Volcanic Milos arches around a central caldera and is ringed with dramatic coastal landscapes of colourful and surreal rock formations. The island’s most celebrated export, the Venus de Milo,is far away in the Louvre, but dozens of beaches (the most of any Cycladic island) and a series of picturesque villages contribute to its current, compelling, attractions.

The island has a fascinating history of mineral extraction dating from the Neolithic period when obsidian was exported to the Minoan world of Crete. Today Milos is the biggest source of bentonite and perlite in the EU.

A substantial western chunk of Milos (and part of the east coast) is off-limits to rental vehicles due to bad roads and a proliferation of the Milos viper, but the beaches are reachable by boat tours.

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