Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Archeological Museum
Tues-Sun 8.30am-3pm - it does not always look open, even when it is • €3
Behind the lower car park in Pláka, this Neoclassical jewel of a building, built by Ernst
Ziller (see p.362) in the 1840s, contains numerous Neolithic obsidian implements,
plus a whole wing of finds from ancient Phylakope (see p.376); highlights include a
votive lamp in the form of a bull and a Minoan-looking terracotta idol, the
Lady of
Phylakope
. You'll also recognize the plaster-cast copy of the
Venus de Milo
,
the original
of which was found on the island in 1820. It is not clear whether it was discovered
with the arms already separated from the torso, or if they were broken off in a skirmish
between French sailors and locals.
6
Catacombs and Ancient Melos
Tues-Sun 8am-3pm • €2 • Groups of ten allowed at a time
From Pláka's archeological museum, signs point you towards the
early Christian
catacombs
, 1km south of Pláka and just 400m from Trypití; steps lead down from
the road to the inconspicuous entrance. Some 5000 bodies were buried in three
tomb-lined corridors with side galleries, stretching 200m into the soft volcanic rock,
making these the largest catacombs in Greece. Bear in mind that only the first 50m
are illuminated and accessible by boardwalk and the guided tour lasts only about
fifteen minutes.
Just above the catacombs, extending down from Pláka almost to the sea, are the ruins
of
Ancient Melos
whose focal point is a well-preserved Roman
amphitheatre
. En route
to the theatre from the surfaced road is the signposted spot where the
Venus de Milo
was found in what may have been the compound's gymnasium.
ACCOMMODATION
PLÁKA AND AROUND
Ì
Mýlos tou Markétou
Tripití
T
22870 22147,
W
marketoswindmill.gr.
A sixteenth-century windmill on
the furthest, eastern side of the village that has been fully
adapted to a four-bed apartment (€170). The adjoining
auxiliary buildings have been converted to more
conventional st
udio
s; all with a fantastic view of the Mílos
bay. May-Oct.
€70
Spíti tis Mákhis
T
22870 41353/22129.
A hotel with
refurbished rooms employing cherry-wood furniture and
bright orange colours that make a difference from the
Cycladic blue, it occupies the house where the
Venus de
Milo
was hidden following its discovery. Conveniently
situated for the bus, but set back from it
he m
ain road, it also
has plenty of parking space. June-Oct.
€75
EATING AND DRINKING
Arhontoúla
T
22870 21384,
E
arhontoula3@yahoo
.gr.
One of the oldest and more reputable family
restaurants in Pláka occupying the same spot for over 100
years offering Greek and International cuisine - even
Indian curry dishes - plus a carefully selected wine list.
Mains start from €7.
April-Nov daily noon-midnight.
Foras
T
22870 23954.
An old-style
mezedhopolío
like
they don't make them any more. Greek coffee, a variety of
ouzo bottles, many small-plate mezédhes (€6) and an
elderly clientele that has been coming here to enjoy the
food for decades.
Daily noon-midnight.
The south
The main road to
SOUTHERN MÍLOS
splits at Kánava junction, near the large power
station. The sea there contains underwater hot vents resulting in fizzy hotspots that
locals use for jacuzzi-like baths. The eastern fork leads to
Zefyría
, which was briefly the
capital until an eighteenth-century earthquake (and subsequent plague) drove out the
population. There is little to see in the old town, but a magnificent seventeenth-century
church with beautifully painted walls and ceilings. The original iconostasis was
transferred to the church of the Dormition in Adhámas, while the icons are displayed
in the Ecclesiastical museum.
South of Zefyría, it's a further 8km down a winding, surfaced road to the coarse sand
of
Paleohóri
, one of the island's best beaches, warmed by underground volcanism. A
