Mykonos

Getting There

Greece has over 6000 islands, consisting of many different island groups. Mykonos is part of the island group called the Cyclades. Other commonly visited islands in the Cyclades include Santorini, Milos, Paros, Naxos, Ios, among some other less known islands.

The Cyclades are located SE of the mainland of Greece. In general, when traveling to the Cyclades from locations outside of Greece, the possible airports to consider flying to are located in Athens, the island of Santorini, and the island of Mykonos. Athens will have the most options available. Santorini and Mykonos airports may have direct flights from destinations outside Europe, likely just less frequent and more expensive. This is largely because flying directly to the islands is advantageous.

The Mykonos airport is small and not very nice. However, when visiting Mykonos, it is nice to be able to travel onto the island without requiring a ferry.

On that note, traveling by ferry is very common in Greece. Seajets, World Champion Jets, Blue Star Ferries and Power Jet are a few of the big ferry companies. Start by checking any of the individual websites for planned ferries, entering your start and end destination. Using websites like ferryhopper or directferries can also be helpful to find options available as these websites will provide an overview of all options available from point A to point B on a given day. Ferry tickets usually range from 50 – 100 euros, depending on the journey route and can be bought online. Closer to the date of departure, you will be able to either download tickets electronically or can pick them up at the ferry port. From Santorini to Mykonos, the fast ferry on Hellenic Seaways takes about 3 hours with a few stops along the way. The fast ferry from Athens to Mykonos takes about 2.5 hours. In high season, be sure to book your ferry tickets ahead of time.

It is important to figure out where your ferry arrives (there’s the new port and the old port in Mykonos). The new and old port are not too far away, but your arrival location will affect how you get to your accommodations. Most ferries go to New Port and Hellenic Seaways is guaranteed to always go to New port. New Port is further from Mykonos Town than Old Port so you will need a taxi, bus or arranged pickup to get into town. If you are planning on taking a taxi, keep in mind that there are only about 30 taxis on the entire island of Mykonos. Thus, you may have to wait awhile especially when there’s an entire ferry full of people trying to get places.

If arriving at the new port, line up at the front of the group waiting to get off the boat to improve your chances of getting a taxi quickly. Once you are off the boat, go straight and then slightly left to see the taxis. If you do not have a lot of luggage, bring your bags upstairs with you as it will be a scramble to find luggage at arrival while trying to get in front of the crowds.

When planning your trip, keep in mind the ferries in Greece are often delayed by at least 30 minutes and sometimes departure times are adjusted from the original time noted at booking (depending how far in advance tickets are purchased). Therefore, book adequate time when depending on flights or ferries. If possible, in order to optimise time on the islands and reduce stress of potential flight or ferry delays impacting the journey, consider taking a flight in the afternoon / evening and then catching a ferry the following morning.

Getting Around

Taxis

Taxis are scarce and are not dependable in Mykonos

Bus

The bus system works well to get to the beaches. Most leave from Fabrika Square which is on one side of town (side near the windmills) and others leave from around the Old Port. Check online at Mykonosbus.com for schedules. In the summer, most were pretty frequent (every 30 minutes to 1 hour depending on the beach). The bus costs 1.80 for a one-way ticket during the day and 2.30 in the late hours of the night/early hours of the morning. Buses, like in Santorini, are big coach buses

Vehicle Rental

Renting your own vehicle in Mykonos is not recommended. The roads are a lot thinner, drivers are not careful and the roads are not well-kept. Often roads look like they are one way and then you see a giant bus coming your way driving the opposite direction. People are also known to drive their ATVs back at night after too many drinks. Nevertheless, there are a lot of people who do choose to rent vehicles and there are plenty of rental locations to pick from.

Foot

You can get around on foot in Mykonos Town where standard vehicles cannot drive as it is a pedestrian only area. You can also walk between a few of the beaches, which is helpful if the bus to the beach you want to take is not for another 45 minutes but there is one going to one nearby in a few minutes.

Accommodations

Depending on your trip intentions, stay either in or walking distance from Mykonos Town or right near one of the many beaches.

