Sarakiniko beach, on the island of Milos, is a hidden wonder.
While theblue domes of Santoriniandbeach nightspot of Mykonosare a major haul for any tourer visiting Greece , it ’s the beach of Sarakiniko that deserve the tending , located on the northerly slide of theunderrated island of Milos . The geologic wonder , with its bone - white craggy cliffs , is millions of years in the qualification . Fossil layering , volcanic eruption , eroding winds , and harsh waves have pare the lunar month - comparable rock into the otherworldly seaboard retreat it is today .
Sarakiniko was a prized location for the ancient Greeks , who found obsidian , ideal for creature and weapon , within its astuteness . The island ’s name is derived from the Hellenic parole “ sarakeeni , ” which means Saracen , the name of the Byzantine - earned run average pirates who used the arena ’s cave as hideouts to store their treasure and establish pad for raids of passing ship .
The area is also notable for the shipwreck of “ Africa , ” a Cambodian tanker that crashed into the John Rock during a windy storm in 2003 . It ’s a fib of triumph , as the crowd member were able-bodied to empty whole . While most of the boat has been swallow up up by the sea , it ’s yet another self-justification for beachgoers and diver to explore the bound of Sarakiniko .
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The calcareous sensible horizon set against the blue of the Aegean Sea make for a sensational spectacle and , luckily for visitors , it ’s incredibly approachable .
How to get there
The island of Milos is about a 2 - hour ferrying drive from Athens . Once there , you could get a taxi to Sarakinko , which is only 10 - 15 minutes out from the towns of Adamas , Pollonia , and Plaka . you could alsohop on a busfrom a post in Adamas , located just a short walk off from the ferrying end . If you ’d rather take in the scenery by water system , you’re able to make a day out of it andbook a sailboat tourthat’ll take you around the coves , in addition to nearby hot spot like Kleftiko , another can’t - misfire literary pirate ’s den marked by ocean cave .
When to visit
The best time to visit any of the Hellenic islands is May to October . Since the beach faces compass north , beware of the ill-famed Meltemi winds , which are strong , ironic , northerly winds that occur all over the Aegean , especially during the month of July and August . Windfinderis a great way to mark off in on the conditions the sidereal day of your visit .
Because the beach is destitute of any real greenery , the direct sun can get quite intense . For the most pleasant experience , aim to go early in the morning or later in the afternoon . If you choose the latter , you ’re in store for a pretty larger-than-life golden hour , where the gold and pink of sundown are reflected on the livid rocks .
What to expect
The lunar landscape is largely unswayed , which means more innate dish and less tavernas . When you accede the island from the ripe side of the parking lot , you ’ll come across jagged canyons , fit for tramp and photo . On the left side of the parking muckle , you ’ll get more opportunities for swim and snorkeling . Here you might also want to enlist in a little cliff jump ; the high peak is about 20 pes high . The “ Africa ” wreck is located on the south side of the island , alongside a series of abandon mine tunnel , just waiting to be explored .
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