The Catacombs of Milos are an early Christian cemetery cut underground into the island’s soft volcanic rock, just outside the walls of the ancient city of Melos. The operator dates them from the mid-1st to the 7th century AD; other published dates end in the 5th century (the operator; en.wikipedia; Pleiades).
What is there today
Spacious chambers joined by narrow passages, and a family burial chamber, are all carved into the rock; the galleries run for about 200 m in all, 1 to 5 m wide and 1.6 to 2.5 m high. Arched tombs (arcosolia) and horizontal niches (loculi) are cut into the walls, and pit graves into the floor; small niches held grave goods, oil lamps and sometimes the burials of infants. Only a few fragments of the wall paintings and inscriptions survive. Look for the free-standing tomb cut in the rock in the shape of a sarcophagus at the centre of Chamber B, which also served as an altar, and for the paired arched tombs in Chamber A. Recent excavations have uncovered a new chamber and the southern parts of Chambers A and B, with two built tombs, a marble sarcophagus and a family tomb (the operator).
el.wikipedia describes three groups of catacombs with five corridors in all, and en.wikipedia notes that many of the floor graves were covered with rough, irregular stones.
Is it worth the trip?
Yes. The operator calls it unique, an underground cemetery of the early Christians, and the ancient theatre is about 200 m to the west, so the two make one visit (the operator; en.wikipedia). A ticket is €10; note that it closes on Tuesdays, and at 14.00 in winter (the operator).
Getting there
The catacombs are near Trypiti: a 13-minute walk from the centre of Trypiti and 18 minutes from Plaka, or a few minutes by car from either, and 15 minutes by car from Adamas, the island’s port (the operator). A free car park is mapped about 70 m away, and the bus stop “Katakombes (Arch. Theatro)” about 100 m away (OpenStreetMap).
From 1 April to 31 October the catacombs open 08.30–15.30, and from 1 November to 31 March 08.30–14.00; they are closed on Tuesdays all year. Last entry is 20 minutes before closing; they are shut on 1 January, 25 March, 1 May, Easter Sunday and 25–26 December. A ticket is €10, reduced €5, and entry is free on 6 March, 18 April, 18 May, the last weekend of September, 28 October, and on the first and third Sunday of each month from November to March (hh.gr, read 9 October 2026 — check before travelling). There is parking (the operator).
Visiting details
- Opening hours
- From 1 April to 31 October 08.30–15.30, from 1 November to 31 March 08.30–14.00; closed on Tuesdays all year. Last entry 20 minutes before closing. Closed 1 January, 25 March, 1 May, Easter Sunday and 25–26 December.
- Tickets
- €10; reduced €5. Free on 6 March, 18 April, 18 May, the last weekend of September and 28 October, and on the first and third Sunday of each month from November to March.
- Parking
- A free car park is mapped about 70 m away ("Free Parking Katakombes", OSM way/172558844), and the bus stop "Κατακόμβες (Αρχ. Θέατρο)" about 100 m away (node/2975069942).
Hours and prices checked 9 October 2026 on the operator's own site. Confirm before travelling.
History
The catacombs lie by the site of the agora of ancient Melos. The name Trypiti, “made with holes”, comes from the caves cut into the soft rock all around, which were used in antiquity as family burial chambers and are still used by the villagers as stores and stables (en.wikipedia). Grave goods were few, but they have given valuable information about the burial customs of the early Christians (the operator).
Sources
Every fact on this page comes from the records below, each used under the licence noted.
| Source | Licence |
|---|---|
| Pleiades 694364581 | CC BY |
| Wikidata Q18386664 | CC0 |
| OpenStreetMap node/298374063 | ODbL |
| Hellenic Heritage (H.O.C.R.E.D., for the Ministry of Culture) — Catacombs of Milos, hours and tickets | licence not recorded |
| Wikipedia (en) — Catacombs of Milos | CC BY-SA 4.0 |
| Wikipedia (el) — Κατακόμβες της Μήλου | CC BY-SA 4.0 |
| Wikipedia (en) — Achaia (Roman province) | CC BY-SA 4.0 |