From Wikitravel

Mykonos is an important Greek island of the Cyclades group, situated in the middle of the Aegean Sea close to Paros.

[edit] Understand

Mykonos is famed as a cosmopolitan destination amongst the Greek islands and widely recognised as one of the great travel meccas. It is the most touristed island in the Aegean. This means that any visitors should be prepared for loud dance clubs, English breakfasts and over-priced merchandise.

Mykonos is a grand example of unique cycladic architecture set around a picturesque fishing-village bay. Totally whitewashed organic cube-like buildings fit closely together to form a kind of haphazard maze of narrow alley ways and streets. Many well preserved windmills and hundreds of tiny red-roofed churches adds a flavour of culture and custom to the scene, enhanced even further by many museums and the historical ancient site of nearby Delos.

[edit] Talk

[edit] Get in

[edit] By sea

Ferrys and Highspeed catamaran services run daily from Piraeus and Paros. Flying Dolphins Flying Dolphins has a 3 1/2 hour trip for around 50 euros each way.

Mykonos can be reached daily directly from Santorini by catamaran.

Visit Greek Ferries and search through all ferry schedules to/from Mykonos and the rest of Greece.

[edit] By air

Mykonos has an airport, about 4km away from the main city. The airport has regular flights for Athens and Thessaloniki by Olympic Airways[1], Aegean Airlines[2] and AirSea Lines [3]. The airport can be reached only by taxi.

In summer - during high season - charter airlines are going directly to Mykonos from many European airports.

[edit] Get around

On Mykonos you can get around by scooter, ATV, car, or bus. A sophisticated bus network, which takes you to virtually any point of the island.

Additionally taxis operate at constant rate. In the evening, it can be nearly impossible to find a taxi. You can wait hours at the taxi queue in town.

There are now two ferry terminals at Hora (Mykonos), the main sea port on the island. If you are on foot and leaving the island, be certain whether your ferry leaves from the old port (the nearest one to the main section of town) or the New Port (about 10 km to the north).

There is also a third "port" from whence boats to and from Delos depart and arrive, but most travellers won't confuse this with the ferry landings.

[edit][add listing] See

• The Windmills - the windmills are the landmark of Mykonos.

• Little Venice - a district in Mykonos City, famous for its colourful balconies.

• Petros the Pelican can be found at the waterfront. Originally the pelican was found after a storm back in the 1950s. After Petros died he was so popular that a new pelican was introduced as a successor. Now there are two pelicans inhabiting the island, who can sometimes be found up in the town as well as at the port.

• Archaeological Museum of Mykonos - the exhibition of the museum includes a large number of vases, ranging from the prehistoric to the late Hellenistic period (25th-1st century B.C.), grave statues, stelae and funerary urns from Rheneia, and very few finds from Mykonos.

[edit][add listing] Do

• Delos Guided Tour from Mykonos [4] - Only a short boat ride away, and history awaits you. A must for all visitors.

[edit] Beaches

• Agios Ioannis Beach - a small beach with fantastic snorkeling opportunities. Never got over crowded, deck chairs were available to rent. Great tavern and cocktail bar very close. Not a tourist beach. Was used in the film Shirly Valentine

• Paradise Beach - a crowded party beach for the under 30 set, nudity is common. Large pebbly sand is great for windy days.

• Super Paradise Beach - another crowded party beach for the under 30 set. Paradise and Super Paradise may be some sort of quarantine created by the locals. Also popular with gays, and transgenders. Nudity is quite common and practised in the central beach area.

• Psarou Beach - Half the beach chairs and umbrella require reservations during peak season. Non-reserved chairs are available first come, first served.

• Platys Gialos Beach - busy family and tourist beach. Jet ski rentals available.

• Elia Beach - Rents beach chairs and umbrella for 10 euro. Rentals for Jet ski, waterskiing, wakeboarding and para sailing are available. Elia is a large beach compared to other Mykonos beaches. Nudity is permitted but not as common as Paradise, Super Paradise and Paranga.

• Paranga Beach - another popular beach. Full nudity is practised on the right end (facing the water). Becoming more popular for nudists that don't want the party atmosphere of Paradise and Super Paradise.

