Traveling from Milos to Iraklia Island in the Cyclades, Greece
It's not currently possible to take a direct ferry from Milos to Iraklia. Instead, you'll need to take an indirect route via Naxos or Paros first.
Key takeaways
- No direct ferry Milos-Iraklia; route via Paros/Naxos (Milos-Paros-Naxos daily in summer)
- Wait between connections: 2-10 hours; watch for Meltemi winds causing ferry delays
- Ticket price approximately €75; book in advance, especially peak season
- No airport in Iraklia (closest Naxos); book accommodation a month ahead for summer
- Iraklia: beaches (Livadi, Agios Georgios), hiking, peaceful island; avoid super-short layovers
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How to get from Milos to Iraklia
Iraklia is one of the smallest inhabited Greek islands in the Cyclades. As such, it has more limited ferry connections with the other islands nearby than some of the bigger and more well known ones.
If you want to go to Iraklia straight after Milos, you'll need to take an indirect route, as there are no direct ferries sailing between the two. The logical choice here is to first take a ferry from Milos to Paros or Naxos first. I've two guides here you can look at:
To be honest, it doesn't really matter which one you choose, as the route normally goes Milos - Paros - Naxos once a day during the summer on the same vessel.
Once you've arrived at either Paros or Naxos, you will then need to swap ferries for one sailing from Naxos to Iraklia or Paros to Iraklia.
This is where you'll need to have you planning straightened out. On some days, the wait between ferries is just a couple of hours, but others its nearly 10 hours! Don't be tempted with a super-short layover time either - Ferries in Greece can be delayed because of strong wind in the Cyclades known as the Meltemi.
I recommend Ferryscanner as a place to start looking at your Milos Iraklia routes. As a ball park figure, you can expect ticket prices to be around the 75 Euro mark for traveling from Milos to Iraklia.
Iraklia Island Travel Tips
A few travel tips for visiting the Greek island of Iraklia:- For hotels in Iraklia, I suggest using Booking. They have a great choice of where to stay in Iraklia and areas to consider staying include Livadi, and Agios Georgios. If you are traveling to Iraklia in the peak travel season, I advise reserving accommodation in Iraklia a month or so in advance. I've a full guide here: Where to stay in Iraklia.
- One of the best places to look at ferry schedules and to book tickets online is at Ferryscanner. I think it's better that you book your Milos to Iraklia ferry tickets in advance, especially during the height of the tourist season.
- For more travel information about Iraklia, Milos and other Greek islands, please sign up for my newsletter.
- You might also like to read: Iraklia Island Travel Guide. I've also co-written a travel guidebook which you can get on Kindle here: Schinoussa and Iraklia islands in Greece.
How to get from Milos to Iraklia FAQ
A few of the questions readers ask about traveling to Iraklia from Milos include:
How can we get to Iraklia from Milos?
If you want to make the journey from Milos to Iraklia you would need to go via another island first such as Naxos or Paros. There are no direct ferries sailing to the Cyclades island of Iraklia from Milos.
Is there an airport on Iraklia?
The Greek islands of Iraklia does not have an airport. The closest airport to Iraklia is located on the nearby island of Naxos.
How long is the ferry ride from Milos to Iraklia?
With no direct ferries going to the island of Iraklia from Milos, it is hard to calculate the exact travel time. If connections line up perfectly, it could be 6 hours or less. In the worst case, you could be looking at 15 hours, or you may need to stay over night on Naxos or Paros.
Where do you get ferry tickets to Iraklia?
The easiest way to get hold of ferry tickets in Greece is by using Ferryscanner. I think it's better that you book your Milos to Iraklia ferry tickets in advance, however you could also wait until you are in Greece, and use a travel agency.
Dave is a UK travel writer living in Athens since 2015. With 20 years of firsthand travel experience and over 80,000 km of bicycle touring across six continents, he's been blogging at Dave's Travel Pages since 2005. Every guide is based on places he's actually been.
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