Europe's 'Island Of Colors' Is A Lesser-Known Greek Gem For An Exotic Vacation

Have you ever seen a landscape in a fashion magazine spread that made you look right past the clothes and gasp, "Where is that?!?" That would likely be the remote, unspoiled Greek Island of Milos, the "Island of Colors" made famous in fashion shoots by Jil Sander, Dior, and Louis Vuitton. That striking background is the island's one-of-a-kind bucket list-worthy Sarakiniko Beach (pictured below), a ravishing lunar landscape that seems like what a beach on the moon would look like, if the moon's surface were covered in oceans of cerulean blue. Before it made the pages of Vogue, Milos was famous in Greek mythology as the birthplace of Aphrodite, goddess of love, and a visit to Sarakiniko beach will have you falling hard.

Thanks to that stunning vista, Milos is one of the best Greek Isles for a summer vacation, and its most famous beach is just the beginning. This island in the Cyclades, four hours away from Athens by a sometimes rough ferry ride, boasts 70 beaches (of Tripadvisor's top 10 attractions in Milos, nine are beaches), and you can visit them all by renting an ATV. Well, that's not quite true. For some, you'll need a boat. This island is a popular sailors' cruising ground, but you can rent a boat for the day on your own, or better yet take a tour of these "secret" unspoiled beaches with a licensed captain.

Unlike the crowded, spendy, yet memorable island of Santorini (a destination you can't miss on your trip to Greece), Milos is still an unspoiled, beachy paradise. The blinding white cliffs and caves at Sarakiniko beach swoop in graceful arabesques, undulating against the sky and framing the crystalline water into perfect coves. It's sunny and exposed here, and usually quite windy. The rock here is pumice, so it's more rocky than sandy. This is less a beach for relaxing on and more for exploring. If you've never tried cliff diving, this would be the place to start. The water is clear and unobstructed, and the cliffs are a beginner-friendly height.

Another essential Milos beach is Kleftiko. Ravishingly remote, this isn't really a beach, but a hidden bay ringed by towering white cliffs. Where Sarakiniko swoops, Kleftiko soars. The best way to get here is by charter boat, which gives you a perfect platform for swimming and diving. The water is a color that simply shouldn't exist. It's indescribably blue. It is indeed the island of colors.

When you're ready to chillax, head for the tiny beach village of Firopotamos, which is as fun to visit as it is to say. (We're already composing limericks that rhyme with hippopotamus.) The pretty, colorful houses step right into the water, and there is a beachfront bar here that rents out bean bag chairs. Need we say more? Every beach in the world should have this.

When it comes to farm-to-fork cuisine, everybody's talking about Oh Hamos, a traditional Greek taverna on the beach in Adamas, where you dine under a vine-covered pergola on souvlaki and moussaka made with lamb grown on the owners' farm. This food will have a lot more to do with making you fall in love with Milos than might Aphrodite ever could. But if the line at this hotspot is too long, rumor has it that any number of other tavernas serve similarly enlightened and lively fare — check out Plaka for seafood. The best dining experience by far is aboard the Perseas, a traditional Greek kaiki, or fishing boat. According to one Redditor, the captain, Andreas, "takes a group over to a hidden beach on the backside of Poliegos and grills lunch right on the beach with fresh ingredients from his farm."

An ocean-view suite at the ultra-modern Domes White Coast is a honeymoon-level splurge and comes with its own glass-walled plunge pool. But for a unique and memorable experience, rent a traditional Greek "Sirma" on Airbnb in the fishing village of Klima (pictured). These stunning, white houses with bright-colored doors and window frames (this is where that colorful nickname comes from) are built right into the cliff sides, with the waves lapping at their front steps.