A Milos kayak tour paddles the south and west coasts, past volcanic cliffs, sea caves and coves that no road reaches. Plan the rest of the trip with Greece Tours.
What routes does a Milos kayak tour follow?
The south coast from Fyriplaka to Tsigrado and Gerakas with sea caves and hot springs, the north coast from Mandrakia to Sarakiniko, Mytakas to Phylakopi and the Papafragas caves, Plathiena to Adamas past Klima, and Paleochori to the old sulphur mines.
One Adamas operator runs 7 guided routes and picks the route on the day, on the spot, according to the weather.
A route from Agia Kyriaki to Firligos passes Psarovolada and Spathi and suits days with stronger winds.
From a kayak, the coast reveals places that are hard to appreciate from land.
What is the Tsigrado and Gerakas kayak tour?
A 3.5-hour tour from the kiosk at Fyriplaka beach east to Tsigrado and Gerakas, covering 6.2 kilometres along the volcanic coast, with swims in sea caves, snorkeling to hot springs, free time, homemade snacks and a paddle back to base.
The morning schedule runs from a 09:30 fitting and safety briefing to a 13:00 finish, with an adjusted afternoon session.
The tour takes 2 to 20 guests in double sit-in kayaks with rudders, led by BCU-certified guides.
Guests receive a life jacket, a waterproof bag per kayak, phone cases, a snorkeling mask, a GoPro per kayak, snacks and a 0.5-litre bottle of water.
Who can join a Milos kayak tour?
The Fyriplaka tour does not suit people with back problems, pregnant women or guests over 130 kilograms or 2 metres tall, following the kayak manufacturer’s specifications.
Another operator welcomes families with children as young as 11 or 12.
No previous kayaking experience is required on the day tours, but swimming ability is necessary.
What is Sarakiniko?
A beach on the north shore of Milos where waves driven by north winds have shaped greyish-white volcanic rock into a landscape compared to the moon, one of the most photographed landscapes in the Aegean, reached by kayak from the fishing village of Mandrakia.
The kayak route from Mandrakia to Sarakiniko and back snorkels in sea caves along the northern coast.
Locals call the landscape Lunar.
The bone-white beach comes from the erosion of volcanic rock by wind and waves.
What is Kleftiko?
A maze of rock arches and hidden lagoons on the west coast of Milos, explored by kayak on multi-day trips around the island, with the great collapsed sea cave of Sikia nearby.
The west coast holds a remarkable concentration of sea caves.
The boat side sits at Milos caves.
What is Klima?
A seaside village of Milos known for its syrmata, two-storey fishermen’s houses with the family upstairs and the boat stored on the ground floor in winter, painted with colourful doors and windows, and the goal of sunset kayak tours.
Klima had 8 residents in the 2021 census.
It lies near ancient Milos, its theatre and the place where the Venus de Milo was found.
The Plathiena to Adamas route stops for snacks in Klima and visits the catacombs and ancient theatre on foot.
What are the sunset kayak tours on Milos?
The Klima sunset tour holds a 5 rating on GetYourGuide.
Riptide Milos Kayak runs day tours to Gerakas beach and sunset tours to Papafragas and Klima.
Guests on its sunset tours receive a traditional Greek snack.
What are the Papafragas caves?
Sea caves on the north coast of Milos, entered by kayak on the Mytakas to Phylakopi route with snacks in the caves, and the goal of a romantic sunset kayak tour.
The same route explores the narrow gorge of Kofto and the village of Agios Konstantinos.
Phylakopi is a settlement that developed from the Neolithic to 1,000 BC.
The first settlers at Phylakopi were tuna fishermen.
What is Phylakopi?
A Bronze Age settlement on the north-east coast of Milos, excavated by the British School at Athens in 1896 and by Colin Renfrew in 1973, where the fresco of the flying fish was found in the Pillar room.
Its antiquities cover the Early Cycladic to the Mycenaean periods.
Part of the site has been washed away by the sea.
The kayak route from Mytakas reaches it from the water.
Can you swim in hot springs by kayak?
Yes: the south coast routes swim in thermal waters warmed by the Milos volcano, with snorkeling to the hot springs near Gerakas on the Fyriplaka tour and the thermal springs of Paleochori on the sulphur mines route.
Guests on one tour report volcanic hot sand at the swim stop.
The Paleochori route also reaches Firligos beach, which cannot be reached by land.
The old sulphur mines hold ruined buildings and a sandy beach called Paliorema.
What are the old sulphur mines?
The abandoned sulphur mines of Thiorichia on the south coast of Milos, with ruined buildings and the sandy beach of Paliorema, reached by kayak from Paleochori beach and used as a camp on multi-day trips.
Milos’s mining history continues at the Milos Mining Museum in Adamas.
Obsidian from Milos was traded as early as 15,000 years ago.
Abandoned mines and industrial remains line the coast.
What is a multi-day kayak trip around Milos?
The route passes Sarakiniko, Mandrakia, Klima, Cape Vani, Sikia, Kleftiko, Tsigrado and Thiorichia.
The trip is Level 3 and needs solid previous sea kayaking experience, for groups of 4 to 8.
When do Milos kayak tours run?
