Adamas Milos – Full Guide + Inspiring Photos
Planning to visit Adamas Milos?
Adamas Milos, also known as Adamantas, is one of the most popular towns on Milos. It is the island’s port and a lively area – excellent to base yourself on while staying on Milos.
If you’re wondering where to stay in Milos, Adamas Milos, amongst Pollonia and Klima is the best town on the island for a great selection of the best boutique hotels in Milos, proximity to stunning Milos beaches and excellent Milos restaurants.
This post is a complete guide to everything you need to know about the port town of Adamantas Greece, from all the cool things to do in Adamas, the best restaurants in Adamas Milos, top Adamas Milos hotels, to the best travel tips on spending the perfect holidays in Milos Adamas.
I have spent quite some time in Adamas writing for my website and exploring the island with a camera in hand, taking photos of this incredible island. On this page, I’m sharing with you my best tips!
Adamas Milos Greece – Quick Links
If you’re heading to Milos soon but have nothing booked, don’t panic, I’ve got you covered. Here is everything you need for the perfect holidays to Milos.
🚢 Book your ferry from Athens or another Greek island through Ferry Scanner
✈️ Check the best rates to fly to Greece on Expedia
🚗 For the best Milos Car Rental deals, check Discover Cars
🏨 Still looking for a hotel? Here are the best Milos Accommodation Deals:
Adamas: Konstantinos Milos Hotel
Pollonia: Pollonia Studios Milos
Paleochori: Avgerinos Deluxe Rooms
⛵Best Milos Boat Tour: All Day Kleftiko Sailing with Snorkelling + Lunch
Where is Milos & Adamantas
Adamas Milos is situated in the western part of the inhabited part of the island. If you look at the map, you’ll notice two distinct parts of Milos. The whole western side is uninhabited, and none of the Milos car rental companies allows customers to go there due to the lack of road recovery services. There is also not much to see there. The eastern part is where you can find all the epic places.
Adamantas Greece – Introduction
Adamas is a busy port village with a myriad of cafes, restaurants and bars. You can expect good nightlife and a wide range of hotels in Milos – from luxury hotels to backpacker hostels. The main street of Adamas runs along with the port, and you can find various cute boutiques selling typical Cycladic souvenirs, bars, restaurants and tour shops selling different boat trips around the island.
Adamas Meaning 🔎
If you’re interested in where Adamas Port Milos takes its name, here is short info about the origins.
Adamas definition – invincible, adamant means the most rigid steel or iron, also means diamond.
Adamas Greek God – was a god of conquest and a part of the 13 gods of Olympus. According to the Greek Mythology, he was later killed and removed from the historical records by his younger brother Poseidon and that is probably why god Adamas is not well known.
Best Milos Adamas Hotels
Below you’ll find a selection of top Milos Hotels Adamas based on different budgets and features. If you need a complete comparison of areas on Milos, check out the full post:
Where to stay in Milos – Best Areas & Milos Hotels
Aelia Suites Milos – Suites with Hot Tube
Aelia Suites are located 5 minutes drive from Adamas Port in a quiet residential area, just off the main road from Adamas leading to Pollonia. The suites boast a gorgeous view over Mykonos Bay.
Santa Maria Village Milos – Hotel with pool
This hotel Adamas Milos boasts a large pool and a lovely view. It is situated 15 min walk to the harbour. Rooms are tastefully designed and the room rate comes with complimentary breakfast.
Konstantinos Milos Hotel – Quiet location with free parking
Konstantinos Hotel is situated on a hill of Perivolia in a quiet neighbourhood of Adamas. Adamas Port and Papikinou Beach are 5 minutes drive away. Rooms overlook either the bay, hills or countryside.
Hotel Eleni Milos – Single rooms available
Hotel Eleni is located right in Adamas port, a few minutes walk to Lagada beach and walking distance to all cafes and restaurants of Adamantas harbour. Milos airport is 10 minutes drive away.
Things to do in Adamas, Milos
Stroll Milos Adamantas Promenade
Start exploring Adamas by taking the coastal walk along its busy port. The promenade runs from the western part – Lagada Beach all the way to Papkinou Beach on the eastern side. It is 2 km long, and it’s perfect for taking an evening stroll, or if you’re a fitness enthusiast, it is also great for a morning run.
