The back story
-
The back story
Mykonos: style, saints and the sacred island next door
The most fashionable island in the Aegean, with a farming soul and Delos on the horizon.
Island guide · Mykonos, the Cyclades
Mykonos island guide
Mykonos is high-brow, fashion-conscious and proudly glamorous, the island where designers, DJs and yachts gather each summer. Yet it was once a poor, windswept farming island, and its real treasures are older than any beach club.
Plan your trip:Ferry timetables Arriving in Athens The Athens Riviera
Towns & villages
-
The most fashionable town in the Aegean
Mykonos Town (Chora)
A white labyrinth of boutiques, galleries, chapels and bars, built to confuse pirates and now the stage for the island’s famous evenings.
-
Sunset with your feet near the waves
Little Venice
Captains’ houses rising straight out of the sea, with balconies turned into cocktail bars facing the sunset and the windmills.
-
The traditional side of Mykonos
Ano Mera
The island’s inland village, with a broad square of tavernas and the Monastery of Panagia Tourliani.
-
Calm water, close to town
Ornos
A sheltered bay a short ride from Chora, with shallow water for children and water taxis to the south-coast beaches.
-
Where the beach boats start
Platis Gialos, Mykonos
A busy, well-equipped south-coast resort and the main departure point for boats to Paradise, Super Paradise and Elia.
Sights & museums
-
The island’s signature view
Kato Mili windmills
A row of old windmills on the ridge above Little Venice, the most photographed silhouette on Mykonos.
-
Five chapels in one white sculpture
Panagia Paraportiani
A whitewashed cluster of chapels built over several centuries, by the old Kastro quarter near Little Venice.
-
A sacred island, a short sail away
Boat trip to Delos
Boats from the old port cross to Delos, the birthplace of Apollo in myth and one of the great archaeological sites of Greece.
-
A quiet sunset away from the crowds
Armenistis Lighthouse
A lighthouse on a windswept headland north of town, with views across the strait to Tinos.
Beaches & beach clubs
-
The glamour beach
Psarou
A sheltered bay of fine sand and turquoise water, with yachts at anchor and some of the island’s most exclusive sunbeds.
-
The beach that built the party legend
Paradise Beach
Golden sand and clear water by day; from late afternoon, DJs take over the beach clubs.
-
Clear water in a green bay
Super Paradise
A hilly bay with some of the clearest water on the island, relaxed by day and lively by late afternoon.
-
Mykonos without the sunbeds
Agios Sostis, Mykonos
A natural north-coast beach with no sunbeds or bars on the sand, and a famous taverna on the hill.
-
Wind, space and watersports
Kalafatis
A long east-coast beach where the summer wind brings windsurfers and kitesurfers.
-
The long, relaxed end of the south coast
Elia
One of the longest beaches on Mykonos, with soft sand and a calmer mood than Paradise.
-
Champagne on the sand
Nammos
The island’s most famous see-and-be-seen beach club, on Psarou, with a seafood and sushi restaurant.
-
The sunset ritual
Scorpios
A bohemian beach club and restaurant at Paraga, famous for its sunset DJ sessions.
-
Bohemian on the north coast
Alemagou
A laid-back beach bar and restaurant on the windswept beach of Ftelia.
-
Barefoot luxury at Panormos
Principote
A beach club and restaurant on Panormos Bay on the north coast, known for long, festive afternoons.
Restaurants & tavernas
-
Worth the queue
Kiki’s Taverna
A tiny hillside taverna above Agios Sostis, with a charcoal grill and a counter of salads; no reservations.
-
Looking across to Delos
Hippie Fish
A beachfront seafood restaurant at Agios Ioannis, with the sacred island of Delos on the horizon.
-
Mykonian farm cooking
Rizes
A farmhouse restaurant outside Ano Mera serving the island’s own recipes and produce.
-
Simple food by the sea
Nikolas Taverna
A family taverna with tables almost on the beach at Agia Anna.
-
Lunch at the end of a dirt road
Fokos Taverna
A lone taverna above a wild north-coast beach, far from the south-coast crowds.
-
Fish in the old lanes
Nautilus
A seafood restaurant in the Lakka quarter of Mykonos Town, with fresh fish, pasta and cocktails.
-
Sunset at the old port
Roca
Home-made Greek food from local ingredients at the old port and yacht marina, five minutes’ walk from town.
