Sailing Charter in Greece - Part 5: Serifos to Milos

Originally published January 19, 2014

Our day started early in Serifos with Julie and I strolling into town for coffee and to catch some early morning sites and photos. The harbor was already vibrant, with fisherman just returning with their morning catches. Cats hung around waiting for scraps and we saw one rewarded with a whole fish.

I mentioned before how clear and nutrient-free the water seems to be, and I get the sense that life as a commercial fisherman on these islands must be rough. We would see them spending an hour or more pulling what looks to be bait fish from their gill nets.

We had a longer than usual sailing day ahead of us so we made a point of departing early for Milos. Mooring at Adamas port we find a big supermarket and multiple tavernas and gift shops.

Our first stop was a short dinghy ride or walk across the harbor for some nice swimming and beer drinking. We mostly mingle with locals when hitting these swimming holes.

The main town on the hill (chora) is a long walk so we opt for 2 taxis to haul us up the hill for a sunset view and dinner (8 € each way). Unlike the harbor which is setup for vehicle traffic and the usual flow of boats in and out, Plaka has narrow sheltered streets hugging the cliffs perched above the western side of the island.

We climbed another hill above the town to see the ancient castle (castro) then settled back into the main Plaka and roamed the streets looking for a spot to watch the sunset. We landed at a taverna and ordered a bottle of red wine and enjoyed a red sunset over the Med.

Julie and I awoke at 7am the next morning to a perfectly lit golden harbor. Our plan: catch a taxi to go visit the catacombs on the slope between Plaka and our harbor. They were supposed to be free and open at 8am; alas they would be 3€ and open at 8:30. One must be ready to adapt and go with the flow.

What to do but hike up to another church? Along the way we find a breathtaking panorama looking west, an ancient theater, and the original location where they found the Venus de Milos.

The tour is more than worth the cost and it looks like they are investing the revenue into a strong guide program. The catacombs consist of arches within arches and there appears to be much speculation about how they were used and decorated.

We set sail by 10am and cruised to a swimming spot on the south side of the island. The panga motor is still not functioning so we swim out about 400 yards to a rock formation and caves. Jacob and Matthew enjoy climbing the cliffs and jumping feet first. While snorkeling I spot a few flounder (or maybe sole?) and we also find a mountain goat colony with over 20 goats. The swim back to the boat was torturous for me -- I don't do well with long swims in choppy water and I'm seasick by the time I make it to the boat. Nothing that a long nap boat side in the shade wouldn't fix.

Next we go to Folegandros!

This article is part of my sailing in Greece series. You can find all articles here.