In the area of the port, you will find all the tourist services and facilities you can possibly need – from the tourist information centre, tour companies and car rentals to souvenir shops and cafes.
Along the promenade, you will also find some excellent dining options, and if you’re a nightlife lover, the promenade is the place to go for your nighttime entertainment.
Spend a day lazing on one of the Milos beaches in Adamas
Lagada Beach Milos
Lagada Beach is the most convenient to get to Adamantas beach, located just a 2-minute walk west of the port. If you’re looking for a chilled beach day, this is the perfect place to stay close to all the Adamas amenities.
Lagada Beach has dark, yellow and powdery sand and calm waters of deep turquoise shade. You can simply stretch your own towel or rent a sun lounger and a parasol for the day. There is a kayak rental place by the shore, where you can get a kayak and explore the picturesque coast.
If you’re feeling even more adventurous, you can follow the path along the coast north to visit Adamas Lighthouse. This is not only a great exercise, but you will also be rewarded with some epic views over Adamas town.
Papikinou Beach Milos
Papikinou beach is the second Adamas beach situated a 15 minutes walk or a few minutes drive from Adamas Milos Port. This beach is also an excellent place for some relaxing beach days. There are sun loungers and parasols available for rent, or you can bring your own towel, whatever you prefer.
What’s nice about this Adamantas beach is that there are trees on the beach where you can hide from the midday heat. If you’re travelling with kids, there is also a small entertainment area for the little ones with plastic swings and slides situated under the trees.
If you get hungry after a few hours working hard on your tan, there is a highly rated Greek taverna – O! Hamos! – just across the street serving delicious salads, stews and Greek meze.
You may also like – 20 Best Milos Beaches – For Epic Shots, Adventure & Swimming
Visit Kleftiko Caves
Staying in Adamas has many advantages, and one of them is being able to take one of the boat tours Milos is renowned for that leave daily from the port. If you are only to do one organised tour in Milos, visit Kleftiko Beach, which is one of the most spectacular beaches in Milos.
The Bay has deep turquoise waters that wash off the dramatic white rock formations. Kleftiko is one of the most recognisable icons of the Greek island Milos and visiting it, is one of the best things to do in Milos. Taking a Milos catamaran tour usually last several hours and involves snorkelling and swimming in the crystal clear waters of the Kleftiko Bay, exploring many interesting caves formed by the erosive power of the sea and cliff jumping for the adrenaline junkies!
If you’re an avid hiker, you’ll be pleased to know that Kleftiko is also reachable on foot! Drive to the large Monastery of St. John Siderianos, where you can leave your car. It is about a 1-hour hike each way from the monastery to reach Kleftiko Bay. Take lots of food and water with you as the beach is completely uninhabited. Also, don’t forget your sunscreen. Hiking to Kleftiko can be super rewarding; it’s free and gives you a lot of freedom. However, in my opinion, the best way to enjoy the gorgeous shoreline is from the boat!
Rent a car & explore the island
Renting a vehicle and exploring the island at my own pace was by far my favourite Milos activity! Car hire in Milos is widely available along with ATV and scooter rentals. Prebooking the car from a reliable provider is always a good idea which can spare you the hassle of researching the best car hire Milos shops. However, if you decide to leave the booking until you arrive in Milos, I recommend shopping around and checking the reviews beforehand to avoid any unpleasantries.
Milos island is relatively small, and the best things to see in Milos can be reached within 30 min drive from Adamantas, which is centrally located. This is another great reason to stay in an Adamas hotel!
Places to visit in Milos that you can’t miss, including Serakiniko Beach with its iconic moon-like landscape, the colourful fishing village of Klima and the oldest town of the island of Milos – Plaka.
Go Shopping
If you’re in need of some retail therapy, you’ll be delighted to know that Adamas has some great little shops selling interesting souvenirs and locally produced crafts.
Explore the WWII Bomb Shelter
The tunnels of Adamas boast a unique history and are quirky and one of the fun things to do in Milos. If you’re looking for something a little different and like to explore some of the WWII local history, check them out!
The shelter was built by the Nazi army that was occupying the island from 1941. They based themselves in Milos in preparation to take over Crete and used the bunker to store food and weapons and for the protection from the British Army bombings. An interesting fact about this, is that Germans encountered massive resistance from the brave civilian population of Crete. Also, the bunker came in handy in 1944 when the British military cruiser came to Adamas to destroy the German base bombarding the town heavily.