-
Long lunches on the sand
Avli tou Thodori
A restaurant on Platis Gialos beach where Greek cooking meets a modern style.
-
Fifty years on Ornos beach
Kostantis
A family restaurant on Ornos beach, run by the same family for about fifty years.
-
A Greek taverna north of town
Mathios Tavern
A Greek taverna near Agios Stefanos, north of Mykonos Town.
-
Breakfast over the Old Port
Blu Blu Mykonos
A café, restaurant and cocktail bar with panoramic views of the Old Port, from breakfast and brunch to cocktails.
Bars & nightlife
-
A Little Venice legend
Caprice
A classic sunset bar on the water in Little Venice, which turns into a party after dark.
-
Cocktails at the water’s edge
Galleraki
An informal, colourful cocktail bar with a terrace on the sea in Little Venice.
-
The view from above
180° Sunset Bar
A hilltop sunset bar above the old port, looking over the town, the windmills and the sea.
-
Everyone is welcome
Jackie O’ Town Bar
A celebrated bar on the old harbour, with drag shows, sunset drinks and a famously inclusive crowd.
-
The island’s legendary club
Cavo Paradiso
An open-air club on the cliff above Paradise Beach, with international DJs through the summer.
Where to stay: luxury, boutique & value
-
Icon of Mykonos design
Cavo Tagoo
A sculptural white hotel on the hillside north of town, with infinity pools and sunset views over Chora.
-
Fashion crowd in town
Belvedere
A stylish hotel on the edge of Chora, with a pool scene and a celebrated Japanese restaurant.
-
Small and elegant
Bill & Coo
An intimate hotel near Mykonos Town, with white suites and a pool facing the sunset.
-
Your own private beach
Santa Marina
A Luxury Collection resort on a hillside above Ornos, with a private beach, villas and a spa.
-
Views to Delos
Mykonos Grand Hotel & Resort
A resort above Agios Ioannis beach, with pools, a spa and wide views to Delos.
-
Relais & Châteaux above Chora
Myconian Korali
A Relais & Châteaux hotel on the hill above Mykonos Town, with views over the town and the bay.
-
Above Elia beach
Royal Myconian
A five-star resort above Elia beach on the south coast, a member of The Leading Hotels of the World.
-
Quiet escape near Elia
Panoptis Escape
A small luxury hotel near Elia beach, part of Small Luxury Hotels of the World.
-
MGallery by the bay
Kove Mykonos
A luxury boutique hotel and spa near Ornos, part of Accor’s MGallery collection.
-
Sea views above Chora
Damianos Hotel
A hotel with sea views just above Mykonos Town, moments from the centre.
-
Stay in town
Eleanna’s Mykonos
A small hotel in Mykonos Town (Chora), within walking distance of everything.
-
Beachside near town
Mykonos Bay Resort & Villas
A resort and villas on Megali Ammos beach, a short walk from Mykonos Town.
-
Simple and near the sand
Markos Beach Hotel
A simple one-star hotel on the bay of Megali Ammos, about 1 km from the centre of Chora.
Shopping, markets & jewellers
-
Greece’s great jewellery house
LALAoUNIS Mykonos
The Mykonos boutique of LALAoUNIS, the Athens jewellery house known for gold inspired by ancient and Byzantine art.
-
Designer jewellery in Chora
Anna Maria Mazaraki
A Greek jewellery designer with a shop in Mykonos Town.
-
Mykonos’s catwalk
Matoyianni Street
The main shopping lane of Chora, lined with fashion boutiques, jewellers and galleries.
Car & scooter hire, getting around
-
You may not need one
Car & scooter hire on Mykonos
International firms have desks at the airport, and local firms rent cars, scooters and quads around the island.
-
Book transfers ahead
Taxis, transfers & water taxis
Taxis are few and in high demand in summer; water taxis link Ornos and Platis Gialos with the south-coast beaches.
Getting there
-
Minutes from town
Mykonos Airport
The island airport, a few minutes from Chora, with flights from Athens and seasonal flights from Europe.
-
Check which port
Mykonos ports
Two ports: the new port at Tourlos for most ferries, and the old port in town for some boats and Delos trips.
-
Cheap and frequent in summer
Mykonos buses
Buses from the edge of town to Ornos, Platis Gialos, Paradise, Elia, Kalafatis and the ports.
Share your Mykonos experience
Been to Mykonos? Share your tips with other travellers.
- Loading the conversation…