Mykonos

Introduction

Colorful shutters in Mykonos town

© laurim

Mykonos is part of the Cyclades islands and is located roughly in the centre of the Aegean Sea in Greece. If you are looking for culture, secluded beaches and quiteness, it's best to turn around again and go back to where you came from. Although there are some quieter areas, this island is mostly about partying, nightlife, crowded beaches, to watch people and to be watched. Some people think this might have touched the slow pace of the old days. Of course, in a way this is true, but at least the island has kept some of it's original gems like the windmills.

Cities

• Mykonos town.

Sights and Activities

• Mykonos windmills - one of the most recognized landmarks of Mykonos.
• Little Venice - buildings constructed right on the sea's edge with their balconies overhanging the water.
• Paraportiani - One of the most famous architectural structures in Greece.
• Archaeological Museum.
• Aegean Maritime Museum.
• Delos - an island 2 kilometres west of Mykonos and one of Greece's most famous archaeologic sites, it's declared a national museum.
• Peter the Pelican - he is the mascot of Mykonos
• The Beaches - Super Paradise, Paradise, Kalafatis, Elia, Paraga, Psarrou, Kalo Livadi, Agrari and Platis Gialos
• Matogiannia - the most central area of the Chora of Mykonos

Windmill in Mykonos

© minshen

Mykonos is famous for its luxurious life style, the trendy bars and 24/7 clubs, for its unique cosmopolitan aura and its amazing beach bars on the long sandy beaches. If you visit Mykonos during the peak season, you will be surprised by how true its fame is as everything you have heard about this Greek Island is happening for real. However, if you decide to travel to Mykonos off season, you will experience a totally different vibe and you will have the chance to see the natural beauty of the island without the buzz of the tourism of the summer.

Mykonos Town or Chora is the main town, the capital and the port of the island. Mykonos Town is one of the most beautiful in the Cyclades. Traditional architecture, Cycladic white houses with blue windows and numerous narrow streets with every shop you can imagine. Walking around Matoyiannia, the pebbled streets of Chora will remind you of a labyrinth, is a true summer experience that you cannot find on any other island. Cafes, bar, restaurants, clubs, souvenir shops and haute-couture are around you, and it is really difficult to choose the best place, while in Little Venice, you can find a romantic and relaxing spot to drink a cocktail before the party gets started.

Mykonos has a delicious cuisine, and lately it has created a gastronomic miracle with high quality restaurants for every taste. Japanese, Mediterranean, Italian or French cuisine among others is waiting for you to have an abundant culinary experience in one of the internationally awarded restaurants in Mykonos Town or on one of the top beaches of the island.

The quiet beaches of the island are Ftelia, Agios Sostis, Kapari, Houlakia, Fokos and Mersini.

Ftelia is a long, wide, windy and sandy beach without umbrellas and beach- chairs with only few visitors. It is really a true paradise for windsurfers and for lovers of the adventure.

Agios Sostis is one of the most famous undeveloped beaches of Mykonos and is the quiter version of the beach nearby, Panormos. It is a great option for those searching peace but you have to avoid it on a windy day with meltemi.

Kapari is a small beach on the west side of Mykonos that will charm you with its simple natural beauty. The perfect spot for romance and peaceful swim.

Houlakia is one of the few beaches on the island with pebbles. It is a natural site of particular beauty only 5 km from Chora and it is prohibited to remove any rocks. It has nothing to offer, no taverna or bar nearby and it is the ultimate destination for the alternative travellers of Mykonos.

Fokos is located on the north coast of the island and is a fine sandy and secluded beach with deep water. It is almost unknown to the tourist due to the difficult road that one has to drive in order to reach it.

Next to Fokos you will find another undeveloped but charming beach, Mersini. The best way to reach it is by boat, because the road is bumpy.

If you have spent some days in Mykonos, you may want to visit other Greek islands too. Greek Island Hopping is ideal since the distance between the Greek islands is very short, so you can easily travel from one island to another in less than one hour. These islands near Mykonos offer you the possibility to explore the Cyclades and Aegean Sea: Paros, Syros, Tinos, Naxos, Ios.

Weather

Mykonos has a nice Mediterranean climate with warm, sunny and dry summers when temperatures are usually between 26 °C and 30 °C during the day and still above 20 °C at night. Winters are wetter and last from December to February. It is still mild though with daytime temperatures of 10 °C to 15 °C and nights between 7 °C and 12 °C.

Getting There

By Plane

Mykonos Island National Airport (JMK) serves a variety of cities throughout Europe. Easyjet flies to/from London and Milan while Air Berlin flies to/from Berlin, Munich, Zürich and Nuremberg. Most flights are seasonal only (summer). Other destinations include Athens, Thessaloniki, Istanbul, Vienna, Rome, Cologne, Verona, Crete, Rhodes, Santorini, Manchester and Brussels.

By Boat

Mykonos has daily services to Rafina (4,5 hours) via Tinos (30 minutes) and Andros (2,5 hours). Daily services also go to Piraeus (6 hours) via Tinos and Syros (1,5 hours). There are three ferries a week to Santorini (6 hours).
There is one ferry a week to Thessaloniki (18 hours) and Crete (13 hours). There are three ferries a week to Samos (4,5 hours) and Ikaria (2 hours).

Check the Greek Travel Pages for an impression about companies, schedules and prices, as the choice is very wide. Or check the Greek Ferries website or another one about Ferries between islands in Greece.

Sleep

View our map of accommodation in Mykonos

Keep Connected

Internet

Internet access is widely available throughout the country. Almost all hotels provide internet access, either free or paid. Local coffee shops usually offer free Wi-Fi access, as many other public places do. Feel free to ask for the password, if the network is locked. Internet cafes however tend to be expensive, about €1.5-2 per hour.

Phone

See also: International Telephone Calls

The cheapest way to call someone abroad is to use a pre-paid calling card and call from a land line anywhere (also from your hotel room). Pre-paid calling cards are sold in many shops and kiosks. The calling card is not much more than a phone number and a pin code, which you dial prior to dialing the usual phone number. If you want to call internationally, ask for an international calling card. For one euro you can call for about 45 minutes, so buy a card in the cheapest value (which is about €3). Calling someone for half an hour is cheaper than sending one email from an internet café. Cards expire usually 90 days after first use. You can also use this pre-paid calling card at public phone boxes, which are widely available.

Mobile phones are prevalent in Greek's communication, and if you need to talk with your co-travelers it is advised that you buy a local prepaid plan instead of using roaming, as it is far cheaper. There are at least three mobile carriers, Cosmote, Wind and Vodafone all of which require by law presenting some form of identification in order to activate your prepaid plan. Choose whichever has better reception in your area, keeping in mind that GSM 900, GSM 1800 and UMTS 2100 bands are supported. Data usage is cheap, costing about €3 per 100 MB. Ask the mobile carrier for more information.

Post

Hellenic Post is the Greek postal service. On their website you find more information about options to send letters, postcards and parcels and there is a search function regarding post offices and post boxes. It also has information on services like paying bills, transferring money, financial products etc. Greek post codes are five digits long and are usually written as follows; 123 45. The first three digits are used to identify the city, municipality or prefecture, for example the digits between 100 and 180 relate to the city of Athens. The last two digits identify a street or part of a street. Most post offices are open Monday to Friday from 07:30-14:00, although the largers ones usually have longer opening hours. For sending packages, you can also use international courier services like DHL, UPS or TNT.

External Links

Mykonos Official Website