I have been fortunate to have stayed in some truly unique places during my travels. The village of Klima, on the Greek Island of Milos, ranks as one of the coolest places that I’ve stayed. Klima is built on the edge of the Aegean Sea, at the base of a cliff. It is a tiny village and has only a couple of businesses. Most of village is made up of fisherman’s houses– syrmata (plural) or syrma (singular). These houses are two stories with a “garage” for the boat downstairs and living quarters upstairs. Nowadays, very few of the original fisherman live in Klima and many of the houses have been converted to tourist lodging. Most have separate apartments upstairs and downstairs, but I lucked out in finding the Tsakanos Traditional Sirma with both stories as one unit. While this gave me more space than I needed, I wanted both a second story patio and the sea right at my door. Mine was the house with green doors in the picture above!
You can get to Klima by car, but once there, the only way to the syrmata is by foot on the path in front of the houses. Some of the path is rocky and in shallow water. This is one of the places that you cannot roll your suitcase through!
Because the doors were built to bring in the boats, they are huge. From the outside, you, you have to unlock it, open the shutter, then reach down and release the lock on the floor. I found it easier to just step through the shutter!
The house was really charming. While it was updated and comfortable, it didn’t have a generic modern feel. The walls are stone and the downstairs bathroom feels cave-like. There is an entryway and kitchen/dining area downstairs with one bathroom with a nice shower. Upstairs there is a seating area and a lovely bedroom with a balcony where I ate most of my meals. There is a second bathroom with shower upstairs and a very small additional bedroom.
The Aegean Sea is literally at your doorstep, and it was lovely to come home and swim right off the front porch. But, of course, this is not the Caribbean, so the water is always a bit chilly, especially in the afternoons when the syrma is in the shade. Brrr! The downside to the proximity of the sea is that water comes into the house when there is a storm. The floor is tile, but I learned to not leave shoes on the floor near the door!
The blue house next door belongs to a fisherman and his family who are relatives of the owners of the Tsakanos Syrma. They were lovely to chat with and hear about how the village has changed and what growing up there was like. This house makes you feel that you are really in Greece, in the real Greece, and for a short while you are part of a place with history and tradition completely different than the U.S.
I spent my evenings on the balcony listening to the sea. Coming back to the syrma at night felt treacherous since you are wading over rocks in the water, so I didn’t venture far out for dinner. There is one restaurant in Klima called Astakas Cafe. I ate there one night and enjoyed it. Another night, I ordered a hunk of feta to-go and ate it with the bread my host had left for me. The syrma and the village of Klima are perfect for sitting, having a drink, and feeling thankful. Enjoying a glass of wine, hearing the waves, seeing the moon from my balcony…. these are the reasons that we travel!
There is an ongoing discussion amongst travelers regarding visiting new places vs re-visiting places. I’m firmly planted in both camps. Klima is one of those places that is so unique and comfortable that it makes you want to plan your next visit every time you think about it!
What are some of the most unique places you have stayed? Please share in the comments below! And be watching for my upcoming destination report on Klima and the island of Milos!
