Tsigrado
Easy to identify from the plane: Tsigrado and Firiplaka are separated by the Cape of Tsigrado and two extremely photogenic bays with fantastically clear water but which are not accessible.
To get to Tsigrado and Firiplaka, you follow a lorry track through one of the “mining areas.” Here as everywhere on Milos, you are recommended to conscientiously observe the signs which inform you of such matters as “24 Hours Truck Passing.” You pass a big Imerys plant located on the slope of the Tsigrado volcano. This crater on the south coast is, along with the volcano of Trachylas north of Plaka, one of the two major volcanoes on Milos, which are thankfully extinct. Before you reach your destination the track splits at the Cape of Tsigrado. A few metres to the left and you can park your car above Tsigrado beach.
Many years ago a steep, dazzling white sand dune used to lead all the way down to the water. Sand residues from the nearby Imerys (formerly S&B) plant had been disposed of here, thereby creating one of the most idyllic beaches on Milos. Now, however, you would no longer recognise the beach in all its original beauty. A large part of the sand has been swept away by the surf in the winter, so you have to climb over a not insignificant cliff with the aid of a firmly attached rope and a wooden ladder to get to the beach.
A little of the beach has remained and this definitely still has its attraction in the low season. The bay is sheltered from the wind, the fine white sand invites you to relax and the backdrop framed by vertical cliffs plays its part in helping you to forget time for a while. However, one clear negative is the small size of Tsigrado’s beach. In the company of other visitors, during the high season it can quickly become uncomfortable, even reaching your personal tolerance level.
Update 04/20