Sailing over the eternal blue of Aegean sea is accompanied by lot of untouched beaches, hidden coves, clear blue waters, secluded coasts and a smiling sun all along. We took one such sailing adventure in Milos, an island part of the Cyclades in Greece. The island has many rugged beaches and wonders that can only be reached by sea.
We started off from the port of Adamas on the island of Milos. This is the only major port on the island and brings in people on their mediterranean escape.
One of the characteristic side of milos are these charming fishermen dwellings called Syrmata. They are usually carved into the rock walls on the beachfront. The lower half of the house is submerged where boats are pulled over to protect them from stormy weathers. The upper floor is built as a retreat for fisherman to relieve them from walking back home. They are painted in chic colors and are hard to miss. They were one of the first sights as our boat left the dock and set off on gulf of Milos.
We passed by few caverns hollowing out the sun kissed cliffs. These caves were infact the catacombs, and were a secret place of worship of first christians. They looked mostly haunted and non appealing from a distance. We were probably more lured by the impressive rock formations jutting out of the sea in a distance.
On reaching the western most entry point on the gulf, we were spell bound by a complex of lava rocks. The locals name them Arkoudes owing to the peculiar bear shaped formations. This area used to be the bottom of a submarine volcanic crater and has mineral deposits giving it vivid colors.
Our skipper anchored the catamaran on a picturesque cove and we were surrounded by a unique landscape, Kleftiko. Huge white rocks jutting out of the green and blue waters.The wind and sea sculpted many of these rocks into arches and caves. There are many of these gorgeous arches and one can swim under them. The caves can be explored by swimming or snorkelling.
We then explored the nearby Sykia caves on a small boat, these emerald caves had a dramatic entrance through a huge arch. We continued further and found ourselves on a beach, formed by the collapsed ceiling of a huge cave. We moored at the peaceful bay which we had it all for ourselves to enjoy the grand lunch that followed, all cooked on board.
The captain and his team made a delectable repast complete with traditional greek food. The fresh catch of the day was being grilled. It was more of a family meal setting with food being passed around and lot of laughters and stories exchanged. We ended the day watching sunset and slurping some home made greek ice-cream.
We took the trip with Chrysovalandou, a catamaran and highly recommend them. The staff was the friendliest and hospitable. They operate daily excursions which can be booked through phone or from any of the small tour operator stores on the port of Adamas. Online reservation for any of the activities on this island is uncommon.
