Kleftiko caves in Milos, Greece via @finduslost

PRESET COLLECTION USED IN THIS BLOG POST: GREEK ISLANDS COLLECTION

These past few months of travel have been a blur. Since leaving Amsterdam in July, we haven’t been in one place for more than a week! Jacob and I were already planning to be in Greece in September and had a week in Paros already booked. So, we decided to add in Milos at the beginning of the month to celebrate our 1 year wedding anniversary.

Milos

Stay details: Asterias Boutique Hotel (where we stayed) & otherΒ properties on the north side (near most well-known beaches); Melian Boutique Hotel (recommended by a friend, fully booked during our visit); this Airbnb (on one of our favorite beaches). All hotels & homes in Milos.

I’d been wanting to go to Milos since seeing photos of the incredible ‘moonscape’ white beaches there. From the moment Jacob and I arrived we knew we were going to love it. We headed from the cute port town for our hotel, Asterias, and were greeted by a kitten and the sweetest mother and daughter duo. After ordering breakfast on our porch for the next morning, we headed into town to grab lunch on the water. We ended up going on a boat day to Kleftiko caves the next day, courtesy of Captain Jacob…

View Post: The Complete Milos Travel Guide

Kleftiko Caves

Boat day in Milos Greece via @finduslost
Kleftiko caves in Milos, Greece via @finduslost
Kleftiko caves in Milos, Greece via @finduslost
Kleftiko caves in Milos, Greece via @finduslost
Boat day visiting Kleftiko in Milos Greece via @finduslost
Kleftiko caves in Milos, Greece via @finduslost

We had no agenda in Milos, but we knew we wanted to see as many beaches as possible. The thing that I loved most about this island is that it’s the perfect size, especially if you are traveling by ATV (which we were!). Most beaches were less than 15 minutes from us, but if we wanted to go on an outing, the farthest one away was 30 minutes. We spent 6 days here and saw a lot, but definitely could’ve stayed and stumbled upon more towns and coves.Β Our favorite beach was Sarakiniko, we went at least three times.

Sarakiniko Beach

Sarakiniko beach in Milos Greece via @finduslost
One of the best greek islands to visit - Milos via @finduslost

Papagragas Beach

Papafragas beach in Milos, Greece via @finduslost
Papafragas beach in Milos, Greece via @finduslost

Paliochori Beach

Paliochori red beach in Milos, Greece via @finduslost
Paliochori red beach in Milos, Greece via @finduslost

Firiplaka Beach

Firaplaka beach in Milos, Greece via @finduslost

Paros

Stay details: Villa Veni (the house we stayed at with our group of friends); Cleopatra Suites (our second spot, we felt like locals here and were a 2-minute walk to the beach & restaurants); Yria Hotel & Spa (a member of Small Luxury Hotels & near the main town). All hotels & homes in Paros.

Next, we made our way over to Paros. We were so excited for this leg of the trip, because it was planned months ago (which for us is rare these days!). Since we won a stay from being runners-up of a contest, we got to choose a week-long stay in any property around the world. We settled on this 8-bedroom houseΒ in Paros because it checked all the boxes for us: on a Greek Island, large enough to host a big group, pool, and easy beach access. We set the date months in advance, told our friends about it, and they all flew out to meet us for the week! It was so much fun.

Our house rental (left) & cliff jumping in Antiparos (location)

Our rental house in Paros, Greece via @finduslost
Cliff jumping in antiparos via @finduslost
Cliff jumping spot in antiparos via @finduslost
Cliff jumping spot in antiparos via @finduslost
Cliff jumping spot in antiparos via @finduslost Cliff jumping spot in antiparos via @finduslost

Our evenings in Paros were spent BBQ’ing, riding our ATV’s at sunset, and playing games like charades. I know it’s a trip we’ll remember forever. Having everyone in one place from all corners of the world was so special — our friends came in from Los Angeles, New York City, Seattle and Amsterdam. The hardest thing about traveling full time is not getting to see friends and family frequently, but the upside is getting to see them all around the world!

