Day 4: Plaka, Sarakiniko, Pollonia and More

Saturday 5th September 2020

Early to Bed, Early to Rise

My sleep had been somewhat fragmented, partly due to my sore back but also because I went to bed very early. By 4 a.m., I was wide awake, but I forced myself to doze until nearly 7 a.m. I then spent some time reviewing the photos and videos from yesterday’s boat trip.

At 8 a.m., I was back at Aggeliki for another tasty breakfast. I considered eating elsewhere but couldn’t find an appealing alternative. Plus, why risk a lousy breakfast when you know where to find a good one?

ATV Plans

I was due to pick up my ATV at 9 a.m. from the rental shop near Venus Studios. My original plan was to see the western side of the island today, but as this included visiting some beaches and my back was still pretty sore from sunburn, I decided to swap things round and do the eastern side today instead.

After grabbing some supplies (water and more biscuits!) from a little supermarket, I turned up at the rental shop and cruised back to my accommodation a few minutes later, slowly getting used to riding the ATV. It’s a pretty big 350cc machine, but the benefit of its size is it feels very stable on the road. It also came with a large storage box on the back, big enough to fit my camera rucksack and supplies.

Hitting the Road

After leaving the apartment, my first stop was the petrol station on the main coastal road out of Adamas. When renting vehicles in Greece, they usually arrive empty and need refuelling immediately. It’s a bit of a chore, but at least you find out where the filling station is up front, and once the tank is full, you can forget about it for a while.

From there, I tried to follow the signs to Plaka, where I intended to walk to the top of the Kastro to get panoramic views of the island. However, I didn’t find some road signs easy to follow. As I had nobody with me to navigate, I managed to improvise using my wireless earbuds and Google Maps navigation on my phone. I used a single earbud to still hear and ride safely, but now I had my phone speaking directions. It didn’t always work, as you’ll find out later, but on the whole, it was a success.

Hopping off the ATV in Plaka and getting to the Kastro wasn’t much of a walk. There is only a small church at the top, but the real attraction is the view across the island. It’s superb:

Eastern Coastline

From Plaka, I could have turned west to visit the coastal villages of Klima and Schinopi, but I had already seen them from the boat yesterday and didn’t think it was worth visiting them on foot. Instead, I ventured north to Firopotamos, a quaint fishing village with a small but sandy beach.

I took a few photos and video clips before hopping back on the ATV and continuing south along the coast to Mandrakia. This wasn’t on my original itinerary, but the German couple I’d spoken to on the boat trip mentioned a nice taverna here called Medusa, so I figured it was worth checking out on my way to Sarakiniko.

Stopping here for an early lunch made sense, so I sat down to eat and enjoy the views. The menu is very heavy on fish dishes, which wasn’t ideal for me, but I managed fine with a Greek salad, tzatziki, and bread, served with a small carafe of white wine.

Sarakiniko in the wind

The next stop was the famous Sarakiniko beach, recognisable for its smooth white volcanic landscape. It feels more like you’re on the moon than on Earth!

Sadly, it felt even more windy here than it had further north, so there were no people swimming in the sea or diving off the rocks as you would typically see (try finding YouTube videos of Milos; they’re sure to feature). Regardless, I had a good stroll around, taking photos and videos.

I wanted to use my drone to take fantastic aerial photos and videos for my YouTube channel, but it was not worth risking in these conditions!

Pollonia

At the northeasternmost tip of Milos is Pollonia, the main tourist resort after Adamas. I’d considered basing myself there but ultimately ruled it out, mainly because I prefer being near the ferry port when island-hopping, and it just seemed a little out of the way.

After parking the ATV in a reasonably large car park behind the beach, I walked south along the sand, then through the main tourist area lined with seafront tavernas. It felt nice enough here, but in the end, I was glad I had stayed in Adamas as I think it had a nicer feel.

I stopped at one of the tavernas to relax for a little while with an iced coffee and some ice cream. It was approaching mid-afternoon, and I needed to decide how much more sightseeing I could fit into the day. My plan was to use the ATV to visit Tripiti for dinner and catch the sunset, so I wanted to get back to my accommodation in plenty of time.

Old Sulfur Mines

Checking the map on my phone, I decided to make my final stop at Paliorema to see the old sulfur mines. It was quite a journey on the ATV, taking about 40 minutes and much of it along bumpy dirt roads. When I arrived, there was hardly anyone around, and it certainly had an eerie feel to it:

After strolling around the site for 15 minutes or so, taking photos and videos along the way, I hopped back on the quad for the journey back to my accommodation in Adamas. This took about 30 minutes and wasn’t a bad journey once I returned to the surfaced roads.

Dinner with a view…kind of

As I mentioned, I wanted to make full use of the ATV by riding up to Tripiti for dinner and, hopefully, some sunset views. I did some Googling to find restaurant options (and parking), shortlisting Glaronisia, Ergina and Barriello as highly recommended places to eat.

Unfortunately, I barely caught the sunset due to Google Maps directions confusing me regarding the car park location. I just managed to squeeze between some buildings to grab a rooftop photo with my phone:

It wasn’t quite the beautiful shot I’d planned but, oh well, onwards and upwards. A good dinner would soon make the evening better! I looked at the menu at Glaronisia and wasn’t sure it was the right choice, but Ergina looked exciting, and I could see a few empty tables, so I walked up and got seated straight away.

I ordered the moussaka and a glass of wine, which were very nice (though still not the best moussaka I’ve eaten).

A Good Day Done

Feeling pleasantly full and tired from a busy day, I returned to the car park and rode back to Adamas on the ATV. One thing I had overlooked was how chilly it would be riding the quad at night with just a T-shirt! By the time I got back to my studio, I was pretty cold, but I soon warmed up again once I was back inside.