Mykonos has one of the most beautiful towns I have ever seen! It is known as one of the party islands of Greece due to the beach clubs and bars but it’s also a nice island to just relax. There are the famous windmills, great sunset spots and the town is a maze of tiny streets with plenty of shops and restaurants so there is lots to do!
What surprised me about the island is just how windy it is – honestly so windy! Definitely take long dresses not short ones and a couple of hairbands to control your hair unless you love that windswept look!
How did we get there?
We caught the ferry to Mykonos from Santorini which took 2 hours 15 minutes and cost around $60 euros per person. It sounds quite expensive but we did some research and it sounds like that is the going rate for the ferry no matter who you buy the ticket from. The ferry drops you in the new port which is about a 7 minute taxi ride to the main town (called Mykonos Town).
If arriving/leaving by plane, the airport is super close to the main town and there are buses which run every half an hour to and from the main bus station and it only takes 10 minutes to get there!
Taxis are super expensive on this island so the bus is a good idea! Buses run between the airport, main towns and beaches and offer a cheap and easy way to get around, especially if you are not staying in the central area. They are a popular and reliable option to save money as each ride is only a couple of euros.
Where did we stay and for how long?
We stayed in Mykonos for 4 nights and chose to stay right in the heart of Mykonos Town so that it was easy to go out for food and drinks in the evenings. We had a little apartment with a balcony over the street and it was very basic but had everything we needed!
Many choose to stay out of the town and there are plenty of options for hotels and villas with pools etc. I would recommend booking in advance as it is a pretty small island and accommodation sells out quickly.
What did we do whilst we were there?
Hire a Quad Bike and Explore
The island isn’t that big so it is easy to explore quite a few areas in a day. There are buses which can take you from place to place but if you want full freedom to explore, I would recommend hiring a car or a quad bike! We hired a quad bike for only $25 euros a day and it was perfect, especially as many of the roads are really narrow and there is not a lot of parking so the smaller the vehicle the better!
Beach Hopping
We made sure to stop off at as many beaches as we could during our time in Mykonos as we had heard so many great things. Some of our favourites were Agios Sostis Beach in the North of the island – a long, remote beach great for swimming. Fokos Beach feels like it is in the middle of nowhere but the scenery is gorgeous and it has the most amazing little restaurtant right by the beach which does a great lunch! Agia Anna Beach has beautiful clear waters and you can walk up the rocky path behind the beach to get a great view!
There are also the more well known beaches closer to town that are easy to explore by bus. These include Super Paradise, Paradise, Platis Gialos, Paraga Beach and more! We loved Paraga beach, there were some lovely restaurants here.
Most beaches except the remote ones have beach bars with sunbeds – be prepared to pay for a bed for the day. They really differ but some offer a free sunbed if you buy a drink (but the drink prices are through the roof) and at others, you have to pay for the bed and then there is a minimum consumption charge on top! So if you want a bed and some shade, you can end up paying quite a lot for it! The cheapest we found was €30 euros per person but many were €60+!
See the Windmills
Definitely make sure to walk out to the windmills by the main town, they are very picturesque and it’s a nice spot to look out to sea and back at the town. They are easy to find and you will also spot others around the island as you drive around!
Explore the Town
Mykonos Town is truly beautiful – it’s like a maze full of white cobbled streets, flowers and little boutique shops and restaurants. It’s pretty easy to get lost but it’s so nice to just walk around and take it all in. If you want to see it when the streets are quiet I would say go during the day – mid morning probably is best. Early on, they are cleaning the streets so there’s lots of tiny trucks making deliveries and taking the rubbish away but after this, around lunch time, it seems most of the island is at the beach so the streets are wonderfully quiet.
Make sure to find the area right on the sea called Little Venice – here there are a selection of restaurants and bars where you can sit and look out to the windmills and the sea with the waves splashing right in front of you!
Adventures with H 