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Milos with children is a slightly different island from the one you see on Instagram, and that may actually be a good thing because traveling with children has a wonderful way of rearranging your priorities.
The good news is that Milos works remarkably well for families who like being outdoors. There are beaches for very easy days and beaches that feel like expeditions, villages to wander, boats to board, rocks to climb, caves to explore and enough strange geology to make the entire island feel a bit mystical.
The trick is not trying to experience Milos as you would without children. So here's the version with the beach bags, nap schedules and somebody asking for a snack five minutes after you left the house, written by a local mom of a toddler!
Is Milos good for families?
Is Milos good for families?
Absolutely! Particularly if your idea of a family holiday involves exploring rather than being entertained.
Milos isn't a resort island built around luxury beach bars, or even children's clubs and organized activities. The island itself is the activity.
You can spend one day swimming from a long sandy beach and the next walking across a landscape that looks like the moon. You can take a boat into sea caves, wander through fishing villages saying aw about a million times because there are soo many cats, watch the sunset from the water or from the cliffs of a picturesque village, visit ancient ruins or simply find a laid-back restaurant on the beach and allow lunch to occupy most of the afternoon.
For children who enjoy swimming, boats, cats, rocks, climbing and generally being outside, there is an enormous amount here. And for parents? There is something quite peaceful about a place where nobody needs an elaborate itinerary to have a good day.
A baby, a toddler and a ten-year-old are not having the same holiday
A baby, a toddler and a ten-year-old are not having the same holiday
“Milos with kids” covers quite a lot of territory. With a baby, shade, access and the ability to retreat somewhere comfortable can dictate the day. Older children can get considerably more adventurous.
For example, Sarakiniko is totally doable with a toddler, the walk is super easy, there is a shallow beach and some manmade caves to retreat into for shade, but for older kids it becomes somewhere to scramble over rocks and jump into the sea. Longer boat trips become easier too and snorkeling becomes an activity everyone can enjoy. Teenagers may well be happier exploring caves, swimming from rocks and spending the day on a boat than sitting beside a pool at the hotel or villa.
So rather than asking whether something in Milos is “family-friendly,” it's often more useful to ask: Family-friendly for what age?
The best family beach might not be the one on your screensaver
The best family beach might not be the one on your screensaver
Milos has more beaches than you're going to visit in one holiday, and the most famous isn't necessarily the one you'll love most with children. A spectacular beach reached by a difficult descent may be worth every step with older children. But with a two-year-old, a beach where you can park easily, find shade and stay happily for hours is it's own type of luxury.
With a toddler: Achivadolimni
With a toddler: Achivadolimni
Achivadolimni is one of our favorites with a toddler. It's a long sandy beach with shallow water that seems to go on forever. It's also super accessible, one of those beaches you can just park the car and in a few steps be on the beach.
But the real advantage for families is the section of trees behind it. Natural shade makes an enormous difference when you're trying to spend several hours at the beach with a small child, particularly during the hotter part of summer.
You can move between swimming, playing in the sand, snacks and time beneath the trees without every minute of the day happening in direct sun.
For an easy sunset swim: Plathiena
For an easy sunset swim: Plathiena
If everyone still has energy at the end of the day, Plathiena is our favorite beach for a sunset swim.
The beach sits on the north side of Milos and gives you that wonderful combination of being beautiful and convenient.
There's a beach bar with friendly staff, toilets and showers, plus beach volleyball if the older children (or adults) need something to do between swims.
But the reason we particularly love it is the evening.
Rather than driving somewhere specifically to watch the sunset, you can still be in the water while it happens.
For an iconic swim: Firopotamos
For an iconic swim: Firopotamos
Firopotamos manages to combine a beautiful swimming spot with one of Milos's most picturesque traditional fishing-villages.
The main beach has shade, and there is also a small beach canteen; two details that become very exciting when you're traveling with children.
