Klima and its boat houses

What it is

Klima is a fishing village on the western shore of the bay of Milos, at the foot of Trypiti. What makes it unique are the syrmata: a row of houses partly cut into the rock, at water level, with the ground floor open to the sea to put the boat in and the upper floor for living in. The doors and balconies are painted in bright colours, each house its own, and the whole reflects in the water of the bay.

The syrmata began as a shelter for fishermen in winter and in bad weather, later became stores for boats and tackle, and today many are summer houses. The town council's tourism portal singles out Klima among the island's traditional settlements, built in small coves and carved into the soft rock, with an architecture seen only on Milos.

Klima also has ancient history: it was the island's first port, and on the slope above the village are the ruins of the ancient city of Melos, the same one the theatre and the Trypiti catacombs belong to.

How to get there and park

You go down from Trypiti on a narrow, steep road with tight bends. At the bottom parking space is very scarce and the turn is awkward: the easiest thing is to park above, in Trypiti or next to the catacombs, and walk down, about 15 minutes downhill. The return is uphill, so save your strength.

From Adamas, the Plaka and Trypiti buses drop you at the top: you have the timetables on the Milos buses page.

What to do

Stroll along the water's edge, in front of the houses, and look from the tip of the village at the row of syrmata with the bay behind. It is a small village: in half an hour you have seen it, and a good hour if you walk down from Trypiti and back up. First thing and at the end of the afternoon there are fewer visitors than at midday. Afterwards, go up to Plaka to see the sunset from the Kastro.

Respect the village

Klima is a lived-in village, not a film set. The boat ramps and porches are private: don't go onto them for a photo, don't sit on the steps of the houses and don't swim from the ramps. If you have a drone, check the rules first: it is a residential area.

With children and accessibility

With children it is a short, easy walk at the bottom, but on the road down keep to the edge and watch for cars. With a pushchair, the climb back is hard. With a wheelchair, better to see Klima from above.

Where to eat

In Trypiti, on the way back, Barrielo has a table on the village square. In Plaka, Archontoula mixes traditional recipes and contemporary cooking.