In Milos, the most south-western island of the Cyclades, and in the nearby islands of Kimolos, Polyaigos and Antimilos, the climate is Mediterranean, with mild and rainy winters, and warm and sunny summers. The average temperature of January and February is 11.5 °C (52.5 °F), that of July and August is 25 °C (77 °F).
Here are the average temperatures.

The island is windy, and in summer it is cooled by a wind often blowing from the north. The wind has been exploited for centuries by windmills.
Precipitation follows the Mediterranean pattern, so it's concentrated from October to March, and is not abundant, since it amounts to about 410 millimetres (16 inches) per year, and this is confirmed by the aridity of the landscape. In summer it practically never rains.
Here is the average precipitation.

The interior of the island is flat in the east, while the west is occupied by hills, whose highest point is Mount Profitis Elias, 748 metres (2,454 feet) high. The island is volcanic in origin, and is characterized by a lunar landscape, with a rocky terrain, caves and sulfur springs.

Winter, from December to mid-March, is mild, quite rainy and windy. The wind, frequent and sometimes intense, exacerbates the feeling of cold. Sometimes, the area can be affected by cold air from the Balkans, so that there can be cold days, with highs below 10 °C (50 °F), and sometimes even snow can fall, although generally there is no accumulation in the plains, and at night the temperature almost never falls below freezing (0 °C or 32 °F).

Spring, from mid-March to May, is mild and sunny, and also quite windy. In mid-May the Meltemi starts to blow, a persistent wind, cool and dry, blowing from the north for a few days in a row, especially during the daytime, but sometimes even at night.

Summer, from June to mid-September, is warm and sunny, but also windy. The Meltemi blows for long periods, especially in July and August, and is stronger in the afternoon, but can insist also in the evening. Thanks to this wind, the maximum temperature remains almost always below 30 °C (86 °F), even though we can not be exclude periods with temperatures about 35/36 °C (95/97 °F), and very rarely also peaks of 40 °C (104 °F).

Autumn, from mid-September to November, is initially warm and sunny, but then gradually becomes cooler and more rainy. Autumn too is windy: as long as the weather is good, the Meltemi still blows, while later the wind blows along with disturbances from the Atlantic Ocean or the Mediterranean Sea.



The amount of sunshine in Milos is excellent in summer, when clear skies prevail, while it's not high from November to February, when the sky is often cloudy, although sunny days may occur also in midwinter.
Here are the average daily sunshine hours in nearby Naxos.

The temperature of the sea is never very high, however, it is warm enough for swimming from July to September, and reaches 24 °C (75 °F) in August; in June it's still a bit cool, about 21 °C (70 °F).
Here are the average sea temperatures.

When to go

The best time to go to Milos for beach life is the summer, from June to mid-September.
It's better to bring a sweatshirt for cool evenings, which occur mainly in June, but given the intensity of the wind, those who are sensitive to cold may feel a bit cool also in July and August.
For excursions, you can go in spring, in April and May, but since it's usually not too hot, you can stroll around the island also in summer.

Back to the Cyclades Islands.