The west coast, stop by stop
A west Milos Kleftiko cruise is a day along cliffs no road reaches. Nine of the boats here leave Adamas, pass fishing villages such as Klima and the rocks of Cape Vani, swim at Kalogries or Agathia, pass Sykia and stop at Kleftiko. This guide names each stop and the boats that make it, from $140 per person.
Quick answer
The short answer. On a west Milos Kleftiko cruise the stops are much alike; what changes is how close you get. To go inside Sykia Cave, only the $179 sailboat takes you, by dinghy, with ten guests at most. For a dinghy through the Kleftiko caves, that boat or the $168 guided day. Our top pick, the $201 cruise, gives two hours at Kleftiko and passes Sykia for photos. The $140 sailboat adds Polyaigos.
Leaving Adamas
Villages, a bear-shaped rock and an old mine, all seen from the deck.
Every group boat on a west Milos Kleftiko cruise starts at Adamas port, and the first stretch is sightseeing from the deck. The morning catamaran lists Skinopi, Klima, Areti and Fourkovouni and their Sirmata houses. The $202 sailboat describes Klima as «colorful fishermen’s houses built into the cliffs». Our top pick stops at Klima on the way back for a 15-minute aperitif.
Next come Arkoudes, a rock formation «naturally shaped like a bear», and Cape Vani, with its former manganese mine. The $179 sailboat also passes the Christian catacombs and the spot where the Venus de Milo was found, and on that boat you can join the cockpit and help steer.
The coast, stop by stop
The order a west Milos Kleftiko cruise usually follows, with the time each listing gives.
The first swim on five boats, including our top pick (50 minutes, with breakfast). The full-day sailboat gives it 45 minutes.
The first swim and breakfast on the $168 guided day and the $179 five-hour catamaran (45 minutes).
A sea cave with a collapsed roof. Inside by dinghy on one boat only; a photo stop or a pass-by on the rest.
Two hours on four boats, 105 minutes on the five-hour catamaran, 45 on the full-day sailboat. Lunch is served here on most.
An hour on our top pick. The guided day stops to dive for shells; the $179 sailboat swims with a view of Plaka and Tripiti.
On the guided day, the stop instead of Sykia when the weather calls for it.
Lunch and 45 minutes on the $202 sailboat; a swim on the $140 day; also a kayak stop.
The guided day ends with a swim in front of it.
From the water
The west coast from a deck and from inside a cave.
White houses with blue, green and wooden doors sit right on the water, a dry hillside behind and a small rowing boat in front.
From inside the cave, pale rock curves overhead and a wide hole opens straight onto the blue sky.
A white sailboat sits in turquoise water under tall pale cliffs, with a thin strip of pebbles at their foot.
Sykia
One boat goes in by dinghy; on the rest you see it from the deck.
Sykia, like Kleftiko, is «inaccessible by land», in the words of the $179 sailboat. That is the only west Milos Kleftiko cruise that takes you inside: a small dinghy goes under a rock passage into the cave, to a salt lake with a small beach lit by a natural skylight. The listing gives the stop 75 minutes, on a boat limited to ten passengers.
On the guided day, Sykia is optional: you go there or to the beach of Agios Ioannis, depending on the weather. Our top pick and the five-hour catamaran stop 15 minutes for photos; the $140 and $146 sailboats pass by. Nicki from the United States, on the sightseeing day: «the caves and rocks were stunning, food was delicious, and we had plenty of time to take photos and explore each stop».
Every trip, current fare
Ten boats on the west coast, plus the kayak along the south. Prices are per person except the self-drive boat, which is priced for the whole boat.
| Trip | Price | Price is for | Length | What the price covers | Where it starts | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Polyaigos sailboat | $140 | per person | 10 hours | Lunch and drinks; snorkel in the Kleftiko caves; swim at Polyaigos | Adamas | 4.9 · 2,134 |
| Semi-private sailboat | $146 | per person | 8 hours | All-inclusive food and drinks, snorkelling gear, action-camera photos | Adamas port | 4.8 · 970 |
| Guided day | $168 | per person | 9.5 hours | Breakfast, Greek lunch, unlimited drinks, dinghy through the Kleftiko caves | Adamas port | 5.0 · 889 |
| Morning catamaran | $174 | per person | 6 hours | Onboard lunch, local house wine and drinks; back at 15:15 | Adamas port | 4.8 · 435 |
| Sightseeing sailboat | $179 | per person | 8 hours | Tapas, lunch, open bar; dinghy into Sykia and the Kleftiko caves; up to 10 guests | Adamas port | 5.0 · 263 |
| Five-hour catamaran | $179 | per person | 5 hours | Breakfast, lunch, fruit, beer and wine, snorkelling gear | Adamas port | 4.9 · 230 |
| Round-the-island boat | $179 | per person | 10 hours | Breakfast, lunch, open bar with wine and beer | Adamas | 4.8 · 334 |
| Our top pick | $201 | per person | 8.5 hours | Breakfast, lunch cooked on board, fruit, beer and wine, snorkelling gear | Adamas port | 4.8 · 358 |
| Full-day sailboat | $202 | per person | 9 hours | Breakfast, lunch by the onboard chef, open bar; sails at 8:45 | Adamas port | 4.7 · 247 |
| Self-drive boat | $252 | per boat, up to 5 | 4 to 8 hours | The boat, a safety briefing, a full tank at the start; fuel paid at the end; bring food | Agia Kiriaki beach | 4.7 · 85 |
| Sea kayak | $67 | per person | 3.5 hours | Kayak, snorkel masks, action cameras, a homemade snack at each stop | Fyriplaka beach | 5.0 · 554 |
The southwest
Three boats go on to Gerakas and Polyaigos; Tsigrado is reached by kayak.
