Choosing your day
Ten boats leave for Kleftiko, and they differ more than the photos suggest. This Kleftiko tour guide sorts them by what actually changes your day: budget, hours, boat, the caves and lunch, then gives one straight pick for each kind of traveller. Group boats run $140 to $202 per person.
Quick answer
The short answer. If you only book one Kleftiko tour, take our top pick at $201: three swim stops, two hours at Kleftiko, meals cooked on board and snorkel gear. On a budget, the $140 Polyaigos sailboat, with 2,134 reviews at 4.9. To go inside Sykia Cave by dinghy, the $179 sightseeing sailboat. Short on time, the five-hour $179 catamaran. To steer yourself, the self-drive boat at $252 per boat.
Decide in a minute
Start with the one thing you care about most. Each row names the boat whose listing actually says it.
| If you want | Look at | Price | Why, from the listing |
|---|---|---|---|
| The lowest fare by boat | The Polyaigos sailboat | $140 | Lunch and drinks, a swim at Polyaigos, snorkelling around the Kleftiko caves; 2,134 reviews at 4.9 |
| Back by mid-afternoon | The morning catamaran | $174 | Two hours at Kleftiko and back in Adamas at 15:15 |
| The shortest day | The half-day catamaran | $179 | Five hours, 105 minutes at Kleftiko, snorkel gear on board |
| To go inside a cave | The sightseeing sailboat | $179 | A dinghy into Sykia Cave and round the Kleftiko caves; up to 10 passengers |
| A dinghy and drinks without a limit | The guided day cruise | $168 | Dinghy through the caves of the bay; «unlimited» drinks; 889 reviews at 5.0 |
| Polyaigos as well as Kleftiko | The island circuit with meals | $179 | Swims at Sarakiniko and Polyaigos, breakfast, lunch and an open bar |
| Fewer stops, longer swims | Our top pick | $201 | Three swims, two hours at Kleftiko, meals cooked on board |
| Your own hand on the wheel | The self-drive boat | $252 | No licence needed, five people per boat; you pay for the fuel you use |
Budget
Every group boat includes lunch, so the price buys hours, drinks and how you see the caves.
The lowest fare for a Kleftiko tour by boat is $140 on the Polyaigos sailboat, and it is a full day: ten hours, lunch and drinks, a swim at Polyaigos and snorkelling around the Kleftiko caves, with 2,134 reviews, the most on this site. It runs three sailboats of up to 25 people each.
At $146 you add snorkel gear and crew photos; at $168, the dinghy through the caves. The self-drive boat is $252 for the whole boat, up to five people, plus the fuel you use.
Hours
Time on the water decides more than the fare. Lengths are as each listing gives them.
The half-day catamaran: breakfast at Agathia, Sykia for photos, 105 minutes at Kleftiko.
The morning catamaran: a swim at Kalogries, then two hours at Kleftiko.
The all-inclusive sailing day and the sightseeing sailboat (8), our top pick (8.5), the open-bar sailboat (9), the guided day cruise (9.5).
The Polyaigos sailboat and the island circuit with meals, both with Polyaigos.
The self-drive boat, booked for half a day or a full day.
The caves
Swim in, snorkel in, or ride in on a dinghy: the boat stays outside.
On no Kleftiko tour does the boat itself go inside a cave. You get in by swimming or snorkelling, or on a small dinghy from the boat.
Two listings promise the dinghy at Kleftiko: the sightseeing sailboat and the guided day cruise, which explores «all the caves, cracks and tunnels of the bay». Only the sightseeing sailboat takes its dinghy inside Sykia Cave, to a salt lake with a small beach, lit from above.
Four boats say you can swim or snorkel in the Kleftiko caves: our top pick, the Polyaigos sailboat, the all-inclusive sailing day and the open-bar sailboat. The others stop there for a swim.
The boats
Six of the group boats are sailboats and two are catamarans; one listing does not say. The self-drive boat is a small open motorboat.
A white catamaran sits on deep blue water below a high wall of tan and grey rock, with dark hollows at the waterline.
People stand on the deck of a sailboat beside two tall white rock stacks, with an arch cut through at sea level.
Two people stand in a small open motorboat below high pale cliffs, with more small boats spread out across the water.
The boat
Six sailboats, two catamarans, one boat you drive.
On the sightseeing sailboat you can join the cockpit and help steer, with 10 passengers at most. Samantha from Canada on the half-day catamaran: «boat was super clean and had lots of space for guests to spread out comfortably».
The self-drive boat needs no licence for anyone over 18. You get a safety briefing and a full tank; you bring food, drinks, sunblock and towels. Nicolas from the United States: «We were told where to go and had the freedom to decide where to… explore.»
Lunch and drinks
Lunch everywhere; the drinks and the snorkel gear are where they differ.
Lunch is in the price on all nine group boats, so drinks make the difference. An open bar is listed on the sightseeing sailboat, the open-bar sailboat and the island circuit; the guided day cruise pours «unlimited» drinks. Our top pick and the half-day catamaran serve beer, wine and soft drinks; the morning catamaran, house wine.
Snorkel gear is listed on our top pick, the all-inclusive sailing day and the half-day catamaran. Vegetarian and vegan meals can be asked for on the Polyaigos sailboat and the morning catamaran.
Five travellers
Find yourself in one line and book that boat.
