A Wonderful Greek Island Escape: My Trip to the Cyclades

February 2, 2024November 28, 2024 Koen 1 Comment

This trip report covers my wonderful Greek island escape to Sifnos and Milos, two beautiful islands that are part of the Cyclades.

A holiday to the Cyclades

Having dealt with a lot of rainy weather during the autumn at home in Romania and on some work trips to Western Europe, I decided that I was in desperate need of a sunny holiday.

The destination was easily decided: Greece.

Greece always holds a special place in my heart, and I’ve even lived there for a while, in Chania on the island of Crete to be precise.

There is a lot to love about Greece, and for me it’s mostly the amazing scenery, hospitable people, great food, interesting culture and history, as well as the country’s pristine beaches and swimming water.

Even after I moved out of Greece, I managed to extensively tour around the country.

On average, I travel to Greece twice a year, each time choosing a new destination from the multitude of stunning islands and places on the mainland.

naxos island cyclades — *Naxos, one of the Cycladic islands I had visited before. ©Paliparan*

Choosing a Greek island destination

There are numerous beautiful islands to choose from when traveling to Greece, and it’s well worth looking beyond the well-known names like Santorini and Mykonos, which are overcrowded and offer bad value for money.

During my previous trip to Greece, I explored several islands in the Dodecanese, including Astypalea, Halki, and Kastellorizo, which made for an amazing adventure.

This time around, I wanted to return to the Cyclades, the most famous of all Greek island groups.

If you are travelling in the shoulder season (spring or autumn) just like I did, crowds are fortunately not a problem at the majority of the islands that are part of the Cyclades.

Previously, I visited Cycladic islands such as Serifos, Paros and Naxos, and this time I was determined to visit others that were still on my list.

My attention was quickly drawn to Sifnos and Milos, two neighbouring islands that are part of the Western Cyclades.

sifnos church cyclades greek island escape — *Church on the Cycladic island of Sifnos, Greece. ©Paliparan*

beautiful greek island milos cyclades — *Scenic view over Milos. ©Paliparan*

Cheronissos sifnos — *Cheronissos, a tiny hamlet at the northern tip of the island of Sifnos. ©Paliparan*

sarakaniko beach milos cyclades greek island escape — *Sarakiniko Beach on the island of Milos. ©Paliparan*

Sifnos and Milos

Sifnos is a relatively unknown island among international tourists and seemed as low-key as Serifos, an island which I adored when I visited it.

Even if it were only half as nice, I was confident I would still have a great time.

Milos is a more popular island destination that can become crowded in the summer, with a growing number of luxury hotels, resorts, and other accommodation options emerging on the island.

However, when you visit Milos during the shoulder season, local life is still pretty easy-going from what I’ve heard, and the island retains an authentic character, something that can no longer be said about the likes of Mykonos.

Sifnos and Milos therefore seemed to be a great combination of islands, each offering a different experience.

sifnos cyclades trip greek island escape — *Fisherman on the island of Sifnos. ©Paliparan*

beach milos greece greek tourism — *A quiet beach on the island of Milos. ©Paliparan*

klima milos cyclades — *Colourful fishermen houses in Klima, Milos. ©Paliparan*

vathi beach sifnos beautiful greek island — *Vathi Beach, Sifnos. ©Paliparan*

Booking my flights

Booking my flights to Greece was quite easy.

Having some work commitments in Germany before my trip, I booked a straightforward one-way flight from Frankfurt to Athens with Aegean Airlines in economy class for €73.

After some intensive weeks of work, it would be straight to Greece for some much-needed sun and quality Greek food!

The way back was a bit trickier, as there were no connecting flight itineraries that I could find on the day I needed to get back from Milos to my home town of Bucharest in Romania.

I therefore had no choice but to buy two separate flights: One with Sky Express from Milos’ tiny domestic airport to Athens for €61, and another one later in the day with Aegean Airlines from Athens to Bucharest for €67.

flight map cyclades — *The flights I would take on my trip to Sifnos and Milos in the Cyclades. ©Great Circle Mapper*

Ferries

There were now only two things left to arrange: First of all, I still had to book a ferry from Piraeus (the port of Athens) to Sifnos, and another ferry from Sifnos to Milos.

Unlike Milos, Sifnos has no airport, so you have no other option than to take a ferry to get there.

In Greece, ferry route concessions regularly change hands, so the particular company operating a certain route can be prone to change over the years.

At the time I was travelling, Aegean Speed Lines was the company operating conventional ferries in the Western Cyclades, and I booked a one-way sailing with them from Piraeus to Sifnos for €38.

Sifnos is well-connected to the neighbouring island of Milos, and I managed to book a €16 ticket on a fast catamaran operated by Seajets.

sifnos beautiful greek island ferry view cyclades — *Beautiful views from the deck of a Greek ferry as we approach the island of Sifnos. ©Paliparan*

Accommodation

When I visit Greece, I always prefer simple B&B-style rooms (called ‘domatia’ in Greece) or traditional apartments over hotel resorts.

It’s not only much cheaper, but it’s also so much more quintessentially Greek to stay in these accommodation options than in a Western hotel chain or a large resort.

On both Sifnos and Milos, I easily found some relatively simple but beautifully located apartments with stunning views from the balcony over the sea.

I will provide a full review of both these apartments in separate instalments of this trip report.

kamares sifnos apartment view — *Gorgeous view from my apartment in Kamares on the island of Sifnos. ©Paliparan*

milos sunset cyclades trip — *Stunning sunset view from my apartment on the island of Milos ©Paliparan*

Highlights

In this ‘Wonderful Greek Island Escape: My Trip to the Cyclades’ trip report, you can look forward to the following highlights:

– Detailed island guides of both Sifnos and Milos, detailing all the sights, as well as the best beaches.
– A lot of authentic Greek food at some fabulous local tavernas.
– Visits to some gorgeous whitewashed towns and churches typical of the Cyclades
– Ferry information and reviews of my sailings across the Western Cyclades

You can find the individual chapters of this trip report in the index below.