Mykonos

Mykonos – Geared up for Tourism with its Pulsating Entertainment Scene

If you’re dreaming about your holidays, you’re no doubt thinking of suntanning and diving into clear blue seas. Fine sandy beaches under crystal clear skies and lots of partying ensure that many people pencil a trip to Mykonos into their diaries and calendars.

The Greek island’s natural beauty is also an important part of tourist attractions too. Mykonos is a beautiful island – part of the Cyclades, a group of clustered Greek islands in the Aegean Sea. 

Mykonos – A fashionable Getaway Address

For party lovers and those who love to socialize in the trendy bars, you could say that of the islands, Mykonos is the most fashionable address. It is Greece’s playground where the fun never sets and where bars beat through the night in the vibrant, cosmopolitan atmosphere.

Dare to bare it all..?

You’ll be lazing at a pool or on one of Mykonos’s 25 beaches, toasting your body to a golden brown, and if the weather’s good you shouldn’t miss a chance to at least experience one of the nudist beaches. Paradise Beach is a famous party beach where you can lie on your sunbed with dark sunglasses and secretly take in glimpses of people parading around in their birthday suits. Of course, it may be reason to only spend a short time on the beach!

The beach is well equipped for the influx of visitors and offers its fair share of umbrellas, sunbeds, pool clubs, beach bars and water sports.

The beach is always crowded, and being the original nudist beach, it still attracts many skinny dippers among the bikini- and speedo-clad beachgoers.

Mykonos – it caters for Families Too

Mykonos may well be known as a party island and a gay mecca, but it’s still an exceptional place for families too. There are still beaches where you won’t find loud music and parties and where the water is shallow and calm for kids to paddle in. Agios Stefanos Beach as well as Ornos and Kalafatis are ideal beaches for families with small kids.

The best thing about Mykonos is that you can create the experience you want. If you’re looking to have fun without wanting to be a part of the rowdy parties, loud music, bubbling champagne brunches and nude bathers, you can as there are plenty of alternative beaches and activities that attract a quieter visitor and which offer their own rustic charm. 

A Wedding and Honeymoon Destination?

Yes, Mykonos has many ideas for weddings, whether it’s a tent on a beach, a village chapel or a hotel with ballrooms. Some wedding couples looking for a particularly memorable experience, deciding to celebrate their wedding on a luxurious yacht. 

You can choose to get married indoors or out as there are exceptional wedding caterers who will ensure that your wedding day on a Greek Isle is so magical you’ll be spellbound. 

When to Visit Mykonos

Quite frankly, what you like will dictate your time to visit. If you love the crowds then the tourist season essentially is between May to September, with August being the peak month. This is when the island is choc-a-bloc. If you’re a party animal, July and August will fit you perfectly as the bars and nightclubs pulsate during these months. The best weather in Mykonos is between June and September. This is when it’s sunny and hot, perfect for the beach and all those water sports. 

How to reach Mykonos

There are many flights each day from Athens to Mykonos with flight times being roughly 35 minutes. Most visitors take the ferry which is a cheaper option. Ferry time from Athens to Mykonos can be anything from 3 to 6 hours depending on the ferry and the route. 

There are ferries to the Athens port of  Piraeus and Rafina. Mykonos also connects with other islands including Santorini, Naxos, Paros, Syros, Crete and more.  I highly recommend booking online with Ferryhopper.

Getting around Mykonos

You can trust Mykonos to provide locals and visitors with every kind of transport to get around. In Chora, the capital, the town is an architectural landmark and motorized traffic isn’t permitted. This means the only way to get around the town is by foot. 

Buses are a good way to get around Mykonos with the main bus station being in Fabrika square in Mykonos Town. There are also night buses and departure times for all buses are to be seen at the bus stations or online here. There is a ticket kiosk where you can buy your ticket, alternatively you can also buy tickets before boarding the bus. 

Car- and scooter hire as well as hiring a taxi are other convenient forms of getting around the island. 

Capital of Mykonos – Chora

Chora is the island’s port town and capital. It has a varied cultural history which lets you see that there is far more to Mykonos than the magnificent beaches.

Chora will delight you with its narrow streets, its white houses, blue doors, small balconies and abundance of bougainvillea. There is much to explore and discover and the main street, Matoyanni, will be exhilarating to do as its full of awesome cafes, bars and shops.

Most visitors understand that there is just too much to see, and afraid to miss something of importance, they can take in the city experience by booking a tour.

These tours can last roughly 3 hours where you’ll be able to take in some of the traditional ways of life, some historical monuments, churches and windmills and still enjoy some refreshments served up with true, warm Greek hospitality.

A Premier Holiday Spot – Many entertainment Options

Island of Delos -As the gateway to the island of Delos, Mykonos visitors should not pass up an opportunity to see this Unesco World Heritage- and archaeological site in Greece.

