Pits

Milos has given us quite a lot to experience, discover and enjoy, soakingswise. 

One would expect that after the hits at Alikes, Paleochori, Tria Pigidia and the experiences at for instance Skinopi that there would be little more to add.

That's not so. Milos being one of the more thermally active islands of the Mediterranean, there's always the outstanding list of missed possibilities. 

Take a look at the map below which indicates the many hot spots on the island (source). If you discount the odds and ends that have been described in the mention blog posts above, there's still quite more to be researched though one would need to know whether map below is accurate and up to date. What is certain is that the most obvious ones have been accounted for.

Fortune
That is with one big exception, the premier hot spring of Milos, that of Adamas port itself.  

Named Lakos, this hot spring was already noted by Hippocrates himself (source). This hot spring is supposed to be the most accessible and developed of the island.

Arriving by ferry, the hot springs are situated in the cliff face along side the quay, see lead photo above. Built within the cliff / located in a cave are a number of pools.

But much to every potential soakers surprise the facilities were under lock when we visited. I had asked on forehand but my source's answer was as follows:

'Unfortunately the organized hot springs are closed. I called the municipality but they are not sure if they will open them in April'.

No, they weren't open in April. And by the look of things they weren't going to open fullstop. There was no clue whether or not this was something waiting to happen.

On a number of occasions I tried to peek through the windows / door hoping to see some activity, alas none to be observed.

Apparently the bath(s) had undergone a recent renovation. Until quite recent they were very rustic. The older style cave-like settings are easy to be observed from the koinignomi.gr article (Jul. 17, 2014) on the upcoming restoration activities.

Source

 

More recent was this (translated) news item (Bluebirds Tourism and Travel, 30 Aug. 2015):

'New era for spa tourism Milos 30.08.2015 inaugurated Saturday the hot spring "Lakos" in Milos Adamas - The Cave of Hippocrates. This is an excellent work that creates the conditions for the development of spa tourism in Milos and extend the tourist season on the island'.

Inclusive photo's seem rather plush (below).

Source: Bluebird

Notable is that despite attempts from the private sector to renovate he cave, the decision was to keep these public, i.e. in hands of the municipality. Rather a Pyrrhic victory, if it's not open.

Other info gleamed from the internet. The website Milos.gr:

'However, out of all the hot springs, the only exploitable and recognized as a therapeutic spa-spring of a healing importance, is that of “Lakkos” in Adamantas, which is mentioned in Hippocrates’s works.

The hot springs of Lakkos  are located in the left side of Adamantas harbor, in a cave of 15m

...

The hot springs of Lakkos are opened for spa-treatments from the 15^th of July till the 15^th of October, from 7a.m. till 1p.m'.

Milostravel.com:

'Hippocrates in his "Peri Epidimion" quoted the waters for dermatitis and obesity.

Milos today has a little spa in Adamas, in a cave called "Ta loutra tou lakkou ", the baths of the pit. The water has a temperature from 35 to 41° C, and the well is characterized as a basis of sodium chloride. It is recommended for neuro arthritis and osteoarthritis, osteoporosis, muscle pain and neuralgia, rheumatism, leucorree'.

Pit holes

Included (and ending the series on Milos) in this wrapping up we might as well include references to hot springs on the nearby island of Kimolos (20 minutes by small ferry from Milos) which has it's own hot spring. This source describes it as follows:

'The springs of Prasa can be found on a cement pier in a beach in Prasa. You'll find two pit-holes there, one of them with a cement roof and the other one not. The water that flows from their bottom is not much, but it's very hot.

Across the two springs you'll find an old, semi-abandoned building; it's the building of the springs. There are four basins in there, one of them made of marble. Kimoliots use those basins from time to time'.

It's apparently a d.i.y. hot spring, you have to fill the tub itself, hot water from the spring, seawater to cool it off.

This source senses more soaking opportunities on the island:

'Agioklima, Therma, Prassa are only some of the spots north of Kimolos, where hot springs gush out with a temperature over 56 degrees Celsius'.

Concerning the first two there's little to find. Though on Prassa it seems more development has occurred, see photo following which comes from the reference above with the caption:

'Hot springs near the sea'

The sailor and the soak

Skinopi bay, directly north of the port town of Adamas (Adamantas) on the island of Milos (yes, Greece), has a reputation for thermality. 
But whether or not this is real remains to be seen.

The reputation is disclosed on the official tourism website of Milos which has this limited info on the supposed hot springs of Skinopi:

'-          Skinopi

Temperature: up to 41 C

Composition: alipiges (hot springs)'

Alipiges refers from Greek as a saline / salty source. 

But this is about all the info that's available on the bay of Skinopi's thermal reputation; all other references a copy of above. So not much to go by.

Still one never knows.
Skinopi certainly is not a heavily visited place, even though it's only 10 minutes from Adamas. The main reason for not going may well be the access road: a narrow windy and at times dirt road weaves itself up the hill from Adamas and once beyond the mount crashes down to Skinopi.

At the end of the road on the bay, there's a house to the south, and a number of sirmata to the north. 
Sirmata are small structures with a living upstairs and a boathouse downstairs. At least in the old days. Nowadays they are fashionable tourist villa's. Though that wasn't the case here.

The bay of Skinopi looking northwards, to a number of sirmata, sheltered from northern winds.

After parking the car and looking around, it didn't look like we will be seeing any soaking action. Based on my research and the lack of any facilities / hints. 

We decide to shift the search northwards, if not for the thermal opportunities at least for observing the quaint fishermans houses.

Cats
There's one other person on the bay and by the noise he's making one would believe there to be many others. But once we draw closer we realize that his chatter is meant for his cats. 

The older and getting bald man greets us heartily, asks us from where we are, apologizes for the ruckus with the cats and then shows us that the cats respond well to his chatter as on command one of them jumps into his arms.

With little prompting he sets off explaining how, as a sailor, he crossed the many seas only to retire after 35 years of service. He then took up fishing in the Aegean, but has now really retired on his own at his little sirmata. 

"Sometimes I go fishing"

he says, pointing to his tiny dinghy, 

"I catch a few fish for myself. And the rest for the cats". 

Life could be hard. And lonely. But he seemed very content with how things turned out.

"You know, I have lived my life".

Bubbles
Having said that, I disclose my reason for visiting his part of the world. 

"Ah yes. Look". 

He points to a place in the water just a meter away.

"Where there are bubbles, there is hot water". 

I place my foot over the bubbles and indeed the water is markedly warmer.  

 

He continues

"Sometimes, the bubbles are much more lively. At night I hear them from inside my house!"

But not today. The last house south, he notes, has a source inside. There's no outflow, but the owners have a tub which they fill from the source. 

"And you see the rock at the end of the bay?"

He points southwards. 

"Behind that rock is another source, in sea, between two rocks. A nice bath. But very difficult to get there. Only with a boat".

I'll take his word for it, but make a mental note to search for this. Later maybe.

After a little more small talk we thank our Skinopi host profusely and see if it's possible to get our rental Fiat Panda back up the hill. 
Though we also take the opportunity to wander around the vacant house to the south: no thermal source to be seen from the outside.