Our top pick, $201. Amanda from the United States: «Loved that it was a more relaxed pace, spent more time at each stop».
The Polyaigos sailboat, $140, which circles Milos. Teresa from Australia: «The best day spent around the island!»
The sightseeing sailboat, $179: a dinghy into Sykia and round Kleftiko, 263 reviews at 5.0.
The half-day catamaran, $179, five hours. Or the morning catamaran, $174, back in Adamas at 15:15.
The self-drive boat, $252 per boat from Agia Kiriaki beach; fuel on top.
Every boat, current fare
Ten boats, lowest fare per person first. Lunch is in every group fare; the self-drive price is for the whole boat.
| Trip | Price | Price is for | Length | What the price covers | Where it starts | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Polyaigos sailboat | $140 | per person | 10 hours | Lunch and drinks; swim at Polyaigos, snorkel at Kleftiko | Operator’s office, Adamas | 4.9 · 2,134 |
| The all-inclusive sailing day | $146 | per person | 8 hours | Food, drinks and snorkel gear; action-camera photos | Adamas port | 4.8 · 970 |
| The guided day cruise | $168 | per person | 9.5 hours | Breakfast, Greek lunch, unlimited drinks; dinghy in the caves | Adamas port | 5.0 · 889 |
| The morning catamaran | $174 | per person | 6 hours | Lunch and house wine; two hours at Kleftiko | Adamas port, back 15:15 | 4.8 · 435 |
| The island circuit with meals | $179 | per person | 10 hours | Breakfast, lunch, open bar of wine and beer | Adamas, near the port | 4.8 · 334 |
| The sightseeing sailboat | $179 | per person | 8 hours | Tapas, lunch, open bar; dinghy into Sykia | Adamas port, 30 min early | 5.0 · 263 |
| The half-day catamaran | $179 | per person | 5 hours | Breakfast, lunch, fruit, beer and wine, snorkel gear | Adamas port | 4.9 · 230 |
| Our top pick | $201 | per person | 8.5 hours | Breakfast, lunch, fruit, beer and wine, snorkel gear | Adamas port | 4.8 · 358 |
| The open-bar sailboat | $202 | per person | 9 hours | Breakfast, lunch by the onboard chef, open bar | Adamas port, 8:45 | 4.7 · 247 |
| The self-drive boat | $252 | per boat, up to 5 | 4 to 8 hours | The boat, a safety briefing, a full tank; fuel extra | Agia Kiriaki beach | 4.7 · 85 |
Our verdict
Book our top pick at $201 if you want one good day with time to swim: two hours at Kleftiko, three stops in all, meals cooked on board, snorkel gear. On a budget, the $140 Polyaigos sailboat: 2,134 reviews at 4.9. For the inside of Sykia, the $179 sightseeing sailboat. For a short day, the half-day catamaran.
Book direct
Our top pick, the lowest fare, the cave boat and the boat you drive.
★ 4.8 · 358 reviews
★ 4.9 · 2,134 reviews
★ 5.0 · 263 reviews
★ 4.7 · 85 reviews
Before you book
A minute on the listing saves a surprise at the harbour.
Our top pick, the open-bar sailboat and the half-day catamaran ask for every passenger’s passport or ID details ahead of the day.
The Polyaigos sailboat is back around 19:00 and is not for anyone leaving Milos before 20:30 that day.
In strong northern winds some boats start from another port or change the route. The sightseeing sailboat includes the transfer from Adamas when that happens.
The sightseeing sailboat asks you to be there 30 minutes before sailing; late arrivals are not admitted.
All fourteen listings offer free cancellation and reserve now, pay later. Check the deadline on the booking page.
Common questions
No. Every group boat leaves from Adamas port and the self-drive boat from Agia Kiriaki beach. A transfer is arranged only when strong wind moves the start. Hotel pickup is only on the archaeology tour on land.
Not the boats themselves. The sightseeing sailboat and the guided day cruise take you through the caves on a small dinghy. Four other boats let you swim or snorkel into them.
Yes, on one boat: the $179 sightseeing sailboat takes you in by dinghy. On the guided day cruise Sykia depends on the weather; the others pass it.
Six of the group boats are sailboats, from $140. The two catamarans are the shorter days: five hours at $179 and six hours at $174.
Yes, on all nine group boats, and most add breakfast or fruit. On the self-drive boat you bring your own food and drinks.
Yes. The self-drive boat needs no licence for drivers over 18. It is $252 per boat for up to five people, and you pay for the fuel you use at the end.
On land too
A Kleftiko tour fills a day. Away from the boats: a kayak trip to Tsigrado and Gerakas at $67, a winery in Pollonia at $65, an e-bike ride at $90 and an archaeology tour at $99. Pick your Kleftiko tour first.
Go deeper
Every boat to Kleftiko bookable here, side by side: boat, hours, food and what the price covers.
The cavesThe sea caves and rock arches, and which tours take a small boat inside.
Half a dayThe shorter boats: morning and half-day trips to the bay.
Drive your own boatThe self-drive boat against a skippered cruise.
On land tooThe island’s other tours: kayaking, a winery, archaeology and an e-bike ride.
Milos: Kleftiko Cruise with Meal, Drinks and Photos at Sykia
★ 4.8 · 358 reviews · 8.5 hours