Firiplaka Beach, Milos: Coloured Cliffs, Parking and the Boat Way In

Firiplaka is the long beach on the south coast of Milos with the cliffs everyone photographs: layers of white, cream, ochre and rust red volcanic rock rising behind a wide strip of pale sand, and a huge boulder standing in the turquoise water. It is one of the few big beaches on the island that is sheltered from the summer north wind, it has a beach bar at one end and quiet sand at the other, and it sits a few minutes by boat from our base at Agia Kiriaki. This guide covers how to get there by road, what to expect on the sand, and why so many of our guests make it their first swim of the day.

Where Firiplaka is and why the cliffs look like that

Firiplaka lies on the southern coast of Milos, on the stretch of shore between the family beach of Provatas and the tiny ladder cove of Tsigrado. The whole island is volcanic, and this part of the coast shows it more clearly than anywhere else. The cliffs at both ends of the beach are made of layered volcanic ash and tuff that settled in bands of different minerals, which is why you see white next to cream, pale yellow, orange and a deep rusty red in the same wall of rock. Wind and waves have carved the softer layers into overhangs, small caves and rounded shapes.

The most photographed feature is the big rock standing in the water close to the shore. It is a single block of volcanic stone with a hollow at sea level, and on a calm day swimmers go right up to it and look into the shaded cave underneath. Around it the sea bed is sandy, so the water turns that milky turquoise colour that makes Milos look unreal in photographs.

Unlike the north coast beaches such as Sarakiniko, which are at their best on still days, Firiplaka faces south. The meltemi, the strong north wind of July and August, blows over the island and leaves the south coast flat. That single fact explains why Firiplaka is busy on exactly the days when the north of Milos is too rough to swim.

Driving to Firiplaka: road, parking and the walk down

From Adamas, the main port, you follow the road south across the island towards Provatas and then turn off for Firiplaka. The drive takes about 20 minutes in normal traffic. The last part is a track that ends in a large, unpaved parking area above the beach. From there a short path, roughly five minutes on foot, drops down to the sand. It is an easy walk compared with the ladders at Tsigrado, but it is steep enough that a cool box on wheels is more trouble than it is worth.

A few practical points from what we see every summer:

• Parking is free but not unlimited. In July and August the parking area fills by late morning, and cars end up along the track. Arriving before 10:30 or after 16:30 makes life easier.
• The track is dusty and uneven. A normal rental car manages it slowly; an ATV or small 4×4 is more comfortable.
• The local bus runs towards the south coast beaches in high season and stops within walking distance, but schedules change every year, so check the current timetable in Adamas.
• There is no shade on the path. In the middle of the day the walk back up is the hottest ten minutes of the outing.

If you are staying in Adamas, Plaka or Pollonia and do not want to drive at all, the boat is the simpler answer, and it also saves the search for a parking space.

Arriving by boat from Agia Kiriaki

Our boats leave from the floating platform at Agia Kiriaki beach, on the same south coast. Firiplaka is one of the first bays you reach, a few minutes along the coast at a relaxed speed. You anchor in sandy water off the beach, clear of the swimming area, and swim or wade ashore. From the sea you also see the cliffs the way they are meant to be seen: the whole coloured wall in one view, with the big rock in the foreground.

All three of our boats can do it:

• Compass 150cc, Yamaha 30 hp, up to 5 people, no licence needed: 180 € for a half day and 300 € for a full day. Every crew gets a full 30 minute training before leaving the platform. Read more in renting a boat in Milos without a licence.
• Compass 165cc, Mercury 115 hp, up to 6 people, with a speedboat licence or one of our skippers: 250 € half day, 450 € full day. Fast enough to add Kleftiko to the same morning.
• Compass 7s, 250 hp, up to 7 passengers with our captain: 550 € half day, 950 € full day, with drinks, snacks, fruit, local wine, snorkelling gear, towels and GoPro photos on board.

