3 Best Sights in Milos, The Cyclades

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 200m, 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 east of the harbor, this museum details how Milos's character, history, and wealth derive from it being born from a volcano two 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.