There's lots to explore and see at this beach, from cliff jumping, to ancient ruins and a gorgeous church, every direction is picture-worthy.
It's also a good reminder that visiting one of Milos's fishing villages with a toddler and staying in one are two quite different propositions. More on that later.
For an uncomplicated beach day: Provatas
For an uncomplicated beach day: Provatas
Provatas remains a very easy family option, particularly if what everyone needs is simply sand and swimming.
The two access points are straightforward, the beach is sandy and the water is pretty much always well suited to a relaxed beach day.
What it doesn't have in the same abundance as Achivadolimni is natural tree shade, which is why with a toddler we personally tend to favor Achivadolimni when planning a longer stay at the beach.
But there is also a beach bar and a restaurant on the beach, which makes it a perfect spot to spend the entire day and not needing to worry about packing a lunch.
Sarakiniko with children? Yes, but...
Sarakiniko with children? Yes, but...
Of course you should see Sarakiniko.
Its smooth white volcanic formations against the blue Aegean are unlike almost anywhere else on Milos, and older children can have an extraordinary time exploring the landscape and swimming there.
With very young children, just approach it differently. While there is a small shallow beach, Sarakiniko isn't a conventional sandy family beach with rows of umbrellas and a large shaded area. Much of the experience is rocky and exposed, and little legs can move remarkably quickly toward places you'd rather they didn't.
Go earlier in the day when possible. There are several manmade caves to escape the sun and heat, but still bring proper sun protection and plenty of water. With a toddler, think of Sarakiniko as somewhere to explore and swim rather than necessarily somewhere to establish camp for an entire beach day.
Should you take children to Kleftiko?
Should you take children to Kleftiko?
Kleftiko is one of the experiences that makes Milos, Milos. The old pirate hideaway on the southwest coast is a landscape of white rock, sea caves and astonishingly clear water, and because it is primarily reached from the sea, seeing it usually means joining a boat trip.
With older children who love swimming and boats, this can easily become one of the highlights of the holiday. With babies and toddlers, the answer depends much more on the boat and on your child.
Before booking, ask the operator about the length of the trip, shade on board, toilet facilities, swimming stops and suitability for your child's age. A full-day sailing trip can be wonderful for one family and approximately eight hours too long for another.
Shorter excursions may make more sense with very young children.
Milos is basically a geology lesson disguised as a holiday
Milos is basically a geology lesson disguised as a holiday
One of the best things about bringing children to Milos is that you can accidentally teach them something while pretending you're all just going swimming. The island's geology is everywhere.
Sarakiniko's white volcanic landscape looks like another planet. Elsewhere, cliffs appear in reds, yellows and whites because of the island's extraordinary mineral composition. There are sea caves, old mining landscapes, crystals and obsidian, the volcanic glass that made Milos important to humans thousands of years ago.
You don't need to turn the holiday into school. Just let them notice things. Why is that rock white? Why is this cliff red? Why is there a cave here? Why does this beach look completely different from the one we visited yesterday? Milos does a rather good job of supplying the questions itself.
Villages are surprisingly good family entertainment
Villages are surprisingly good family entertainment
One of the awesome things about visiting Milos, is that a trip to the villages count as an activity.
Plaka in the evening for sunset, taking a walk through its photogenic corners, shopping for souvenirs, and having a bite to eat when everybody gets hungry.
Klima is colorful enough to hold a child's attention without anybody needing to explain its architectural significance. The traditional syrmata, fishermen's houses with brightly painted doors at sea level, are one of those things children can simply enjoy looking at as the sun sets across the sea.
You can combine Tripiti with the Ancient Theatre and the Catacombs if your children are old enough to find ruins and underground history interesting. And if they aren't? There will probably be a cat, or ten! Cats are everywhere in Milos and have become the mascots of the island.
A note about strollers
A note about strollers
Milos with a stroller is not always feasable.