Today, the tunnels and the bomb shelter make a little creepy space for an art gallery. You can find the WWII bomb shelter off the main promenade. Take the large white stairs near the ferry ticket office and climb up to find the place.
Entrance: €4
Location: WWII Bomb Shelter
Visit a museum
Adamas is home to not one but three excellent museums, so if you want a break from sun lounging, visit one or all of them.
Milos Mining Museum
Located in Adamas is Milos Mining Museum showcasing the geological history of the island and its mining wealth and importance. If you’re interested to find out how the peculiar white rocks formed in Serakiniko, amongst other things, check out this museum. The museum showcases various rock samples with detailed information, tools that were used in mining throughout history and in its basement, you can watch a short documentary about the mining history of Milos. And if you are really interested in geology, the museum organises various hikes throughout the island focused on geology!
You can find this museum a 10-minute walk from the promenade.
Entrance: €5
Location: Milos Mining Museum
Ecclesiastical Museum
Ecclesiastical Museum is housed in a quaint church of Agia Triada dating back to the 9th century. The collection includes precious objects made of gold and silver chalices, religious icons and intricate carvings that originate from the prosperous period in the island’s history under Venetian rule.
Entrance: €4
Location: Ecclesiastical Museum of Milos
Maritime Museum
The museum is an interesting place to learn more about the island’s maritime heritage. The space showcases historic naval instruments, old naval maps and other artefacts. The most exciting item in the collection is a full-size wooden ship that typical for this region, used by the Cycladic habitants called “Irini”.
Entrance: €4
Location: Maritime Museum Adamas Milos Greece
Saint Haralambos Adamantas Holy Orthodox Church
Situated in the old part of Adamantas, Saint Haralambos Church is the most prominent landmark of Adamas and a place not to be missed when exploring the Milos port town. Apart from the beautiful Cycladic architecture and a picturesque setting, the church boasts spectacular views over the coast. Don’t miss the church’s bell tower and check out the church’s interior too!
Take a coastal path to the Adamas viewpoint
If you’re an avid hiker, I recommend taking the coastal path along the shore of Adamas for some incredible scenery and superb views of the town. The hike starts at Lagada Beach and follows the coast all the way to Adamas Lighthouse. The hike is around 1.5 km and takes up to 30 min each way, at a leisurely pace.
Dine at Best Milos Adamas Restaurants
There is no better way of learning the Cycladic culture other than through gorging on its best eats! If you decide to base yourself in Adamas, you will be spoiled for choice with all the excellent Adamas restaurants at your disposal!
Best Restaurants Milos – Port Adamas:
Oh Hamos Tavern
Best for | authentic local food at good prices, lunch & dinner
Location | Oh Hamos
Oh Hamos is one of the best restaurants in Adamas Milos, jus across the street from Papikinou Beach. It serves traditional Greek food and meze style dishes at fair prices. If you’re vegetarian, you will find here some excellent options too. They also have a pleasant sitting area set in the garden shaded by bushes and a pergola, perfect for spending the lunchtime hour.
Nostos
Best for | seafood, fancy dinner
Location | Nostos
Nostos is one of the fancier restaurants Adamas Milos with romantic seafront settings and specialising in seafood. Their dishes are beautifuly presented and super original. If you love seafood, you will be delighted for sure! They also have an excellent selection of local wine on the menu and a delicious orange cake, which is their speciality.
New Malion
Best for | Cocktails & superb pizza, lunch & dinner
Location | New Malion
New Malion is another restaurant with gorgeous seafront sitting area perfect to enjoy at sunset hour. Come here for a fancy cocktail and to watch the sunset!
Milors Cafe
Best for | Breakfast and brunch packages, pancakes, healthy food
Location | Milors
Milors Cafe was my favourite place in Milos where I ended up having brunches most days. Their menu has an extensive breakfast packages section that included a breakie of your choice, a juice and a coffee for a very good price. Try the unique Cycladic breakfast with Dakos, which is a dry bread with tomato paste, olive oil and soft cheese. They also serve superb pancakes and super tasty smoothies!
Ice Monkey
Best for | quality coffee, breakfast & lunch
Location | Ice Monkey
If you’re a coffee snob, this may well be a place for you. Ice Moneky Cafe serves good quality caffeinated beverages, tasty sandwiches and croissants. This place is perfect to grab something to eat before heading out on adventure or a beach day.
