Kleftiko Milos: The Complete Guide to Visiting the Sea Caves by Boat

Kleftiko is the image that made Milos famous: colossal white volcanic cliffs rising out of turquoise water, pierced by arches, tunnels and caves that you can swim straight through. It sits on the remote south-west tip of the island, and here is the fact that shapes every plan: there is no road and no path down to the water. You reach Kleftiko by boat or you do not reach it. This guide covers how to get there, what it costs, self-drive versus organised cruise, what you will actually see, when to go, and how the wind decides whether you go at all.

What is Kleftiko?

Kleftiko is a cluster of white volcanic rock formations on the south-west tip of Milos, sculpted by wind and sea into towers, arches and caves. Locals sometimes call it the “Sea Meteora” of Milos. The name comes from kleftes, thieves: for centuries pirates hid their ships in its coves and caves, out of sight of the Venetian and later Ottoman patrols, and ambushed merchant vessels passing between the islands. Today the only invaders are swimmers and snorkelers.

The rock is soft volcanic tuff, which is why the sea has been able to carve it so dramatically, and why the water around it is so clear: there is no sand or silt to stir up, just pale rock and seagrass below you.

Where it is and why you cannot drive there

Kleftiko is on the far south-west corner of Milos, at the end of the south coast, about 6 nautical miles west of our base at Agia Kiriaki beach. The island’s western half has no roads to the coast. A dirt track leads part of the way and a hiking trail continues to a lookout on the cliffs above Kleftiko, a demanding walk in summer heat with no shade and no water, and it ends a long way above the sea with no safe way down to the arches.

So for practical purposes Kleftiko is reached by sea: from the south coast (Agia Kiriaki, where our floating platform is, is the closest departure point on the island) or from Adamas, the main port inside the gulf, where the day cruises leave from.

How to get to Kleftiko: three ways

1. Rent your own boat

The most flexible option. You set the pace, leave before the fleet, stay as long as you like and stop at every cove that catches your eye on the way. The trade-offs are distance and wind: the west coast is a proper passage.

• Compass 165cc (115 hp, 6 people): fast enough to make Kleftiko a comfortable full day with plenty of swim time. Bareboat requires a speedboat licence; without one, we provide a skipper.
• Compass 7s (250 hp, 7 guests, always with our captain): the easy way. The captain knows the entrances, holds the boat under the arch for photos, takes you into Sykia, and the all-inclusive package covers drinks, snacks, wine, snorkeling gear, towels and GoPro footage.
• Compass 150cc (30 hp, no licence): yes, on a calm morning. From Agia Kiriaki it is 40 to 50 minutes each way at its speed, so leave early and be back before the afternoon wind. We will tell you at the dock whether the day is right for it.

2. Join a day cruise

Traditional sailing boats and catamarans leave Adamas daily in season, usually 9 or 10 in the morning, with lunch on board and one to two hours of swimming at Kleftiko. Some continue to Sykia and the south coast. You give up flexibility and share the cove with 20 to 50 other people, but you also hand over every decision and get fed.

3. Speedboat tour

Half-day speedboat trips run from Adamas to Kleftiko and back with a shorter swim stop. Faster and cheaper than the sailing cruises, less time in the water.

The comparison of half-day vs full-day boat trips in Milos goes through the formats stop by stop.

What the trip costs

Divided by the group, a private boat is often cheaper per head than the cruise, and you decide where it goes. Our guide to which boat to rent in Milos compares the three boats in detail.

The route from Agia Kiriaki, stop by stop

1. Leave Agia Kiriaki by 9:00 to 9:30. West along the south coast, past Provatas and the white cliffs of Firiplaka and Tsigrado.
2. Gerontas, 10 minutes out. The stone arch and the first swim, or save it for the way back.
3. Kleftiko, by 9:30 to 10:00. Two unhurried hours among the arches and caves before the first tour boats from Adamas arrive around midday.
4. Sykia cave. Three nautical miles north of Kleftiko, round the south-west tip: a circular cave whose roof collapsed, leaving an open skylight and emerald water inside. Enter only if the sea at the mouth is flat. Our guide to the sea caves of Milos covers it in detail.
5. Back along the south coast. Tsigrado or Firiplaka for a last swim before Agia Kiriaki.

Total: a half day covers Kleftiko and Sykia in the 165cc or 7s; a full day adds the west coast beyond Sykia and as much swimming as you want.

What you will see at Kleftiko

• The arches. Natural stone gateways you can swim, paddle or, in the biggest one, take a small boat through.
• The tunnels. Two swim-through passages cutting through the rock; bring a mask, the light inside is unreal.
• The pirate caves. Deep openings in the cliffs on the western side, some large enough for a boat to nose into.
• The water. Visibility regularly exceeds 20 metres over white rock and seagrass. Octopus in the boulder fields, moray eels in the wall cracks, schools of bream everywhere. See our guide to snorkeling in Milos.
• The towers. White pinnacles rising sheer out of deep water, the view that ends up on every postcard.

There is no beach to speak of, a strip of pebbles at most, and no facilities at all.

Best time to visit

• Time of day: morning, without question. Calmer sea, better light on the white rock, fewer boats. From Agia Kiriaki you are there by 9:30; by 12:30 the cove can hold a dozen tour boats from Adamas.
• Season: June and September are the sweet spot, warm water and settled weather without the August crowds. July and August are busiest and windiest. May and October are quiet and beautiful but the water is cooler and the weather less predictable.
• Weather: a calm morning with a light north wind is ideal. Anything from the south or west, or a strong meltemi, and Kleftiko is off.

Wind, safety and the honest warning

Kleftiko is exposed. The south-west corner of Milos catches the meltemi as it wraps around the island, and there is no shelter on the west coast if conditions deteriorate. This is why:

• We never send guests west in unsuitable weather, and we will tell you plainly on the morning if the route is off.
• The 30 hp boat goes only on calm mornings, and we decide that at the dock, not in the booking.
• The return leg should start by early afternoon, before the wind peaks.
• Inside the caves, swell is bigger than it looks from outside. Idle in, assess, idle out; never with swimmers beside the hull.
• Anchor on sand, not on seagrass, and not in the swim-through channels where other boats pass.

On a windy day the Kimolos channel is sheltered and just as beautiful in its own way; see the Kimolos island guide. A good day at Kimolos beats a bad day at Kleftiko every time.

What to bring

There are no facilities at Kleftiko: no beach bar, no shade, no jetty. Bring water, snacks, a hat and a rash vest. Pack mask, snorkel and fins (included on the 7s, bring your own or ask us for the 165cc). Swim shoes help on the pebbles and rock. Reef-safe sunscreen applied before you leave. A dry bag for phones. On the 7s, everything except your swimwear is on board.

Ready for the icon of Milos?

Tell us your dates and group size and we will suggest the right boat and route for the forecast. Book the Compass 7s for the all-inclusive day, the Compass 165cc if you hold a licence, or contact us and we will plan it with you.

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