Beaches by boat
A Kleftiko beach boat tour is really a day of coves. At Kleftiko itself you swim and snorkel among white rocks and sea caves; the beaches come before and after it. This page lists every beach and bay the boats from Adamas stop at, how long they stay, and what the price covers, from $140 per person.
Quick answer
The short answer. No listing describes a beach in the bay of Kleftiko, so on a Kleftiko beach boat tour the beaches are the other stops. Our top pick, the $201 cruise, swims at the sandy beach of Kalogries, spends two hours at Kleftiko and finishes at Agios Dimitrios. For Gerakas and Polyaigos, take the $140 full day. Tsigrado is reached by kayak, not by these boats.
The bay and the beaches
Kleftiko is rock and caves. The sand is at the stops before and after it.
Kleftiko has no road in, which is why every Kleftiko beach boat tour starts at sea. The bay is white rock, arches and sea caves. The listings describe it as a place to swim and snorkel, often with lunch served on board, and none of them mentions a beach there.
The beaches are along the way. Heading west from Adamas, most boats make their first swim at Kalogries or Agathia Bay, spend between 45 minutes and two hours at Kleftiko, and stop once more on the way back, usually at Agios Dimitrios. The three longest days go round the island instead and add Gerakas and the island of Polyaigos.
So the choice is less about Kleftiko, which every boat reaches, and more about the stops around it. Bruce from the United States, on the half-day catamaran: «Fantastic half day trip to some beautiful beaches and coves.»
Stop by stop
On a Kleftiko beach boat tour, these are the swim stops. Times are as each listing gives them; where it gives none, we say so.
The top pick calls it a sandy beach and stops 50 minutes, with breakfast. It is also the first swim on the $146 sailing day, the $174 morning catamaran and the $179 sightseeing sailboat; the $202 day stays 30 to 45 minutes.
The first swim and breakfast on the $168 guided cruise and on the $179 half-day catamaran, which stays 45 minutes.
An hour on the top pick, a swim on the semi-private sailing day, a dive for shells on the guided cruise, and the last swim on the sightseeing sailboat, looking up at Plaka and Tripiti.
A swim on the $140 Polyaigos day, 45 minutes and lunch from the onboard chef on the $202 day, and lunch at Gerakas or a swim off Poliegos on the $179 day with meals.
A swim stop on the $140 sailboat and on the $202 open-bar day, which stays 45 minutes. The day with meals swims at Gerakas or off Poliegos.
A swim and breakfast on the $179 day. The $140 day passes it without stopping, and the $202 day may stop if the weather allows.
Only the $179 sailboat takes you inside Sykia, by dinghy, to a salt lake with a small beach under a natural skylight, for 75 minutes. The others pass by or stop for photos.
No boat to Kleftiko stops here. The $67 kayak trip paddles from Fyriplaka beach to Tsigrado for 30 minutes, then on to Gerakas.
Where the hours go
Three long swims or four short ones: compare the split, not the hours.
The length of the day tells you little; how it is split tells you more. On the $201 top pick, a Kleftiko beach boat tour of 8.5 hours has three long swims: 50 minutes at Kalogries, two hours at Kleftiko with lunch, and an hour at Agios Dimitrios. Amanda from the United States: «Loved that it was a more relaxed pace, spent more time at each stop rather than trying to do the whole island in a day.»
The $202 open-bar day does the opposite: four stops of about 45 minutes each, at Kalogries, Kleftiko, Gerakas and Poliegos, and back at Adamas around 6:30 pm. Gabrielle from the United States: «Multiple swimming spots, beautiful locations, amazing food.»
The two catamarans are shorter. The $174 morning cruise swims at Kalogries, stops two hours at Kleftiko and is back at 15:15; the $179 half day gives Agathia 45 minutes and Kleftiko 105.
From the water
Coves, cliffs and the water in between, as you see them from a boat or a kayak.
Clear turquoise shallows run up to a cliff of ochre and grey volcanic rock, with green scrub along the top and a thin strip of shingle at its foot.
A few small motorboats sit in a blue cove while people swim around them, below steep cliffs streaked white, ochre and rust, with pale stones at the waterline.
The yellow bow of a kayak floats over clear green water and round stones, and other kayakers paddle along the foot of a long dark cliff ahead.
Every trip, current fare
Ten trips that reach the beaches by water. Group boats are priced per person; the self-drive boat is priced per boat.