More Casual Picks of Adamas Milos Restaurants
Gyros of Milos
Best for | best gyros in town including vegetarian option!
Location | Gyros of Milos
This place was recommended to me by a local lady working in the ferry ticket office. Gyros of Milos is always busy and there is a reason for it! There is a huge selection of how you can have your gyros including a falafel gyros which was my favourite (actually the only gyros I’ve had since I’m vegetarian). Gyros costs a few euros and it’s excellent for cheap or/and fast dinner or lunch, so save this place for your trip!
Yankos Souvlaki
Best for | Gyros
Location | Yankos Souvlaki
Yankos is another good gyros place, however due to the fact that they don’t really had any decent veggie options, I haven’t used them at all. Despite what some restaurants may think, a gyros with meat taken out is not a decent veggie option…
Garden the Juice Bar
Best for | Smoothies, juices, coffee, hot chocolat
Location | Garden
Garden is a great place to get your morning coffee or a green juice. In September, we used to get our hot chocolate from this place, which was super tasty.
Artemis Bakery
Best for | Breads, cakes, salad to go
Location | Artemis Bakery
Artemis is a good bakery where you can get your bread and cakes. They also sell ready greek salads and sandwiches which is a great option to source a cheap lunch. Try their moist chocolate cake, which was seriosuly mouthwatering.
Synka Supermarket
Best for | Grocery
Location | Synka
Synka is a relatively large supermarket where you can get your groceries done and buy some toiletries when you run out.
How to get to Adamantas Milos
By Ferry
The most common way of getting to Milos is taking a ferry either from Athens or, if you’re island hopping in the Cyclades, from another island. Several companies service the route between the Cycladic islands in Greece, and these are Seajets, Blue Star and Aegean Speed Lines.
If you want to save some money on the ferries that can be costly, especially if you’re island hopping, I recommend booking your fares way in advance. I always use Ferry Scanner to look for the best tickets. If you’re planning your trip to Milos at peak season, booking your ferry in advance makes even more sense, especially if you’re not very flexible on dates. If you book online, Ferry Scanner offers an extended free cancellation period in case your plans change.
When searching for tickets, you will also notice that slower ferries can be a lot cheaper, so if you don’t mind a 2-3 hours longer trip, booking a slower ferry can be a good way of saving some money.
Travelling on ferries is an experience in its own right! Remember to arrive early as the boarding process and loading the vehicles is swift, and boats don’t wait around and usually leave on time. Also, always check ahead of time if your ferry is scheduled to go on time. Ferry services rely on good sea conditions, and cancellations are common, especially in September and October when there are more chances of strong winds.
Ferry Athens Milos
A very common route of getting to Milos is taking an international flight to Athens and getting from Athens to Milos on a ferry. The airport in Athens is well connected with the city, and it is possible to take a metro from the airport to the ferry port of Piraeus. Take Line 3 from the airport to the city centre – Monastiraki – and then Green Line 1 to the port.
The Athens Milos ferry takes anything from 2.5 to 4 hours and arrives in Adaman Port, which is Milos main port.
Ferry Santorini Milos
Another popular route is Santorini to Milos. The journey time is 2 hours on a fast Seajets ferry and up to 7 hours if you’re travelling indirectly. Santorini is one of the most spectacular and super famous Greek islands. Even though it is super crowded and largely overpriced, I would recommend going for at least one day to see for yourself what’s all the fuss is about.
Ferry Paros Milos
If you’re travelling from Paros, expect 1.5 hours on a fast ferry and up to 6 hours on a slow ferry. Paros is also a great island to explore, with many quaint and historic towns and stunning Cycladic architecture.
Ferry Sifnos to Milos
Sifnos is the closest island to Milos, and a ferry ride takes as short as 30 min. Sifnos is a great island to visit on a day trip from Milos if you’re short on time.
Ferry Naxos Milos
Naxos to Milos takes just over 2 hours with Seajets. If you’re a beach lover, you’d like to know that Naxos has some of the best beaches in the Cyclades.
By Plane – Airport Milos
If you rather avoid the Athens Milos boat journey, you’ll be pleased to know that you can also catch a flight. Milos airport is very small and only operates a few flights between Athens and Milos by Olympic Airlines/Aegean and Sky Express.
