Demengaki along with a large burial jar from the 6th century BC. Many pots with sea lilies painted on them, early Cycladic statuettes, and the famous "Lady of Phylakopi" vie for attention with Mycenaean bulls and sculptures from the Hellinistic and Roman periods.

Most visitors, though, come to see the exact copy of the Venus de Milo displayed in the main room. There is a campaign, of course, to see the original statue reunited with her island home but it has so far fallen on deaf ears.

Just a short walk from Trypiti, the early Christian catacombs consist of 126 vaulted graves carved into the soft volcanic rock, linked by a series of tunnels. Some 5,000 bodies were buried in the three corridors that stretch back 200 meters (656 feet), making these the largest catacombs in Greece. The earliest known Christian site in Greece, they are thought to date from the 1st century AD, when St. Paul was shipwrecked on Milos. Look out for inscriptions left by grave robbers, intrepid visitors, and marauding pirates who etched their names into the walls over the years.

On the seafront 500 meters (1,640 feet) east of the harbor, this museum details how Milos's character, history, and wealth derive from it being born from a volcano 2 million years ago. A collection of mining equipment, mineral samples, and artifacts help to explain the island geology, while short films give insight into the human aspect as old miners recollect their working lives. They also have a range of Geo Walks—walking guides to the island that act as detailed introductions to the eerie landscape.

Walkable from Plaka along an old donkey path, Plathiena is quiet and charming. The beach is sandy and faces west, offering shelter from the prevailing north winds, and the water shelves gently. Tamarisk trees offer some shade if you don't want to take advantage of the sun beds and umbrellas. The sublime sunsets are best taken from the pretty little beach bar with a drink in hand. Amenities: food and drink; parking (no fee); showers; toilets. Best for: sunset; swimming.

Dating back to the Hellenistic period in the 3rd century BC, the original site was destroyed and rebuilt in Roman times. Holding 7,000 people in its heyday, today only the first seven rows have been restored and it plays host to cultural events from time to time.

Discovered in 1735 by the wandering Jesuit monk Nicholas Sarrabat, excavations began in 1816 and famously unearthed the Venus de Milo in what is thought to have been the gymnasium. A small plaque commemorates the site of the find, and there is a plaster copy of the statue in the archaeological museum.