There are few places that leave an impression quite like Sarakiniko Beach in Milos. After seeing a photo years ago, I’ve been dreaming of going and experiencing its incredible moon-like landscape in person. Jacob and I had already made plans to visit the Greek Islands this summer, and we had nothing scheduled for the beginning of September (which also happened to be the one year anniversary of our wedding day). So, we tacked on Milos as the start of our Greek Islands trip.

After arriving from Athens via ferry, we checked in to our hotel which was close by to Sarakiniko Beach. We decided to head over that afternoon. Let me detour a bit here: I also wanted see this moon-like beach in person because I felt a special connection to it. My mom’s side of the family is Greek, and my name, Selena, also happens to mean ‘Moon Goddess’ in Greek. So, how serendipitous is it that this Greek beach happens to look like the surface of the moon?

One of my favorite parts about traveling is not just seeing places for the first time, it’s getting to see them with Jacob for the first time. Being the planner in our relationship, I’d seen plenty of photos of Sarakiniko before arriving. Jacob had not. When we arrived, I loved watching his reaction. It’s like getting to experience it twice for the first time: through my own eyes, and through his. We couldn’t wait to come back the next morning.

One of the most unique parts of this beach is how much the light changes the landscape throughout the day. In the morning, there’s a golden light that makes the water shimmer and the sky turn pink. In the afternoon, the direct sun hits the rocks so they stand out against the turquoise water. And in the evening, dusk is a rich rose color and everything looks like it’s bathed in watercolors. Sarakiniko is up there with one of the most surreal places I’ve ever seen. There was a day we spent our morning, afternoon and evening here!

It’s also unique since there is both a protected sandy beach so you can wade in, as well as a cliff jumping spot. The cliff is on an incline, so you can choose how high you want to jump from. I worked my way up but didn’t jump from the very top. Jacob made the leap and said it was long enough to be very aware that you still had a ways to fall! Maybe a bit too high for my taste, but it was a lot of fun watching people try it throughout the day.

Watching the sunset over Sarakiniko is otherworldly. The pink sky seems to linger longer here than anywhere else I’ve seen. If you’re planning to visit Milos, make sure to spend at least one evening watching the sun go down.

We’ve been to five Greek Islands now and Milos is my favorite. I’m slowly sifting through photos from our Greece island hopping adventure this summer. We took 8,000 photos, so wish me luck! I’ll be putting together travel guides for Milos, Paros, and Naxos soon, so make sure to subscribe to our email newsletter so you don’t miss them.

Until then, check out more from our Greek Islands trip this summer, including where we stayed and our favorite spots!