Getting from Milos Airport to Adamas is fairly straightforward. The airport is located 5 km southeast of Adamantas. If you’re renting a car, you can pick it up at the airport or take a taxi. It is also possible to get to Adamantas by bus. I’m leaving the link to Milos bus schedule that varies slightly depending on the season.
How to get around Adamas Greece
Milos Day Trips
An excellent and convenient way to get around Adamas Milos and learn interesting background stories is to go on an organised tour. An organised tour is also great for all solo travellers! The Cultural Tour by Get Your Guide is, in my opinion, one of the best options where you get to see all the essential places on the island in one day.
On this tour, you will visit the epic and Instagram-famous Serakiniko Beach with moon resembling landscape, the colourful, traditional fishing village of Klima and Plaka, which is the ancient capital of the island steeped in history and Cycladic heritage. You will also visit the post volcanic formations of Papafragos, the place where the aphrodite of Milos was discovered and the ancient amphitheatre in Tripiti.
Milos Island Archeology + Culture Tour
If you love boat trips, sun and sea, visit the spectacular Kleftiko Bay, one of the best boat trips Milos is renowned for! The trip involves swimming and snorkelling in the unbelievably turquoise sea waters, cliff jumping, cave exploring and a lot of fun!
Kleftiko Day Tour with Snorkeling + Lunch
Another superb activity in Milos is taking a kayaking tour to Tsigrado.
Car rental Milos
If you rather explore the island at your own pace, you can easily rent a car and drive to the best Milos spots yourself. I found that online car rental Adamas Milos costs the same as doing it in person on arrival, and it saves you the hassle of shopping around on the island. It also makes sense to prebook the car online if you’re travelling during the peak season.
I usually use DiscoverCars to search for the best car rental option and always opt-in for the full insurance cover to save myself unpleasantries such as paying an excess fee for damages.
Rent a Car Milos Adamas
READ ALSO: Renting A Car In Milos: All You Need To Know & Tips
ATV Rental Milos
Riding an ATV vehicle is also a popular form of exploring the island. ATVs are easy and are super fun to drive and they are particularly useful for off-road adventures. The downside of renting an ATV is they are almost as expensive as car rental and may be unpleasant to drive in windy conditions.
Scooter Milos
Another cheaper way of exploring the island is renting a scooter. Since I lived in Bali for a long time, this was my preferred way! I rented a scooter at Scooter & ATV Milos Rental Shop – Apollonos Sunshine for €20 a day. You will probably need to negotiate a little and pay in cash to get a similar rate, but it’s entirely possible! Before you decide on renting a scooter, make sure you have the appropriate driving licence suitable for scooters. They actually check it in every rental shop! If you’re from the UK, a full driving licence is sufficient.
Bus Milos
If you don’t want to drive, that’s not a problem at all because Milos has an excellent network of buses that connects all the best places on the island. If you want to use Milos buses, Adamas is the best place for you to stay not only because it’s situated centrally but also because it has the widest selection of bus routes. The only thing to have in mind is that the buses in Milos are way less frequent off-season. For the details, check the Milos Bus Website below.
Taxi Milos
Taxis are also widely available on Milos; however, they are the most expensive way of going around Milos, and I would only use them in the last resort. As it seems to be the case in most tourist places in the world, taxi drivers take advantage of the visitors not familiar with the local rates. Below I’m leaving the link to one of the more reputable taxi companies on Milos in case you need it.
Best Time to visit Milos – Weather in Milos
Milos weather is hot and dry in the summer and mild and sunny in the winter. This makes Milos an excellent destination to visit all year round, with day averages rarely dropping below 10-13 degrees Celcius.
The hottest months of the year are July and August, and these two months are also the peak season in Milos and the whole Cyclades with the highest number of visitors and highest accommodation rates. Having said that, Milos is still a little under the radar when it comes to mass tourism and even visiting in July and August is nowhere near as bad as the same time in Santorini or Mykonos when it comes to crowds.
The best times to visit Milos are the months of June and September when the weather is sunny and warm but not too hot. May and October can also be pleasant but not really suitable for lounging on the beach.
Final Word
I hope you found this Adamas Milos guide useful! I spent the whole summer island hopping in the Cyclades, and I had the best time. If you have any comments, feel free to leave one below.
Mal xxx
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