Beach

Panaghia Tourliani
In Klimatovouni (a hill over Klima), you will see the church of Panaghia Tourliani. Apart from the  extremely old church icons, it is worth visiting it because of its magic view of the upper villages in the island and also of the entrance  to Adamantas bay. You can rest in its hospitable yard at the time of the sunset so as to enjoy its breathtaking colors.

Trypiti is a traditional, well-preserved settlement, almost united with Plaka, built amphitheatrically on the ruins of the classic city of Klima.
Its name originates from its soft volcanic stones that looked as if they were drilled just like many holes that are carved on the rock upon which it is built.

The Church of Saint Nikolaos dominates in the center of the village, whereas in this village unique, scenic windmills are preserved that in old times were used for the grinding of cereals and nowadays most of them have been turned into rooms to let.

In Trypiti you can enjoy the panoramic view to the Adamantas bay and also gastronomic dishes at the snack-bars and restaurants of the village. In a nearby distance you can visit the Catacombs and the Ancient Theater even on foot.

The catacombs are situated near Trypiti village, in caves of 150meters above the surface of the sea.
In 2009, the Holy Synod proclaimed Milos a sacred island, because the Catacombs constitute the most ancient monument of Christianity. It was the first gathering place of the first Christians and they were used as a municipal cemetery for the first time in the end of the 2ndcentury BC. The Catacombs of Milos are of a unique size in the entire of Greece and one of the most famous and remarkable Christian world monuments next to the catacombs of Rome and of the Holy Land.

This labyrinthine complex is composed of three big-initially separate-subterranean colonnades (A,B,C) carved in the porous volcanic stone, five corridors and one rectangular burial chamber in the form of cubicula in the Roman Catacombs. Each Catacomb is of a different width (1-5meters) and a different height (1,60-2,50meters). Its total length is 185metres and today 126 “arkosolia” (carved arched tombs) are preserved in the inner sides of the colonnades. The “arkosolia” were decorated with colors (red fascia on the crown and dark blue color on the spandrel’s surface), but today only  scare traces  of their colorful decor are preserved.

The Catacombs’ form today is due to some 20th century interventions, such  as the entrance to the burial chamber B and the passages uniting the three initially separate catacombs. Today you are allowed to visit only the colonnade B’, the Catacomb of the “Elders” as it is called, and to go around it on a wooden platform. In the left side of this catacomb, the only two-storeyed tomb of the Catacombs is preserved , as well as pieces of the most significant inscription with red capital letters written within a rectangular frame. In the center there is a rock, where most possibly one of the first bishops of the Melian Christian community had been buried and the first Christians used it as an Altar in their liturgies.

From the Catacombs that are non-open to visitors, Catacomb A (west from today’s central colonnade) is of a big width, it has a spacious burial chamber and it is characteristic for the double family tombs carved in its inner sides, whereas Catacomb B (east from today’s central colonnade) is only partially preserved and it is worth having a look at the traces of frescos in it (one of the few preserved early Christian frescos where branches with flowers and birds are depicted).
 
 

Saint Nikolaos
In the centre of Trypiti village stands the magnificent church of Saint Nikolaos.  In was built in 1888 in the spot of another smaller church, based on the designs of Saint Nikolaos church in Syros.

The decor of this church is rich and remarkable. You can see its marble icon screen (by the marble sculptor G. Kaparias from Tinos), lovely woodcuts, the old 17th century iconostasis, an iconostasis and a bishop’s throne by G. I. Laoutaris and an pulpit by Emmanuel Markantonis from Milos. Also, you can admire the great icons by Emmanuel Skordilis and by other artists of the Cretan School, which were brought from Palea Hora (the island’s medieval capital).

Also, it is worth mentioning that this church presents an architectural paradox, since due to lack of sufficient space, its length is smaller than its width.

In the settlement of Klima you will find the ruins of the old city of Klima which used to be the island’s first port.
After the decline and the destruction of Fylakopi, the Dorians built the second biggest city in the island (1100BC-800BC) extending from the south part of Trypiti to the region of the present Klima town.

Today, you can visit the settlement’s two acropolis: the hill of Prophitis Ilias and Pyrgaki- you can see parts of  the market-place walls, parts of a temple dated from the Hellenistic and Roman period, parts of the ancient theatre, as well as the exact spot where the statue of Aphrodite of Milos was discovered. Descend till the end of Trypiti road towards  the Catacombs, park your car and walk on the path. Initially, you will see the ancient city walls and a bit further away in a area where the gymnasium was supposedly standing, you will find the spot where in 1820 a local farmer discovered the famous statue of the goddess Aphrodite (dated from 120BC). Keep walking on the earth-road and you will get to the ancient Roman theatre.
 
 

It is a traditional fishing village with very few inhabitants and multicolored two-storeyed houses in the natural concavities of the rocks. On the ground floor, in the so-called ‘’syrmata’’ the fishermen’s boats were kept, whereas the families used to live on the top floor. Today most of these ‘’syrmata’’ are for rent and you can always take excellent photos surrounded by the playful colors of their doors and windows among  cats laying indolently under the sun.
Furthermore, in the wider are of Klima, you can visit the ruins of the old city and the island’s first port. After the decline and destruction of Fylakopi, the Dorians built the second biggest city of the island (1100BC.-800BC.) extending from the south part of Trypiti to the region of today’s  Klima. Today, you can visit the two acropolises of the settlement: the hill of Prophitis Ilias and Pyrgaki, you can see parts of the wall in the market-place, parts of the temple dated from the Hellenistic and the Roman period, parts of the ancient theatre  as well as the spot where the statue of Aphrodite of Milo was discovered. Go downhill till the end of the Trypiti road towards the Catacombs, park your car there and walk on the path. At first, you will find the walls of the ancient city and a few steps further away, in a region where the gymnasium was supposedly standing, you will see the spot where the local farmer discovered the famous statue of the goddess Aphrodite (120BC.) in 1820. If you keep walking on the earth-road, you will reach the ancient Roman theater, from where there is a path for the daring ones which leads to the settlement of Klima.
 
 

Panaghia Faneromeni
Descending the road from Trypiti to the Catacombs, on your right hand you will see the chapel of Panaghia Faneromeni, in a wooded place full of cypresses. It is one of the most beautiful churches of the island, inside which there are two tombs with arches, whereas in its sanctuary you can see remnants of one of the most beautiful Melian churches, within which there are two tombs with arches and in its alter there are traces of frescos.

The ancient Roman Theatre was originally constructed by the inhabitants of the ancient city of Klima, possibly during the Hellenistic Age (3rd century BC).
However, after the destruction of the city by the Athenians in Roman times, above the preserved foundations of the classic theater, a bigger one was built made of snow-white Parian marble and remarkable bas-reliefs, which it is estimated that it had a seating capacity of 7000 spectators. This is also the shape of the theater you see nowadays.

From the theatre seven marble tiers, six rows of seats, the auditorium , the orchestra, the stage floor and a lot of architecturally elaborate parts are preserved. The excavations began in 1989, and the order for the theatre’s first cleaning was given by Ludwig II, Othon’s father, at L. Ross’s instigation, who along with Othon was the first one to visit the ancient theater in modern times.

Built on prominent spot, on the hillside, the theatre overlooks the port, the view from there is spectacular and its acoustics are very good. So, quite often theatrical performances and music happenings take place there, as in its present shape  the theater has a seating capacity of 700 spectators.