Kalogeros Beach

Clay mud beach in Paros via @finduslost
Clay mud beach in Paros via @finduslost
Clay mud beach in Paros via @finduslost
Clay mud beach in Paros via @finduslost

Dinner in Downtown Paros

Dinner in Paros, Greek Islands via @finduslost Dinner in Paros, Greek Islands via @finduslost

Sunset from St. Antonios Monastery

Sunset in paros via @finduslost
Sunset over Paros in the Greek Islands via @finduslost
Sunset in paros via @finduslost
Moon over paros in Greece via @finduslost

After Paros, our plan was to head to Folegandros. I had heard this island was more remote than the others and had some amazing undiscovered beaches. Unfortunately, making it there was not easy! After finding out the ferries were only running there twice a week (we didn’t plan ahead, and the ferries run less frequently during off season…sense a trend in our planning?), we ended up extending our stay and renting a seaside apartment on the east side of Paros. It actually gave us more time to spend with friends who also stayed behind, plus we were a block from one of the most amazing beaches on the island!

When it finally came time for us to leave again, our ferry ended up being cancelled due to wind. So instead, we made a snap decision to hop over to Naxos, which is very close to Paros.

Naxos

Stay details: Naxian Collection (where we stayed); Naxian on the Beach (their beautiful sister hotel, fully booked during our stay); Medusa Beach Resort (family run with a private beach); Santana Beach Hotel (located on one of the most desirable beaches on the island). All hotels & homes in Naxos.Β 

Pulling up to Naxos island is surreal. The whitewashed buildings of downtown are perched just over the water. We had started the day without a place to stay for the night, but thanks to the gracious team at the Naxian Collection, we ended up in the most beautiful room overlooking the bluffs of Naxos. The food at this hotel was unreal. We must’ve ordered room service every day because it was so good! Naxos ended up being a huge surprise, there was so much to see even though we didn’t have the best luck with weather.

Our hotel, Naxian CollectionΒ 

Naxian Collection hotel lobby in Naxos, Greek Islands via @finduslost
Naxian Collection hotel in Naxos, Greek Islands via @finduslost
Naxian Collection hotel in Naxos, Greek Islands via @finduslost
Naxian Collection hotel in Naxos, Greek Islands via @finduslost

Agios Prokopios Beach

Agios Prokopios beach in Naxos, Greek Islands via @finduslost

On our favorite day in Naxos we took a road trip from our hotel to discover different parts of the island. When you drive inland, it feels as if it could be mainland Greece. There are mountains, white cobblestone towns, and beautiful views of the ocean. Naxos might be the most diverse island we’ve visited, so it definitely tops my list for a Greek Island to visit!

Apiranthos town (left) & Chalkio town (right)

Apiranthos marble village in Naxos, Greek Islands via @finduslost
Chalki village naxos in the Greek Islands via @finduslost

Koronos town

Koronos mountain village in Naxos, Greek Islands via @finduslost
Koronos mountain village in Naxos, Greek Islands via @finduslost
Homemade food on the roadside in Naxos, Greek Islands via @finduslost
Mountain villages in Naxos, Greek Islands via @finduslost

Dinner at Tortuga

Tortuga restaurant in Naxos, Greek Islands via @finduslost
Tortuga restaurant in Naxos, Greek Islands via @finduslost

Protara Arch

Downtown Naxos from Portara in Naxos, Greece via @finduslost
Downtown Naxos from Portara in Naxos, Greece via @finduslost
Protara arch in Naxos, Greek Islands at sunset via @finduslost

Towards the end of our stay the weather took a turn for the worse so we decided to leave a day early. We took the late ferry back to Athens. It was a bittersweet ending to the trip. We missed being in a major city since we had been hopping around for almost a month, but we also didn’t want to leave the relaxed lifestyle of the Greek Islands.

It’s only a matter of time before we’re back…Folegandros, we’re coming for you. For more Greek Islands inspiration, have a look at our Santorini guide or photos from our favorite beach in Milos. You may also want to check out our guide to choosing the best Greek Island to visit!

Preset collection used in this blog post: Greek Islands Collection