Greece Trip #19: A Famous Milos Fishing Village: Klima

In today's blog, we'll tell you and show you about a famous fishing village on the island of Milos, Greece. It's called Klima. You can look down on it from the Ancient Theatre of Milos and the discovery site of the Aphrodite of Milos statue, that I covered in the previous couple of blogs. To learn more, read on! 

(Photos: Multi-colored houses on Klima. Credit: T.W.)

WHAT IS KLIMA? Klima is a fishing village that is one of the most picturesque spots on the island of Milos. You can only really experience the multiple colors when you're on the water looking back on the shoreline (fortunately, we took a sailboat cruise  - which is coming up in a future blog- so we could see it!)

WHY DIFFERENT COLORED HOUSES? What is known as Syrmatas are a long strip of multi-colored traditional fishermen houses. They are all along Milos Bay.  The houses were initially painted in different colors so they could be easily recognized by their fisherman owners!  Each house is two stories. The bottom has a boat garage and kitchen, and the second floor is a living space.

ARE THE "SYRMATAS" HOUSES STILL USED? According to  theworldismyplayground.org, they are no longer used by local fishermen, and some have been made into vacation homes.  

HOW TO GET THERE?    This village is mostly accessible by boat, but you can hike down the hill from the Catacombs (it supposedly takes an hour down a dirt path). 

HOW LONG HAS KLIMA EXISTED? Klima inhabitation goes back to around 1100 B.C. when the first settlement at Fylakopi was destroyed. Due to its strategic position in the Aegean Sea, Klima flourished, reaching its peak from the 7th to the 5th centuries B.C.

NEXT: Quiet Lunch Along the Streets of Milos