Three long days add Gerakas and Polyaigos to the route. The $202 sailboat stops 45 minutes at Gerakas for lunch and 45 at Poliegos. The $140 day swims at Gerakas, snorkels at Kleftiko and eats lunch there, and swims at Polyaigos. The $179 round-the-island boat swims and eats lunch at Gerakas or near Poliegos.
Tsigrado is a kayak stop, not a boat stop. The $67 kayak leaves Fyriplaka beach on the south of the island, paddles into caves and swims 30 minutes at Tsigrado and twice at Gerakas. 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.»
Wind days
In strong northern winds the start or the route can change. Here is how.
The start can move to Provatas, with transport for guests without a car.
The start can move to Palaiochori, with a transfer from Adamas and back in the price.
Above 5 on the Beaufort scale, the cruise can end at Agia Kyriaki, with a transfer back to Adamas paid by the operator.
Jessica from Australia, on the sightseeing day: «We had to switch from the west to the north due to the wind/weather but that didn’t matter at all as we got to see some gorgeous spots».
Driving yourself
Up to five people, no licence, fuel on top.
The self-drive boat starts from Agia Kiriaki beach, not Adamas, and costs $252 for the boat and up to five people, for half or a full day. No licence is needed: anyone over 18 may drive. Fuel is paid at the end; bring your own food, drinks, sunblock and towels. The listing promises Kleftiko and other bays at your own pace, so a west Milos Kleftiko cruise on this boat follows your plan.
Before you book
A minute on the listing saves a surprise on the day of your west Milos Kleftiko cruise.
Only the $179 sailboat goes in, by dinghy. Everywhere else it is a photo stop or a pass-by.
Two hours on four boats; 45 minutes on the full-day sailboat.
Our top pick, the five-hour catamaran and the full-day sailboat need every guest’s ID details before departure.
The $140 day returns around 7 PM and is not for guests on a ferry before 8:30 PM.
All the boats offer free cancellation. Check the deadline on the booking page before you pay.
Our verdict
Book our top pick at $201 for a west Milos Kleftiko cruise with two hours at Kleftiko, snorkelling gear, breakfast, lunch and fruit. To go inside Sykia by dinghy, the $179 sailboat, rated 5.0. For a dinghy in the caves, the $168 guided day, rated 5.0. For Polyaigos too, the $140 sailboat, with 2,134 reviews at 4.9.
Book direct
Our top pick, the dinghy into Sykia and the guided dinghy day. The fourth adds Polyaigos. All four are priced per person, with lunch on board.
★ 4.8 · 358 reviews
★ 5.0 · 263 reviews
★ 5.0 · 889 reviews
★ 4.9 · 2,134 reviews
Common questions
Yes, on one boat. The $179 sailboat takes a small dinghy under a rock passage into the cave, to a salt lake with a small beach. On a west Milos Kleftiko cruise with any other boat, Sykia is a photo stop or a pass-by; on the guided day it depends on the weather.
Not the boat itself, in any listing. Two take you in by dinghy: the $179 sailboat and the $168 guided day. On four others you swim or snorkel in the caves.
Three boats include it: the $140 sailboat, the $179 round-the-island day and the $202 sailboat. They run nine to ten hours. Two more boats go there only on their backup route in southern winds.
No boat on this site picks you up at your hotel. The group boats meet at Adamas port; the self-drive boat is at Agia Kiriaki beach. A transfer is arranged only when wind moves the start, on the boats whose listings say so.
The route moves to the sheltered side, or the start moves to Provatas, Palaiochori or Agia Kyriaki, depending on the boat. Listings also say a trip may be rescheduled or changed for the weather.
The morning catamaran is back at 15:15. The full-day sailboat lands at about 6:30 PM, and the $140 day around 7 PM. Other listings give a length, not a return time.
Your options
If the cliffs and the caves are the point, a west Milos Kleftiko cruise of five to eight and a half hours covers the coast from the fishing villages to Kleftiko. For a slower day under sail, a west Milos Kleftiko sailing boat cruise with Polyaigos runs ten. Oliver from Germany, on the guided day: «Amazing tour with a very friendly crew that takes you to many caves, bays and tells you about the history of the island».
Go deeper
The sea caves and rock arches, and which tours take a small boat inside.
GuideThe beaches and coves the boats stop at on the way to Kleftiko and back.
GuideThe sailing days to Kleftiko and Polyaigos, compared.
GuideThe self-drive boat against a skippered cruise.
GuideDeparture, the stops along the coast and the return to Adamas.
Milos: Kleftiko Cruise with Meal, Drinks and Photos at Sykia
★ 4.8 · 358 reviews · 8.5 hours