Blonde woman wearing sunglasses at Sarakiniko Beach — Sarakiniko Beach. Click on my photos to pin on Pinterest!

Our spring vacation to the Greek Islands all started when planning a trip for my Mother’s birthday with my family. We chose the beginning of April, because that was a good time that worked for everyone and the prices of accommodations were much more reasonable at that time. I’m so glad we went in the spring! The weather was absolutely beautiful, flowers were blooming all over the islands, our airbnbs were very affordable, and it felt like we had the islands to ourselves. It was such an amazing trip. I’ll give you the run down of how we planned and what I’d recommend.

Things to Know About Greece in the Spring

Although Greece in the spring was pretty amazing, there are a few things to be aware of before booking your trip. April and May are shoulder seasons for the Greek Islands, so not everything is fully open yet. We were ok with this, because we would rather have a more relaxing vacation with less tourists. We were still able to go out to eat at restaurants recommended by locals, but if you’re really looking to eat at a specific restaurant or go to a club, keep in mind those may not be open yet. One problem we ran into was the ferry schedule. The ferry schedule is also limited during the shoulder seasons, so make sure you plan accordingly. One of the reasons we selected the Greek Islands of Milos and Santorini, is because we were able to buy ferry tickets to those islands on the days we needed. Finally, if you’re traveling from the U.S., be prepared for long travel days when traveling to Greece. We left from Chicago O'Hare International Airport. We had 3 flights each way for our Greek vacation and were very tired when we finally arrived to the islands. We were prepared for this and made sure not to plan anything on the day after our travel day.

In this blog, I talk all about our time in Milos, Greece.

Our propeller plane flying over Milos, Greece

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What to Pack

If you’re traveling to Milos in the Spring, make sure to pack light layers. We would be very hot in the sunshine during the day, but a little chilly when the sun set at night. I packed a light jean jacket and ended up wearing that quite often during the evenings. I also packed a lot of flowy clothing like sundresses and skirts. These felt so nice to wear during the day while at the beaches and they were perfect for all the photos we took while visiting. Sunglasses and sun hats are also a must pack, because the Greek sun is very intense, even in the spring. I packed tennis shoes and sandals, but ended up only wearing my sandals everywhere. I found that I never really needed my tennis shoes. Finally, don’t forget to bring a swimsuit or two! You’ll definitely need these for the beautiful beaches around Milos.

Besides clothing, you should also pack sunscreen, dramamine for the ferry if you’re prone to getting seasick, a universal travel adapter, euros, and a travel credit card like the SavorOne credit card. This comes in handy while abroad, because there are no foreign transaction fees. Not only are there no transaction fees, but you get cash back on all purchases and there is no annual fee. Travel tip: make sure to choose EUROS vs US when paying with a card to get the best conversion rate. I love this card, and if you’re looking for a great starter card for your international travel, here’s my link to sign up.

Getting to Milos, Greece

The first island we visited was Milos, Greece. We took a little island hopper plane from the Athens Airport. I was excited, but not quite sure what to expect. I didn’t know if I could trust everything I saw on social media. As soon as I saw the blue water through the plane window, I knew we were in for an amazing vacation.

Our small plane on the tarmac at the Milos Airport

The airport in Milos was so small and so cute! lol. Once we got off the plane, we grabbed our bags, got our rental cars, and headed to our vacation home for the next 6 days to recover from all our travels.

Car Rentals

I definitely recommend getting a rental car with a group. You can also rent ATVs and motorcycles which looked fun! The car rental process in Greece was simple, as they drive on the same side of the road as the U.S. and we didn’t need a special license. We used Apple maps to navigate. I was able to use my cell service with an eSIM bought through Airalo, which was cheap and made navigating that much easier. Download the Airalo App to get your eSIM delivered. A rental car and gps was very useful for exploring all around the island.

Where to Stay

We booked our vacation home in Plaka, a super cute neighborhood with amazing sunset views. If you’re traveling with a group and have a rental car, I definitely recommend staying here. Since we booked our trip for April, the rates were much lower than the peak season. If you’re staying on a budget, look at dates in April, May, September, and October.

We were greeted by the neighborhood cats and all the locals were very friendly. Our vacation home fit 8 people, had a beautiful pool and an absolutely stunning view. We were nervous we wouldn’t be able to use the pool, thinking the weather may be too cool in April. The weather was so amazing! The temperature was around 68-75 degrees each day, feeling much hotter than a Wisconsin 75 degrees. Don’t be fooled by the Greek sun. We were hot and enjoyed many afternoons relaxing in the pool.

Ross and I sitting on the edge of the pool at our vacation home overlooking the island

Beautiful sunset at our airbnb — Beautiful sunset view at our vacation home rental

What & Where to Eat

The sunsets each evening were beautiful! We were just a short walk away from delicious Greek restaurants, like Vlahos, and there were cats everywhere! We ate gyros and souvlaki of course. We loved the food and all the cute cats :) We also enjoyed going to Artopeemata ... kai alla!, a little bakery with delicious donuts and other goodies, like spanakopita. This was a treat many mornings.

There were various little cafes and small Greek restaurants open while we were visiting, but the main area with the most restaurants and activity was down by the port. If you’re having troubles finding something to eat, head down to the port.

Greek restaurant near the airbnb with cute cat — Vlahos Greek restaurant near the vacation home

Milos Beaches

My favorite part of Milos were the incredible beaches. Locals recommended we check out Sarakiniko Beach and Firopotamos Beach. These two beaches were absolutely amazing!

Sarakiniko Beach

We went to Sarakiniko Beach first and we loved it so much, we ended up going back another day. This beach is unlike any other. The landscape is so cool! It’s like you’re on another planet. I thought this beach was even better in person than what I saw on social media. I loved it so much!

There were little coves all over to explore, so make sure to walk around and check out all the sights. There’s even some cool caves tucked away. My favorite spot was this cliff jumping spot.

woman jumping off cliff at into the ocean at Sarakiniko Beach — Cliff jumping at Sarakiniko Beach

Ross and I after cliff jumping at Sarakiniko Beach

We cliff jumped into the beautiful blue water and had so much fun! Going in April, we weren’t sure how cold the water would be. Being from Wisconsin, we were totally ok with the temperature and enjoyed our time. If you’re someone who needs the water to be warm to swim, I’d recommend going later in the season. For us, it was great to get out of the heat and cool down.

woman standing in swimsuit on the rugged landscape of Sarakiniko Beach — Sarakiniko Beach

So many beautiful photo spots at Sarakiniko Beach

Firopotamos Beach

Firopotamos Beach was also an amazing beach. It’s located in a small cove with crystal clear, light blue water. The water was calm and there was a nice sand beach to lay down on. This beach was more for relaxing and less for adventure and there were friendly cats all over who would come up and cuddle with you while sunbathing. It was so cute!

Other Milos Adventures

We spent most of our time relaxing by the ocean and hanging out in the pool while in Milos, but we did spend a day walking to the Catacombs and Ancient Theater. Our walk was surrounded by wildflowers and it was really cool to see a little into the past of Milos. We even got to see a replica and learn about Venus de Milo, which was found in Milos.

Twirling around the Ancie nt Theater. I wore this skirt all around the island. I just loved it so much! It was the perfect addition to my Greek Islands vacation with the hot weather.

Overall Thoughts

Overall, I think Milos was my favorite Greek Island I’ve visited (so far!). I loved how relaxing everything was and the beaches were unbeatable. I felt very welcomed by the locals and I’d definitely go back in a heart beat!

Continue to my next blog, Santorini in the Spring, to read all about the rest of my Greece trip, taking the ferry, and what I’d recommend for Santorini!