The settlement of Mandrakia in Milos is a traditional settlement. It is located on a cape in the northern part of the island. The natural environment is volcanic with beautiful natural rocky formations.
On this cape in the last decades of the 1800-1900 century, the settlement began to form.
In recent years, the settlement has essentially been used as a port refuge by its inhabitants. The area has no sandy beaches. The sea meets the land on steep cliffs. These cliffs are made of soft volcanic rock. With the erosion of the sea and air, caves were formed, called “mantres” in the local dialect (hence the name of the settlement), which the owners of small boats use as a refuge for their boats when the sea is rough.
They even closed the caves for protection with heavy wooden doors, which they painted with the colors of the boats, giving a fantastic color to the settlement. These storage spaces for boats and fishing tools in the local dialect are called “Syrmata” from “I pull the boat”. The settlement was a center of trade with other islands of the Western Cyclades, mainly with Sifnos and a fishing refuge.
Over time, the inhabitants built small single-room and single-story houses for temporary accommodation while waiting for the weather to improve to go out to sea and for storage of their tools. Until today, the settlement has not undergone any alterations with inappropriate construction. It remains a traditional fishing village with small houses and colorful wires.