| Trip | Price | Price is for | Length | What the price covers | Swim stops | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Polyaigos full day | $140 | per person | 10 hours | Lunch and drinks | Polyaigos, Gerakas, Kleftiko | 4.9 · 2,134 |
| Semi-private sailing | $146 | per person | 8 hours | Food, drinks, snorkel gear, action-camera photos | Kalogries, Kleftiko 2 h, Agios Dimitrios | 4.8 · 970 |
| Guided cruise | $168 | per person | 9.5 hours | Breakfast, Greek lunch, unlimited drinks | Agathia, Kleftiko by dinghy, Agios Dimitrios | 5.0 · 889 |
| Morning catamaran | $174 | per person | 6 hours | Greek lunch, house wine and drinks | Kalogries, Kleftiko 2 h; back 15:15 | 4.8 · 435 |
| Day with meals | $179 | per person | 10 hours | Breakfast, lunch, open bar | Sarakiniko, Gerakas or Poliegos, Kleftiko | 4.8 · 334 |
| Sightseeing sailboat | $179 | per person | 8 hours | Greek tapas, lunch, open bar | Kalogries, inside Sykia, Kleftiko, Agios Dimitrios | 5.0 · 263 |
| Half-day catamaran | $179 | per person | 5 hours | Breakfast, lunch, fruit, drinks, snorkel gear | Agathia 45 min, Kleftiko 105 min | 4.9 · 230 |
| Our top pick | $201 | per person | 8.5 hours | Breakfast, lunch, fruit, drinks, snorkel gear | Kalogries 50 min, Kleftiko 2 h, Agios Dimitrios 1 h | 4.8 · 358 |
| Open-bar full day | $202 | per person | 9 hours | Breakfast, lunch, open bar | Kalogries, Kleftiko, Gerakas, Poliegos | 4.7 · 247 |
| Drive it yourself | $252 | per boat, up to 5 | 4 - 8 hours | Boat with a full tank, briefing, 24/7 support. Fuel extra; bring your own food | Kleftiko and other bays, your choice | 4.7 · 85 |
Two other ways in
Tsigrado by kayak; any bay you like by self-drive boat.
None of the group boats stops at Tsigrado. The $67 kayak trip starts on Fyriplaka beach, where you arrive on your own, and paddles east along the volcanic coast, into caves and round small islands: 30 minutes at Tsigrado, then two stops at Gerakas. Snorkel masks and a homemade treat at each stop are included. It is not suitable for non-swimmers. Ciaran from Ireland: «It is a great way to see some of the southern beaches that are not that accessible, plus the caves.»
The other way is to skip the group. The self-drive boat leaves from Agia Kiriaki beach, needs no licence for anyone over 18, and costs $252 per boat for up to five people, for half a day or a full day. Fuel is paid at the end, and you bring your own food, drinks, sunblock and towels. On this boat, the bays you swim at are your choice.
Before you book
A few minutes on the listing makes the right Kleftiko beach boat tour easier to pick.
Every boat reaches Kleftiko. Read the itinerary for Kalogries, Agios Dimitrios, Gerakas or Polyaigos.
In strong northern winds some boats start from another port and swim on the sheltered side. Where a listing says so, the transfer from Adamas for a wind-moved start is in the price.
The $201, $202 and $179 trips ask for every passenger’s ID details before departure; the semi-private day asks when you book.
The $140 day is back around 7 pm and is not for anyone on a ferry before 8:30 pm.
All fourteen listings on this site offer free cancellation. Check the deadline on the booking page.
Our verdict
Book the $201 cruise, our top pick, if you want long swims: a Kleftiko beach boat tour with 50 minutes at Kalogries, two hours at Kleftiko and an hour at Agios Dimitrios. For Gerakas and Polyaigos, the $140 full day, rated 4.9 by 2,134 reviewers. For a short day, the $174 morning catamaran. For Tsigrado, the kayak.
Book direct
Pick by the beaches you want. This Milos Greece Kleftiko beach boat comparison keeps the kayak, because only it reaches Tsigrado.
★ 4.8 · 358 reviews
★ 4.9 · 2,134 reviews
★ 4.7 · 247 reviews
★ 5.0 · 554 reviews
Common questions
Yes, on all eight group boats; some serve breakfast too, and the $202 day serves lunch at Gerakas. Not on the self-drive boat: you bring your own food and drinks. The kayak trip has a homemade treat at each stop.
Only on the $179 sightseeing sailboat, by dinghy, to a salt lake with a small beach under a natural skylight. The other boats pass by or stop for photos; on the guided cruise, Sykia depends on the weather.
Three full days: the $140 Polyaigos sailboat, the $179 day with meals and the $202 open-bar day. Our top pick does not go there. The kayak also stops at Gerakas.
Yes on our top pick, the semi-private sailing day and the half-day catamaran, and the kayak trip hands out masks. For the other boats, the listings do not say.
No. The eight group boats meet at Adamas port; the self-drive boat starts at Agia Kiriaki beach and the kayak at Fyriplaka. A transfer is arranged only when wind moves the start to another port.
The morning catamaran is back at 15:15, the open-bar day around 6:30 pm, and the Polyaigos day around 7 pm, which is too late for a ferry before 8:30 pm.
Your options
Choose a Milos Kleftiko beach boat by the stops you want, then book early: every boat on this page offers reserve now, pay later.
Go deeper
Where each boat stops to swim, and for how long.
GuideThe sea caves and rock arches, and which tours take a small boat inside.
GuideThe coast past Kleftiko: Sykia, Gerakas and the stops on the way.
GuideThe shorter boats: morning and half-day trips to the bay.
Milos: Kleftiko Cruise with Meal, Drinks and Photos at Sykia
★ 4.8 · 358 reviews · 8.5 hours