You’ll take a fascinating journey into Greece’s ancient past and visit the sacred island of Delos with a guided tour. With Delos Travel you can book online or you can buy tickets at the ticket desk outside the boats. Prices for the ticket include entrance fee and certified guide.The site is explored on foot and with the well-visited archaelogical site being the remains of a sanctuary to the gods Artemis and Apollo. There is a museum which displays Greek sculpture and artifacts from excavations. 

Armenistis Lighthouse  –  We’ve all had romantic thoughts on lighthouses. We imagine the intriguing personal lives of lighthouse-keepers living on remote clifftops and casting a beam of light to ships caught in treacherous storms at night.

Mykonos has its own Armenistis Lighthouse which was built in 1891 and which  bears silent testimony to the area’s maritime history. The fascinating aspect of this lighthouse is that it is still functional today. It is well worth a visit for the spectacular beauty and views it offers. It’s time for spectacular photographs and who knows a new hobby may start this holiday!

Cooking class Myconian Spiti – The warm atmosphere in Mykonos encourages mingling with family and friends around a meal. Teta, from Myconian Spiti is your wonderful hostess and not only does she show you how to prepare some wonderful Greek dishes, but it’s also her knowledge about Greek culture that enhances the entire cooking-class experience.

Why not take a cooking class while visiting Mykonos and discover the secrets of Mykonos’s awesome cuisine? You’ll learn something of- and be involved in an authentic traditional Myconian style of living, you’ll learn how to cook Myconian style and make use of the organic herbs and vegetables grown in the family vegetable garden.

Mykonos Beach Bars – Some places in Mykonos you just have to experience so you can tell your envious friends back home ‘been there, done that’. Mykonos has some awesome beach bars that are a ‘must experience’ and Nammos on Psarou Beach is one. 

The idea with Nammos is to recreate a similar atmosphere to what you’d get on a luxury yacht. The massively popular bar is actually considered more of a lifestyle destination as it comes with restaurants, boutiques and spa. It’s a hot-spot for jet setters looking for lavish hours of entertainment. 

Principote in Panormos is another beach club considered to be one of the hottest on the Greek isle. It can be highly entertaining watching yachts arrive bringing guests to settle on loungers on the beach as they wait for the evening partying to start. Revelers are also promised an adventurous culinary voyage with the likes of grilled octopus together with an excellent wine list. 

SantAnna is a magnificent multimillion-euro beach club in Paraga Beach. Those who have been to it say it goes beyond the trendy beach scene atmosphere the island is so famous for. 

There is an enormous saltwater pool which is the centerpiece of the complex and which is Europe’s largest. SantAnna also features other amazing amenities – two beachfront restaurants, several bars, gym and spa facilities, subterranean guest facilities as well as high-fashion boutiques. There are plenty of concierge services offering the likes of helicopter services, private security and island tours. 

Scorpios Beach Club at Paraga Beach is yet another exquisite hang-out, found on a ridge between two sandy beaches and offering magnificent sea views. Beautifully designed and decorated, this beach club isn’t just sought after in Mykonos but considered to be one of the best in the world.   You can’t just arrive though and if you want to be bedazzled by this magnificent venue, you will need to make reservations. 

Wine tasting at Mykonos Vioma Winery – Mykonos offers new situations to meet new friends and new experiences. Mykonos Vioma Winery offers a charming ‘firm-favorite’ sensory exploration for wine lovers.

The family-run vineyard in Ano Mera has been producing its organic wines for more than 20 years. It’s the ideal spot for a laid-back country outing complete with classical music where you can just enjoy wine, food and nature at its finest. There really isn’t much to beat a good authentic Greek lunch, drinking delicious wines, surrounded by the very vines the wine was made from. 

Special Festivals 

Religious Feasts

Mykonos has a number of religious feasts to honor their saints. These festivals take place all through the night and include wine, song and dance. These religious festivals mainly take place in July and August. 

Gay Festival 

The annual Gay Festival attracts thousands of gays from all over the world who descend on Mykonos during August. In fact, the peak period is the last 2 weeks of August with the Xlsior Festival. One of the most sought after gay bars in Mykonos is Jackie O’, a 2-story dance bar with spectacular views over the Aegean Sea. 

Art Festival

During the peak Summer period, June to September the Mykonos Art Festival provides visitors and locals with the chance to take part in art exhibitions, music concerts, theatre and more. The events don’t take place in one venue, but over several locations. Entrance to virtually all the art festival events is free. 

Accommodation in Mykonos

Hotels

There are budget-friendly hotels such as the comfortable, relaxed 2-star Matogianni Hotel to 5-star luxury hotels such as the Boheme Mykonos and Belvedere Hotel. Amenities vary with each hotel with most hotels being air conditioned, they’ve got 24-hour reception service, airport transfers and private bathrooms. The more high-end hotels will offer luxury amenities such as fitness centers, spas and swimming pools. 

Also check out my post on where to stay in Mykonos. 

Mykonos – A Greek Island Designed to Please

You can see that Mykonos is the most spectacular place for a holiday and whatever experience you’re looking for on the island you’ll find it. Mykonos offers so much and these guidelines will assist you in familiarizing yourself with the Greek Island. One way or the other, this island is going to shake things up.