Sidewalks can be narrow, uneven, in poor condition; or simply nonexistent. Add cobblestones, steps, village lanes and occasional stretches where pedestrians share space with cars on the road, and the elegant vision of pushing your sleeping toddler through a Cycladic village can deteriorate rather quickly.
That doesn't mean leave the stroller at home. It can still be extremely useful for airports, ports and easier outings.
But if you're traveling with a baby or young toddler, a good carrier and an UV umbrella give you options the stroller won't.
With a toddler? Rent the car.
With a toddler? Rent the car.
Milos has public buses, and travelers certainly explore the island using them. With a toddler, however, we would rent a car.
Summer buses can get crowded, temperatures can be high, and you're rarely traveling with just a child. There's the beach bag. Water. Snacks. Towels. Possibly a carrier. Possibly the stroller you've already begun to regret bringing.
Having a car means you can leave when your child has had enough rather than when the timetable says you've had enough. It gives you air conditioning between beaches, somewhere to put everything, and the freedom to change the day's plans spontenously.
It also matters when choosing accommodation. Some of Milos's most beautiful villages and fishing settlements were built long before anyone worried about where to park a rental car. If your accommodation doesn't have convenient parking, that romantic pedestrian setting can translate into carrying a toddler, groceries, beach bags and luggage much farther than you imagined... Yikes.
With older children or without a car, your priorities may be different. But with babies and toddlers, easy parking and easy access are worth taking seriously when choosing where to stay.
Where should a family stay in Milos?
Where should a family stay in Milos?
That depends on what kind of family you are.
Adamas is convenient, particularly if you want shops, restaurants and transport close at hand. Pollonia gives you a calmer seaside-village base with the atmosphere of the port, a childrens park right on the beach, and plenty of places to eat nearby.
The south coast puts easy beach days closer to home.
Plaka and the fishing villages offer atmosphere, but with a baby or toddler we'd look carefully at parking and the walk between the car and the accommodation before booking.
And if your family is happier having more space to yourselves, and you're comfortable driving rather than walking out for dinner, a private villa creates another kind of holiday altogether.
At Villa Psathi, we have five bedroom suites, making it possible to comfortably travel with children, grandparents or another family and friends. There is a private path to the beach, private pool, multiple terraces, outdoor dining, BBQ and a fully equipped kitchen. Our home was designed to make a holiday feel like a home away from home.
The trade-off is the same one we discussed in our guide to southwest Milos: you're choosing privacy and landscape over having shops and restaurants on your doorstep.
For some families, that's inconvenient. For others, that's exactly the point.
How many days do you need in Milos with children?
How many days do you need in Milos with children?
You can see some of Milos in three days. With children, we wouldn't necessarily recommend trying to see all of Milos in three days. There is a difference. Three days gives you enough time for several highlights: a couple of beaches, a village or two, and perhaps a boat trip, but you'll need to make choices.
Five to seven days gives the holiday more breathing room. You can have a big exploration day followed by a morning when nobody has to be anywhere. You can return to a favorite beach. A nap doesn't destroy the itinerary. Wind changing your boat plans isn't a minor catastrophe.
A week lets you stop treating every day as an opportunity that must be maximized. And with young children, that may be when Milos becomes particularly enjoyable.
Don't try to make every day extraordinary
Don't try to make every day extraordinary
Milos makes it tempting. There is always another beach. Another village. Another road you haven't driven down. Another boat you could take. But children have a useful way of reminding adults that a holiday doesn't become better simply because you managed to fit more into it.
Spend the morning somewhere beautiful and go home after lunch. Let your baby nap. Swim in the pool. Go back to the same beach tomorrow because everyone loved it. Have dinner outside. Watch the sunset from the water instead of driving across the island to photograph it from the “correct” place.
A family holiday doesn't mean you must entertain your children every minute. Let the beaches, boats, villages, rocks, caves, warm evenings, and simply being in a spectacular place to spend time together do all the work. It'll be more than enough, trust me!
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