Day trip to Kimolos
Milos itself is definitely very tranquil, at least out of season. But the neighbouring island of Kimolos offers Greek island flair of an especially rustic nature. Anyone who values peace and seclusion should plan at least one day trip to Kimolos. This island is only sparsely populated and the north and west are mainly inaccessible. Besides a few scattered settlements, there are only Chora and the harbour village of Psathi. The point of a visit to Kimolos should certainly not be to see or experience as much as possible. Kimolos offers an opportunity simply just to relax and enjoy the calming distance from the nearest outpost of civilisation, whether it’s a stroll through peaceful Kastro, a picnic by the windmills or on one of the beaches on the south coast.
The heart of Chora is the medieval Kastro quarter which has for the most part retained its outermost ring of houses. A stroll through Kastro clearly shows how people had once tried to protect themselves from pirate attacks with this fortress-like arrangement of the houses.
View from Chora towards Polyegos. This uninhabited neighbouring island is not only a favourite destination for tourist boat trips but in the summer it also attracts would-be oligarchs with their superyachts.
Crossing to Kimolos
The best connection between Milos and Kimolos is the little Osia Methodia (until 2019 Panagia Faneromeni) car ferry, known as “Pantofla”, connecting Pollonia and Psathi. If you have a vehicle, you should definitely take it with you to Kimolos. Even the footpath from the harbour up the steep road to Chora may otherwise spoil your fun. In addition to the little Kimolos ferry, many other bigger ferries call into Kimolos if it lies on their route. But I have tried this approach only once to date on the way back after missing the Panagia Faneromeni.
The old Panagia Faneromeni, in operation until 2019.
Skiadi, the "Mushroom Stone"
A separate section is devoted to visiting the spectacular Mushroom Stone on Kimolos.
Update 07/20