Mykonos Town

This is where most of the restaurants are located and where a lot of the partying at night takes place. Stay in Mykonos Town if you are planning to visit a bunch of different beaches and want to take advantage of the nightlife scene in Mykonos. Some of the best sunsets will also be from Mykonos Town so be sure to get dinner one night on or along the water.

By a beach 

There are many different beaches in Mykonos, with the main ones located on the south shore. Beaches are separated by rocks, but some can be accessed rather easily from others. If quick and easy access to a beach is more important to you than participating in nightlife, consider staying closer to one of the beaches. There are still restaurant options near the beaches, just less compared to Mykonos Town. Staying near Platys Gialos is a good option as you can easily walk to Psarou Beach, Paraga beach, Agia Anna and a bit further to Paradise Beach.

Duration

Mykonos is for the party-goer willing to spend money. It has earned itself a reputation to draw in those looking to drink and dance on the beach and also has become a tourist heavy location. This means prices are much higher than compared to other Greek islands, and the culture is lacking. It has become very commercialised and very busy. Beach chairs are on top of each other at the beach and come at a high cost as well as often including a minimum food or drink requirement. For those looking for this type of trip, a few days on Mykonos will allow you to party and enjoy beautiful beaches. For those uninterested in this type of holiday, skip Mykonos entirely and pick another Greek island instead!

Time of year

Like many of the Greek islands, Mykonos draws in visitors for the weather. From June until September, the weather is consistently warm. July and August will be peak travel months, meaning the island itself will be busier and the prices will be higher. If flexible, consider visiting in June or September for less crowds and better prices. This could mean the weather is not as good (either cooler or windier), but this can also be the case in peak months so should not be a deterrent.

Weather

One thing the Greek islands have is great weather. From late May through October, you can expect sunny days and temperatures between 22 – 35 degrees Celcius (75 – 95 degrees Fahrenheit). The islands can get quite windy, but often this is nice with the hot summer days.

Water

When visiting the Greek islands, it is recommend to drink bottled water instead of water from the tap. Large 1.5L water bottles were only 1 euro at most places and is very easy to find.

Cost

Much more expensive than some of the other areas in Greece. The cheapest beach chairs were 10 or 15 euros with limited amenities. For this reason, you’ll likely want to stay at one beach for most of the day. Some of the sets of beach chairs (2 beach chairs with an umbrella were 50 euros). The front rows were sometimes more expensive than the further back ones and if you don’t want an umbrella, sometimes you do not have a choice.

Island Hopping

If hopping between islands in the Cyclades, do not plan too tight of an itinerary. You will be dependent on ferry schedules to get you between islands. Ferry boat departure times can change, be delayed, or even be cancelled. Thus, it is best to make a plan that provides flexibility if ferries do not stay to their timetables.

Mykonos is an easy add to an island hopping trip, especially as it has its own airport so can be a beginning or end point

Comparison to other Cyclades

Paros is a great mix of some of the other islands. It offers cute Greek villages, some nice beaches, delicious food, and more nightlife options, all while being quite affordable. It is an easy island to add when visiting other Cyclades islands.

Mykonos is the party island, drawing in groups of friends looking for a good time and planning to check out the beach parties during the day and bar hopping into the evening. This also makes Mykonos much more touristy, higher prices, and often food and services which are geared towards tourists.

Santorini is the typical Greek island getaway for the picturesque views, white buildings covered with coloured windows, doors and bright flowers, and magnificient sunset views. It draws in a lot of tourists, making it a less authentic experience, but is a beautiful island. Santorini draws in all types of travelers, but often is especially prevalent for couples due to the romantic vibes and luxurious accommodations available.

Naxos is a chill and quieter island, ideal for nice beaches and a relaxed Greek island trip with incredible Greek food. It provides a unique and more authentic experience on the Greek islands

Milos is known for its beautiful, and unique beaches. It also feels less commercialised and brings in many local Greeks, keeping it a more local and authentic experience.

Traditional Greek Dishes

• Gyros in pita
• Souvlaki – meat on a skewer
• From the spit – meat from a rotisserie
• Greek salad – tomatoes, cucumber, olives green peppers, capers, red onions, and feta
• Fish and Seafood
• Tzatiki – fresh yogurt dip
• Ouzo – clear colored spirit which tastes a bit like licorice; often served with water as a cloudy white drink