From April to October, with one operator open every day from 20 April to 31 October, running morning and afternoon sessions and sunset trips, and switching routes or offering a 4WD day when the wind is too strong.
The exact route is decided just before the tour depending on the weather.
In extremely bad weather the tour is cancelled with a full refund.
Multi-day expeditions run on selected dates in spring and autumn.
Where do Milos kayak tours start?
At Fyriplaka beach for the Tsigrado and Gerakas tour, in Adamas for the routes with a minibus transfer to the start, at Agia Kyriaki and Alogomandra beaches for semi-private tours, and in Triovasalos for Sea Kayak Milos.
The Adamas operator does not offer hotel transfers, but runs guests from Adamas to the start and back.
Adamas is the harbour town of Milos, with 1,268 people in 2021.
Its sights include a 600-year-old church of the Holy Trinity and the Maritime Museum.
What is included on a Milos kayak tour?
Kayaks, paddles and safety gear, a guide, snorkeling equipment on tours with swim stops, water and snacks, and GoPro photos and videos on some tours, with transfers from Adamas on one operator’s routes.
Riptide Milos Kayak supplies cold water, a light snack on some tours and snorkeling gear for swim stops.
The Adamas operator uses open sit-on-top kayaks.
Payment on the Fyriplaka tour is on the spot by cash or card.
What do you bring on a Milos kayak tour?
A swimsuit, a T-shirt, a hat, a towel, sunscreen and sunglasses, with shoes that can get wet on the longer trips.
Waterproof bags and phone cases are supplied on the Fyriplaka tour.
Multi-day guests bring a sleeping bag, sleeping mat and head torch.
Full sun protection matters on the open water.
What is the cancellation policy?
On the Adamas routes, no fee up to 2 days before, 50 per cent from 2 days to 12 hours before, and no refund inside 12 hours, with a full refund if the tour is cancelled for extremely bad weather.
Check each operator’s terms at booking.
GetYourGuide listings show their own terms.
Weather decides the route on the morning.
What is Milos?
A volcanic island in the Aegean, the south-westernmost of the Cyclades, about half way between Athens and Crete, with more than 30 beaches, 5,193 people in 2021, and the island where the Venus de Milo was found.
Obsidian from Milos was traded 15,000 years ago.
Milos is reached from Athens by domestic flight or by ferry from Piraeus.
The island hub sits at Milos.
How do you book a Milos kayak tour?
Book the day tours online or by phone for a set date and session, choose shared, semi-private or private, and check the minimum age, the start point and whether the route can change with the wind.
Private tours take up to 20 guests.
Multi-day trips need a paddling-level questionnaire.
The rental side sits at Milos boat rental.
What does a Milos kayak tour see on the south coast?
The banded volcanic cliffs above Paliochori and Firiplaka, the narrow cove at Tsigrado, and the sea caves and arches of Kleftiko at the south-western corner.
Mineral colour runs through the rock in red, orange, yellow and white.
Kleftiko has no road, so a kayak reaches it the same way the boats do.
The water below the cliffs is deep and clear.
What does a Milos kayak tour see on the north coast?
The white rock of Sarakiniko, the sea-carved inlet at Papafragas, the painted boathouses at Mandrakia and Firopotamos and the cliffs towards Cape Vani.
The north coast faces Kimolos and Polyaigos across the channel.
The boathouses are cut into the soft rock at the waterline.
Morning is the calm window on this side of the island.
How long is a Milos kayak tour?
Half a day for a coastal route and a full day for the longer southern run, with swimming stops and a break on a beach between legs.
Paddling legs run about an hour.
Groups land in coves that no road reaches.
Full-day trips carry food and water for the group.
Do you need experience for a Milos kayak tour?
No. Guides brief the group on shore, the boats are stable, and beginners paddle in doubles.
Life jackets are worn for the whole trip.
The group paddles together and the pace follows the slowest boat.
Children go in a double with an adult.
When does a Milos kayak tour run?
From spring to autumn, with the route chosen on the day by the wind: the south coast when the meltemi blows from the north, the north coast when it does not.
The island is small enough to switch coasts in the morning.
Trips are cancelled when the sea gets up on both sides.
Spring and autumn give the clearest air and the calmest water.
What do you take on a Milos kayak tour?
Swimwear, a hat, sunscreen, water and shoes that can get wet, with dry bags supplied for phones and cameras.
There is no shade on the water or in the coves.
A light long-sleeved top protects the shoulders.
Everything loose is stowed before launch.
What do you see under the water?
Volcanic rock, sand patches, fish along the reefs and the pale seabed that gives the water its colour in the coves.
Masks are carried for the swimming stops.
The water stays clear because there are no rivers on the island.
Depth drops quickly a few metres off the rock.
Does a Milos kayak tour suit families?
Yes on the sheltered northern bays, where the legs are short, the beaches are close and the water is shallow.
The southern run to Kleftiko suits stronger paddlers.
Guides time the stops so nobody paddles more than an hour at once.
Younger children ride as passengers.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much is a kayak tour in Milos?
How long is a Milos kayak tour?
About 3.5 hours for the day tours, with the Tsigrado and Gerakas tour covering 6.2 kilometres.
Do you need kayaking experience?
No experience is needed on the day tours, but guests must be able to swim.