The ultimate Mykonos travel guide

Mykonos is part of the Cyclades islands and it was our first honeymoon stop in Greece. We have spent here 3 days, but this was more than enough time to discover it as the island is not so large.

It is a little island (only 85,5 square kilometres) which is very famous for its night life. Great parties are granted with DJs like David Guetta, but there were no parties now due to the pandemic. Despite of this, Mykonos is still a great choice if you would like to swim in the sea and enjoy the sunshine on the beach in these though time as well. There are also some great sights, what you should see it on the island. Moreover you find many white and blue colored houses, what was on my bucket list for so long! You imagine how happy I was to see so many Greek traditional houses. Let see some recommendations about accommodation, restaurants, local transport and sights!

Where to stay

Mykonos is a very upscale island which reflects on the prices as well. You can find wide range of accommodations from middle range apartments to luxurious villas, which are located in the heart of Mykonos town or a bit further from the center. You find everything based on your needs and preferences.

We choose Marina's House in Tourlos, what is a great apartment, I highly recommend it. Our host, Marina was very friendly and helpful, we got many good advice about the island. This apartment seems to be far away from Mykonos city (as known as Chora in Greek) on the map, but in reality, it was only a 20-minutes walk. Obviously it is faster with car or motorbike. The view was also amazing from the apartment, we had breakfasts every morning on the terrace while observing the beautiful Greek landscape ahead of us.

How to get around

I highly recommend renting a car/motorbike/quad. It is very useful and comfortable way of travelling in the island. There aren't long distances but without it, you cannot discover the island properly. We had great experience with Best1 rental, as the owner didn't let us to rent a motorbike without having scooter riding experience. He suggested to rent a quad what was safer way of travelling on the island and was so much fun as well. We were very grateful for him for this advice due to the steep ups and downs. He brought the quad to our apartment, and we just left it there when we checked out. Our host arranged the return with them.

There are public buses as well from Mykonos Town, but I think it is waste of time to wait for it as everything is so close with car.

Where to eat

If you are in Greece don't miss to try the traditional Greek dishes like Gyros pita or Chicken souvlaki, Mousaka. Moreover seafood plate always a great choice next the sea, as it was so fresh and yummy. We got great advice from our host to avoid the restaurants in Little Venice area, as the dishes are not really price worthy.

Fortunately we found many good restaurants only 5-10 minutes far from Little Venice by walk:

Kazarma

2. Kounelas Fish Tavern

3. Salparo Seafood Tavern (I forgot to take a photo from the food, but the view was amazing as much as the dishes)

Obviously there are many great restaurants in the island, but these were the ones what we have tried it and was so delicious.

What to see

1. Little Venice

Little Venice is one of the main attraction of the island. Back in the 13th century, the island was important trade route for the Venetians. The Venetian culture had significant impact on this island's life. For example in this part of the center, the wealthy merchants have built houses in Venetian style, so that is why we call it Little Venice. This is a must see place if you are in Mykonos, however it wasn't as astonishing in reality as on the Instagram photos. Renovation wouldn't harm to the charm of this place. If you are walking in Little Venice don't miss to walk on the little white alleys in the old town of Mykonos town what was so special.

2. Windmills

The second most picturesque main sights in Mykonos are the windmills. In the past, grain production (especially wheat) was a very important industry for the residents. The trade has flourished mainly in the Venetian times and the first windmills were constructed by them as well in the 16th century. Now the ancient windmills still exists but only 16 survived. 5 windmills are located in the heart of the Mykonos Town, really close to Little Venice. There were many tourist around the windmills, especially at sunset, but not as much as used to be.

3. Armenistis Lighthouse

My personal favorite was the lighthouse. The road trip to the lighthouse was so so beautiful. I was so charmed by the view all the time. There were only a few tourists here, as most of the travel guides aren't suggesting to go there, but it is definitely worth it. The view was amazing, I guess the pictures speak for themselves.

The best beaches in Mykonos

The island is very windy all the time, so the best beaches is located in the south part of the island, where are less wind. There are many beach bars, where you rent sunbeds and parasol as well for certain prices. The price varies from 20-40 EUR depending on the beach. Don't worry it is not obligatory to rent it, you bring your own towels and you put onto the sand since there are free places on every beach.

The water of the sea is crystal clear, which was very surprising for me. I have already been in north part of Greece, but I didn't remember so beautiful beaches.

The best beaches, what I recommend in this island is the following:

Paradise Beach Bar

2. Agios Ioanis Beach

If you are curious to see beach at the north part of the island despite of the wind. I highly recommend Fokos Beach. There isn't any beach bar here, but the view compensates for everything.

Overall I highly recommend to visit Mykonos. It is less crowded now, what is so refreshing. What is really important in these troubling time, that you should always keep the distance, wash your hands and wear the mask. Responsible traveling is very important in this new reality. We had many good experiences with the locals. They were so happy to have us in their shops or stay at their apartments. In most cases tourism is the only income for the residents in these islands like Mykonos so we could feel our importance during this trip. Our host said that Mykonos reached around 50% of the capacity this time compared to last year.