The lunar landscape of Sarakiniko beach makes it one of the most striking beaches in the Aegean. Sarakiniko is on the northern coast of the Greek island of Milos, which is famous for having the most beautiful beaches in the Cyclades. We spent five days on Milos, which is my favourite Greek island because there is a seemingly never-ending supply of natural beauty. Even by the high standards of the Greek islands, Milos is very special!
There are more than 80 beaches on Milos, which are renowned for their unique beauty and variety. Sarakiniko stands out from the crowd, because unlike the other beaches, it’s made of bone-white volcanic rock rather than pebbles or sand. Milos’ famously fierce winds have whittled the surface into moon-like formations. It creates a whimsical, out-of-this-world effect!
Sarakiniko isn’t an organized beach, so apart from one food truck there aren’t any services here. Bring some water & snacks, if you’re going to settle in for the day.
Even without stopping to swim, Sarakiniko is a marvel.
Against the cloudless blue sky, the blindingly bright white landscape feels like a dream, or a movie set. It’s unlike anything I’ve ever seen! I had so much fun photographing the whimsical formations and patterns carved into the rock.
Read more about spending 5 days on Milos
The northerly wind was blowing on the day we visited, which meant that none of the north coast beaches were good for swimming. We visited Sarakiniko in the morning, after stopping at another northern beach, Papafragas. It was only a ten minute drive from Sarakiniko to Plaka for lunch, so these two beaches were perfect for a slow morning of sightseeing. We drove to the south side of the island in the afternoon, to swim at the dazzling Aghia Kiriaki beach.
You can reach Sarakiniko by bus from Adamas, the port, but I recommend hiring a car on Milos instead. I’ve seen some travel bloggers recommend ATVs as the best mode of transport, but Milos is not some teeny tiny island! It’s enormous, connected by main roads where trucks and 4WDs fly around bends at breakneck speed.
A car is definitely the best way to go. We hired a tiny Fiat Panda, which is a tinny hunk of junk, but perfect for Greek beach hopping. It was small enough to squeeze down any village backgrounds while keeping us a little safer on the major roads. Just don’t forget your International Drivers Permit, which you need to hire a car on every island in the Cyclades.
Have you been to Sarakiniko, or would you like to? Where’s the most moon-like landscape you’ve ever seen?
The post Sarakiniko: Milos, or the Moon? appeared first on The Wanderbug.
