Ferry from Athens (Lavrio) to Milos (Adamas).

Milos is one of the most sought-after islands in the western Cyclades, famous for its white volcanic rock, sea caves and coloured cliffs, and most people reach it from Piraeus. A Lavrio sailing does exist, though, and it is worth understanding before you book, because it is a very different kind of trip.

Blue Star Ferries runs it about once a week, and in most weeks the ship does not head straight for Milos. It works its way around the Cyclades first, with stops at islands such as Syros, Paros and Naxos, which is why Ferryhopper describes a typical journey of around 16.5 hours. In a few weeks of last year's data the trip was listed much shorter, at 9 hr 15 min or even 4 hr 30 min, so the timing depends entirely on that week's routing.

So who is this for? Travellers based near Lavrio, on the south-east tip of Attica, who have time; people bringing a car who like the low fares, which started at €20 per adult and €84 for two adults with a car when we checked; and island hoppers who treat the long voyage as part of the holiday. If you simply want to get to Milos quickly, Piraeus has daily sailings.

At the end of the line is Adamas (also written Adamantas), the main port of Milos, on the island's north side inside its huge natural bay. The village starts a couple of minutes from the ramp, so even after a long day at sea, arrival is easy.

Because this sailing threads through several islands, it spends a long time in open water, and in July and August it crosses the path of the meltemi, the strong north wind of the Aegean summer. Big conventional ships like this one handle it well and usually keep sailing, but delays at one port can push back every later call, including Milos. The port authority can also hold departures in severe weather. With only one sailing a week, a cancellation is more disruptive here than on busy routes: take the operator's rebooking or refund and look at Piraeus to Milos, which runs daily.