• Ornos Beach - a quiet family beach. Lots of umbrellas and lounges available for rent. Bathing suit bottoms are required on Ornos. The beach is lined with great restaurants, hotels and a nearby grocery store and town. Some hotels and restaurants are quite upscale. Serviced by bus and boat taxi.

[edit][add listing] Eat

[edit] Mykonos Town

• Nikos - Amazing food, Great prices. Always packed. One block off the harbor towards little Venice.
• La Maison de Catherine, Ayios Gerasimos, Mykonos Town - phone 22890/22169. Serves French and Greek food. Prices range from €12 to €20.
• Kalidonios Restaurant -
• Aqua Tavernia, Little Venice, Mykonos Town - phone 22890/26083. A little Italian restaurant serving Mediterranean-style food.

[edit] Ano Mera

The town square offers several traditional restaurants.

[edit] Beach Taverns

• Nammos on Psarou Beach - top quality at good prices

• Elia on Elia Beach - large menu, reasonable and very good food

• Ornos has good variety of restaurants. Serviced with boat taxi and bus from Mykonos town

[edit][add listing] Drink

• Caprice in Little Venice is ever popular and perhaps the most crowded bar on the island. Its beautiful when the surf is up.

• Several nightclubs are open after hours and offer Greek songs and trays of flowers to throw at the singers.

[edit][add listing] Sleep

• Art Hotel Pelican Bay [5] - one of the most contemporary boutique hotels. Great Service.

• Contiki Mykonos Resort For ages 18-35. Great beach front location, nightclub, and swimming pool! Perfect for the younger crowd.
• Hotel Nazos, [6]. Hotel Nazos in Mykonos Town warmly welcomes guests with a friendly Greek atmosphere and hospitality.Located in Mykonos town.

• Hotel Tagoo [7] - Wonderful place to stay near town, and an excellent value. Recently renovated, it has a pool with a great view and a bar with a relaxed atmosphere. The owners are incredibly hospitable.

• the Deluxe Beach Houses [8] - spacious and modern deluxe apartments situated just 50 meters from the beach of Platys Yialos.

• the Mykonos Town Superior Studios/Apartments [9] - comfortable and clean accommodation, with private bath/shower, air conditioning, television, and cooking facilities.

• Belvedere Hotel [10] - one of the most popular boutique hotels. Most rooms, however, have a poor view.

• Dionysos Hotel [11] - Associated with Bestwestern International and located just 50 meters from Ornos Beach, Dionysos Hotel has 50 rooms.

• Rochari Hotel, Mykonos town 84600, ☎ +30 22890 23107 (fax: +30 22890 24307), [12]. A 3 star hotel with comfortable rooms, most of which have view edit

.

• St Johns Hotel [13] - a beautiful new five star hotel outside of town. Most rooms offer either sea views or a partial sea view.

• Agios Ioannis Beach Resort [14] - Great hotel literally on the beach. the best carrots ever are served in the bbq restaurant.

• Appartamenti Di Lusso Platis Yialos Mykonos [15] - spaziosi e moderni appartamenti (categoria deluxe) situati soltanto 50 metri dalla spiaggia di Plati Yialos.

• Myconian Imperial Hotel, Elia Beach 846 00 Kalo Livadi, ☎ +30(22890) 72027, [16]. Check in: 12; Check out: 10. . A luxury hotel offering bed and breakfast, and many different room & suite types to choose edit

• San Marco Hotel, Houlakia Bay, ☎ (+ 30) 22890 27172, (+ 30) 22890 25375, [17]. . The San Marco Hotel is built in authentic Cycladic style with traditional whitewashed walls and deep blue wooden shutters. edit

Its hot on Mykonos during July and August, so you may want to ensure your hotel has air conditioning. Note that there are some exclusively gay (targeted) hotels on the island of Mykonos, while the majority of the other hotels are gay-friendly.

[edit] Get out

Delos, an island close to Mykonos is famous for its ancient temples. Daily excursions can be booked in Mykonos. Delos was the most important Panhellenic sanctuary, and, according to mythology, the birth-place of Apollo and Artemis. The first signs of habitation on the island date from the 3rd millennium B.C., and important remains of the Mycenaean period have been uncovered in the area of the sanctuary. In the 7th century B.C. Delos was already a known Ionic centre because of its religious importance as the birth-place of Apollo.