Fuel and taxes are extra on all three, and a skipper can join the 150cc or the 165cc for 60 € for a half day or 120 € for a full day. The side by side comparison is in which boat to rent in Milos.

The boat changes the day in two ways. First, you are not limited to what you can carry down a path: umbrella, cool box, snorkel gear and inflatables all stay on board. Second, when Firiplaka gets crowded at midday you simply lift the anchor and move to a quieter cove a few minutes away.

What the beach is like

Firiplaka is long by Milos standards, with fine, pale grey and silver sand that gets a little coarser near the rocks. The water deepens gently, which makes it easy for swimmers of every level, and the colour changes from pale green over the sand to deep blue further out. On calm mornings the visibility is excellent.

The snorkelling is best at the two ends, where the cliffs meet the sea, and around the big rock. Expect small fish in the shallows, rounded volcanic boulders and patches of seagrass further out. If snorkelling is the main reason for your trip, our guide to snorkelling in Milos ranks the best spots on the island, most of them on this coast.

There is very little natural shade. The cliffs throw some shadow early and late in the day, but for most of the day you need an umbrella, either rented on the organised part or brought with you.

The beach bar side and the quiet side

Firiplaka is really two beaches in one. The first part, close to where the path arrives, is organised: rows of sunbeds and umbrellas to rent, and a beach bar that serves coffee, fresh juices, cold drinks and light snacks. This is the part that fills up first.

Walk further along the sand, away from the bar, and the sunbeds stop. The rest of the beach is free, with plenty of room to spread a towel even in August, and it is where the cliffs are most dramatic. Many visitors set up here and walk back to the bar only for a coffee.

Arriving by boat you choose your side by choosing where to anchor. Most of our guests drop anchor off the quiet end, swim ashore, and only use the bar if they feel like a frappé.

Firiplaka with children

Firiplaka is one of the better beaches on Milos for families. The entry into the sea is sandy and gradual, the water is usually calm thanks to the southern exposure, and the organised section has shade and a place to buy water and snacks. The walk from the parking area is short enough for most children, though a toddler will need carrying on the way back up.

With small children the boat has an extra advantage: there is no path to climb at the end of a hot day, the cool box is always within reach, and the Compass 150cc has a sun shade.

Best time of day and the wind

The light on the cliffs is best in the morning and again late in the afternoon, when the low sun warms the orange and red layers. The water is clearest before the crowds arrive, so for photographs and snorkelling the first hours of the day are ideal. Families who dislike the heat often come after 16:30, when the sand cools and the parking area empties.

The wind matters more than the month. On meltemi days, which are frequent in July and August, the north coast is rough while Firiplaka stays sheltered and swimmable. The rare days of southerly wind are the opposite: swell comes straight into the bay, and on those days the beaches of the north coast are the better choice. Our guide to the best time to visit Milos explains the wind pattern month by month.

A morning on the south coast by boat

Firiplaka fits naturally into a half day on the south coast. A typical morning slot in the no licence Compass 150cc, 09:00 to 14:00, might look like this:

In the Compass 165cc or the skippered Compass 7s the same morning stretches to Kleftiko and the sea caves of Milos. The differences between a half day and a full day, and which routes fit each, are laid out in Milos boat trips: half day vs full day. If you prefer someone else at the wheel, our Milos boat tours page lists the private routes we run with our captain.

For a closer look at the cove next door, read our guide to Tsigrado beach, and for the full coastline in one article see Milos beaches by boat.

What to bring

• An umbrella if you plan to stay on the free part of the beach.
• Water and snacks, or money for the beach bar.
• Reef safe sunscreen and a hat; the reflection off the pale sand is strong.
• Mask and snorkel for the rocks at each end and the big boulder.
• Water shoes if you want to climb onto the rocks.
• By boat: whatever you like, the boat is your locker for the day.

Ready to see the cliffs from the water? Tell us your date and group size and we will match you to the right boat. Contact us.

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