MY GREECE TRAVEL BLOG

Overlooking Mykonos Town and the town harbour

Back again: It’s that time of year — Greek holiday time! And I’m back in Greece for another island-hopping holiday.

Right now I’m at my first stop — Mykonos — where it’s mainly sunny and hot and the island is revving up for the summer season.

Wi-Fi connections permitting, I will be posting photos in the days ahead!

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A fishing boat in the bay at Megali Ammos Beach on Koufonissi

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Hotels and houses above the coast in the Grotta area of Naxos Town on Naxos

A butterfly rests near Agia Anna beach on Naxos island. This particular species has the hallmark characteristics of a Painted Lady (Vanessa cardui)

Winging it: Back in late April, when southern Ontario experienced an irruption of Red Admiral butterflies, I recalled the time our island bus tour on Paros skipped a scheduled stop at the famous Valley of Butterflies — because there were none to be seen.

That was back in mid-June 2005. We had signed up for a day-long Orbit Travel excursion that would take us to places right around the island, including an afternoon visit to Petaloúdes, the butterfly valley 6 km from the port town of Parikia. I’d read about the Valley in my Greece travel guidebooks; they described Petaloúdes as a Paros must-see attraction during summer months simply because of the staggering numbers of Jersey tiger moths that would swarm the area. We had been impressed with the Butterfly Conservatory near Niagara Falls, so we thought it would be neat to see an entire valley teaming with tiger moths.

Unfortunately, it was not meant to be. After our group stopped for lunch at the fishing village of Piso Livadi, our guide informed us that our bus wouldn’t be stopping in Petaloúdes after all. The driver had telephoned the park to find out if the butterflies had arrived in full force; apparently they show up as early as May in some years, while in others they don’t flutter in until closer to July. That turned out to be the case in 2005; someone at the park told the driver it wasn’t worthwhile stopping in because there were barely any butterflies around.

When we got back to our hotel (the Yria near Parasporos beach) a few hours later, we took a walk around the resort’s beautifully landscaped grounds — and immediately spotted a butterfly. Then another. Then a few more. They weren’t the famous tiger moths, but seeing them flying around the hotel gardens made up for our aborted visit to Petaloúdes.

Paros isn’t the only Greek island that boasts a Valley of Butterflies, by the way — there is also one on Rhodes, roughly 27 km from Rodos Town near Theologos village, where the tiger moths gather to reproduce every August. We have been to Rhodes only once — way back in 2004 — but that was in early June, and we didn’t get anywhere near Theologos. Nor do we recall seeing any butterflies on Rhodes. But in May 2009, we did see quite a few butterflies while we were walking along the seaside between Agia Anna and Plaka beaches on Naxos, including the one pictured above.

Below is a photo of one of the butterflies we saw the Yria Hotel on Paros, along with a few more pics of the butterfly that posed for pictures on Naxos three years ago.

One of the Painted Lady butterflies we saw at the Yria Hotel on Paros

The Painted Lady butterfly I encountered near Agia Anna beach on Naxos

This Painted Lady butterfly landed on the beach near my feet, and patiently posed for pictures for a minute before fluttering away

The butterfly feeds on a flower before moving along

Hotels high atop the spectacular caldera at Oia, Santorini

Spectacular landscapes surround Sarakiniko beach and bay …

… which have great views toward nearby Kimolos island

There’s a small sandy beach with a shade tree at the foot of the bay…

… and incredibly fascinating, unusual terrain all around

Beyond compare:  I’ve got to say at the outset that photos simply do not do justice to Sarakiniko beach on Milos. You truly have to see it to believe it and fully appreciate the grandeur of what, to me, is one of the most extraordinary coastal swimming areas I’ve ever seen.

I’ve been to dozens of beautiful beaches elsewhere in Greece, as well as in North America, the Caribbean, Central America and Hawaii. While Sarakiniko doesn’t boast a palm tree-lined crescent of soft white sand like some of the postcard-perfect beaches I have visited in other places, its remarkable landscapes and seascapes offer a unique sensory experience that’s almost out of this world.

Lunar landscape looks like swirls of meringue

Actually, many people who have been to Sarakiniko describe it as having a surreal “lunar landscape,” and compare its breathtaking terrain to giant swirls of meringue or frozen yogurt. And when you walk on and around the remarkable pumice rock formations, you sometimes do feel like you’re visiting an alien world.

The beach itself is fairly small; a narrow strip of pebbly and soft light brown sand at the foot of a zig-zag-shaped shallow bay with gorgeous turquoise water. But many beachgoers prefer to lay their mats and towels on slight slopes or flat sections of the surrounding “hills” so they can enjoy the scenery and views across the sea to nearby Kimolos island.

Sublime topography, mine tunnels and a shipwreck

And there’s more than just sunbathing and swimming to keep Sarakiniko’s visitors entertained. Besides the striking, sublime topography, there’s a warren of abandoned mine caves and tunnels accessible from the narrow gorge behind the beach, and even a rusty shipwreck on the rugged coast.

However, getting to Sarakiniko can be a bit of a challenge if you don’t rent a car or motorbike while you’re visiting Milos. When we went to Sarakiniko on May 26 last year, there was limited bus service to the beach from the port town of Adamas — only two scheduled bus trips, in fact, at 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. (those buses returned from the beach at 11:10 and 1:10 respectively). We actually walked to Sarakiniko from our hotel in Plaka, and had planned to catch the bus to Adamas instead of making the long trek there on foot. But the 1 o’clock bus never showed up. Luckily, two congenial German tourists offered us a lift to town in their rental car, so we didn’t have to make the gruelling walk up the long hill from Sarakiniko to the main road to Adamas. (We did pass a few other people who were heading back on foot, though, once they realized the bus wasn’t coming.)

Below are more photos of Sarakiniko, plus a link to an online album containing dozens more larger-size pictures of the beach and surrounding area. Enjoy the photos but remember:  you really must visit Milos sometime to see Sarakiniko in person!

Rounded pumice rock formations surround both sides of Sarakiniko Bay

Some people think the rock formation resemble swirls of meringue

There’s a small sandy beach at the foot of the bay …

… but some sunbathers prefer to lay on the rocks above the water

Two visitors overlook the bay from the hillside path to the beach

Milos is famous for its spectacular coastal topography, including the dramatic seascape at Sarakiniko

These “caves” in the gorge behind the beach actually are entrances to old mine tunnels; you can explore them if you’re not afraid of the dark!

Inside one of the mine tunnels near the beach

A view of the rugged coastline at the mouth of Sarakiniko Bay

A man climbs one of the rock formations above Sarakiniko beach

Beach view of Sarakiniko Bay

The giant rock formations dwarf sunbathers sitting on the rocks above the bay …

… but they’ve still got great views of the intriguing scenery all around them

Most visitors are mesmerized by the incredible landscape

Sarakiniko has views toward nearby Kimolos island

A giant rock in the sea near the Sarakiniko coast

Two tourists take in the views from the top of one of the “meringue” hills

Another view of the stunning coastal scenery at Sarakiniko

A visitor walks along one of the hillsides above the beach

This rusty shipwreck is just a short walk along the coast from Sarakiniko beach

Milos 2011: Sarakiniko beach

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