Find Accommodation on Milos, Greece
The Best Place to stay on Milos – Plaka, Pollonia or Adamas?
Apr 29, 2009
The three main settlements offering accommodation on Milos are the port of Adamas, the capital (main town) Plaka and the developing beach area of Pollonia. Each has a distinctive character and will serve the needs of different client groups.
Accommodation in Plaka
Although it bears the title of capital, Plaka is nevertheless a very small town. The total population of the entire island, after all, is less than 4600 people. Plaka has a range of services and shops, banks, some restaurants and a smattering of rooms and hotels.
Plaka has some interesting archeological sites, including an ancient theatre, catacombs, and the site where the famous Venus de Milo was found. There is an archaeological museum and a folk museum. There is also the Kastro, a ruined Venetian fort, on the hill above the town – well worth the climb just for the 360 degree views.
Plaka is several miles from the nearest beach, but does have some great walks into the hills and down to the water at Klima. If someone just wants a sleepy, real Greek town experience, with very little tourist razzmatazz, Plaka fills the bill. However, it is difficult to locate accommodation on the internet as most are Greek sites, so reservations are not easy. Best bet is to see the tourist office (if open!) on arrival.
Accommodation in Pollonia
Pollonia is an attractive fishing village beside a broad bay which is being heavily promoted as the new beach resort. There are several excellent restaurants, a great bakery (try the pastries!), and some 40 establishments offering rooms.
Nevertheless, Pollonia is not what most people think of when they hear the term ‘beach resort’. Certainly, there is a gentle, still water beach, lined by shady armirikia trees, but there is little else. The village is also rather isolated. Nevertheless, many holidaymakers would consider this lack of activity and relative isolation idyllic. If the tourist wishes to do little else but lie on the beach and swim, then Pollonia makes a delightful get-away spot.
There are some quite classy places for rent. Consider Glaronissia, which is, however, 350 metres from the beach; Kapetan Tasos, or Zepos Hotel, which is 100 metres from the beach and has a roof garden and seaview balconies. All start at around 85 Euros off-season and will show up in a Google search.
Accommodation in Adamas
Adamas is the port where the ferries from Piraeus pull in, and most tourists don’t bother to look beyond Adamas for accommodation – and with good reason. Adamas is the biggest and by far the liveliest settlement on Milos. It offers a postcard Greek Island experience and there are rooms and hotels in profusion.
Indeed, in all but peak months or long weekend holidays, it would be safe to just turn up and look for something. For those who like to know where they’re sleeping tonight, a Google search or standard hotel wholesaler website will turn up plenty of offers for Adamas.
Adamas is a very pretty settlement. The little harbor with its fishing boats jostling monster ferries is a source of constant interest. There are plenty of restaurants serving traditional Greek food, local specialties (try fresh sardines off the grill!), or pizzas and hamburgers. There are also supermarkets and great bakeries for those who choose self-catering accommodation, and a range of small touristy shops, often selling unusual, if expensive, local handicrafts.
It is obvious that the author’s clear recommendation for an accommodation centre on Milos is the one already favored by the bulk of visitors – Adamas.
Here, from personal experience, are two excellent places to stay.
The Aeolis Hotel is an economically priced family hotel, situated near a supermarket and bakery, about 100 metres from the port and 300 metres from the nearest beach. It is not a lavish hotel, but it is spotlessly clean and comfortable.
Shower cubicles are tiny, advertised kitchenette is restricted to making coffee and a sandwich, but the friendliness of the owners makes up for any shortcomings. The great bonus of this hotel, for internet and email junkies, is that it has Wi-Fi. Official off-season prices start at 55 Euros, but wholesalers sometimes offer even better deals than that. The high-season tariff is 112 Euros per night.
The Villa Notos is a stylish establishment with a variety of rooms and prices, including a rooftop penthouse at a very un-penthouse price. The apartments have a live-in owner and can be found by walking left around the headland from the ferry terminal. The position just beside the small and dainty Lagada Beach, on the quiet side of town, is perfect. Off-season rates on the website start at 65 Euros, but the owner sometimes offers much better rates straight off the street.
Provided the visitor has transport, any village, no matter how small, in Milos will be a great place to stay. Without transport, stick to Adamas.
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