Milos vs. Kimolos: Which Island Should You Choose?

Kalo Mina! March marks the quiet shift toward summer in the Cyclades. And as the new season approaches, one question keeps coming up: Milos or Kimolos? Which Island Should You Choose? So, grab a freddo cappuccino, lean back and let’s compare the two neighboring islands in the Western Cyclades. Let’s start with connections!

How to Get There: Milos vs Kimolos

Milos has been trending strongly since 2020, which has noticeably changed the island in the past few years. This also makes the island very easy to reach with direct ferry connections from the mainland, with speedboats and even with small propeller planes. This accessibility is a clear advantage, especially for shorter trips. At the same time, it means you’ll be sharing the island with many other travelers.

Kimolos, by contrast, feels like a calm anchor next to its well-known neighbor. The island can only be reached by ferry from Athens, a journey that takes at least six hours and does not run daily. However, Kimolos is well connected to Milos. The small Kimolian ferry Osia Methodia links Pollonia on Milos with Psathi on Kimolos in just 20 minutes. You can find the current itineraries here.

Best Time to Visit: Milos vs Kimolos

The best time to visit the Cyclades in general is spring and fall, provided you don’t mind it being super hot and crowded. But the season on Milos and Kimolos varies in length.

The season on Milos starts to build in April, gains momentum in May and remains lively through October. July and August mark the clear peak, with the highest visitor numbers and prices. Early spring and late autumn feel transitional, with reduced ferry schedules and fewer open businesses.

Compared to that, Kimolos’ season feels super short. There are transitional phases in June and September, but most tourism is concentrated in July and August.

Landscape & Geology

Long time ago, Milos, Kimolos and Polyaigos formed a single large landmass. Massive volcanic activity and tectonic shifts around 100,000 years ago created the rifts that are now filled by the sea. No big surprise, then, that Milos and Kimolos look strikingly alike with their surreal, almost lunar landscapes. They share the same geological “DNA”, composed mainly of white tuff and perlite.

The way wind has shaped this soft rock over centuries is clearly visible in Sarakiniko on Milos. On Kimolos, a hiking trail leads to Skiadi, a rock formation sculpted by wind into the shape of a mushroom. Overall, both islands are remarkably similar in terms of landscape and geology.

Accommodations: Syrmata vs Hotels

So it’s not surprising that both islands have syrmata. These are small boat garages carved into the soft, white rock. Today, owners have converted many of them into Airbnbs on both Milos and Kimolos. Some charge rather ambitious prices for an overnight stay.

If you are curious about sleeping right by the water in what feels like a sea cave, it can be a unique experience. But if you value fresh air, extra space or tend toward claustrophobia, or if deep echoing water sounds at night are not your thing, a hotel or more conventional accommodation might be the better choice.

In terms of price, both islands offer accommodation across low, mid and high budget ranges. The first five star hotel on Kimolos opened in 2025, marking a visible shift in the island’s hospitality landscape. Even though many assume so, Kimolos is not necessarily cheaper than Milos.

Veggie Food & Restaurants

When we talk about vegetarian food (and on the Greek islands, it’s tourists rather than locals who talk about it), Milos clearly comes out on top. But Kimolos is catching up!

Milos is about four times the size of Kimolos. With more than 5,000 permanent residents, the island offers a larger infrastructure than Kimolos, which has fewer than 1,000 inhabitants. Consequently, you will find more villages, taverns, and restaurants here.

It is much more geared towards international tourists than Kimolos. This means that vegetarian and vegan dishes are easier to find. As a vegan or vegetarian, however, I would always book accommodation with a kitchen on any Greek island, especially in the off season when not all restaurants or taverns are open.

However, Afritis on Kimolos serves excellent vegetarian dishes, Palaia Agora Grill offers falafel, and at Panorama you can order various vegetarian starters and create your own main course. Kiki’s supermarket stocks Oatly and the Mini Market carries vegan cheese and vegan feta.

Daytime Exploration

Since Kimolos is much smaller than Milos, you can easily spend your vacation here without renting a car or scooter. Several beautiful hiking trails start directly from Chorio, and hardly anyone talks about them. Rema, Goupa and Karras are all within easy walking distance. During the high season, a small local bus connects Chorio with Prassa and Mavrospilia.

Milos offers more places to explore overall, but you will need a car to see most of them. The most noticeable difference between the two islands becomes clear at popular viewpoints. When you climb up to the church in Plaka on Milos, it can be difficult to take a photo without other visitors in the frame. When you go up to the Pantokrator Church on Kimolos, on the other hand, you are pretty much guaranteed to be all alone.

Most Popular Beaches: Sarakiniko vs Prassa

If you compare the two most popular beaches, Sarakiniko on Milos and Prassa on Kimolos, you will probably find that both can be crowded, especially in high season. If you find posing influencers irritating during your vacation, you should opt for Kimolos. It feels slightly more grounded. That being said, there are jet skis and numerous yachts along the coast on both islands.

Fortunately, there are many other beaches to explore on both islands. Each has its own character, and in the end it comes down to personal preference.

Evenings on Milos vs Kimolos

When it comes to evenings, Milos certainly offers plenty of bars and restaurants, but Kimolos adds something different to the mix. That is why this final comparison focuses entirely on Kimolos and both halves of the image show Kimolos. On the left is our Sunset Sound Bath, on the right the open air cinema.

You can find all information about our Sunset Sound Bath and upcoming dates here. To stay updated on cinema screenings, follow Kimolistes on Instagram. If you plan to attend, pay attention to the language mentioned in the announcement. During high season, most visitors are Greek, so not every screening includes English subtitles.

Both the Sound Baths and the cinema adjust their schedules according to local wind conditions.

So, which Island Should You Choose?

If you live on Kimolos, you’re probably not supposed to say that Milos is beautiful. And vice versa. But I’ll say it anyway. Of course Milos is beautiful. Especially at the end of May and beginning of June, or again in late September and early October.

Kimolos, however, feels less polished. Not less expensive, but more down to earth. More compact. More walkable. The houses are not all perfectly whitewashed, and the potholes are deeper than on other Cycladic islands. Kimolos has preserved something of itself that fades on Milos during the peak season and only slowly returns in late autumn.

So: Milos or Kimolos? In my opinion, the answer is both. But not Kimolos as a day trip. Kimolos deserves several nights. Whether it’s a soda at Sunset Bar on Mavrospilia Beach, an open air movie night in Kastro, or a sunset Sound Bath under the stars, the evenings alone are reason enough to stay.