Are you planning a trip to Mykonos in Greece? Check out this blog post for the ultimate guide to Mykonos including day trip from Mykonos, places to stay in Mykonos and top things to do in Mykonos!
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Sun, sea and whitewashed buildings. 
Friendly locals, history, good food.
Stunning views, great nightlife.
The smell of salt wherever you go.
Minimal buildings.
Narrow back roads.
Traffic rules are scarcely followed.
The occasional group of young people
partying it up in the streets.
Blue and white wherever you look.
Welcome to Mykonos.
Visiting Greece has been a life long dream of mine. Almost every year when it gets close to Summertime, I remember turning on the TV or getting on social media and seeing pictures of these beautiful white buildings with clear blue Mediterranean sea as the backdrop.
Not too long ago, I had the opportunity to visit Mykonos and this trip quickly made the list on my top 10 travel destinations.
Coming from an island myself, Mykonos felt like I was in Malta. I think that’s what made me fall in love with it so quickly.
Living in Germany made me realise how much I miss my Mediterranean roots and so spending time on a Mediterranean island made me feel like I am back home. And leaving home is always hard. Leaving Mykonos was just as hard.
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Mykonos is one of Greece’s 200+ inhabited island. Every island has it’s own unique flair to it. Even though they all share the same language and motherland, each Greek island offers something different.
Somethings you should know:
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It is very windy in Mykonos. I was surprised by that actually because I expected it to be hot and humid just like the other Mediterranean island. However, the wind proved to be great because it gave us some relief from the hot sun and it made it very enjoyable walking around without being drenched in sweat.
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There is no such thing as traffic or road rules in Mykonos. We did rent a car for the last two days and let me tell you, it was worse than driving in Malta or Sicily. If you’re renting a car, brace yourself!
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The only proper roads I saw where the ones leading to the main part of the island. All other roads were field roads. It was very bumpy, but I loved seeing the never-ending farmlands.
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Just like any other island, it gets very crowded and it is very tiny. However, don’t let that discourage you from visiting. I don’t like busy places but I fell in love with Mykonos! There is something truly magical about it.
The best time to visit Mykonos:
Places to stay in Mykonos:
We stayed for one night only because the next day when we came back from our day at the beach, we found ants in our bed! They did provide us with another room but they had more ants in that too so we decided to leave.
THERE ARE NO SHORTAGES OF PLACES TO STAY IN MYKONOS. CHECK OUT BOOKING.COM FOR GREAT DEALS ON ACCOMMODATION IN MYKONOS.
How to get to Mykonos:
Mykonos is one of the larger island (such as Crete, Rhodes and Santorini to name a few) and therefore, it has its own airport which makes it easier to get to. Flying in can be an option if you don’t have great sea legs.
There are also flights from Athens, which by the way, is the capital of Greece.
Another option is by ferry. Mykonos has its own port and every day there are ferries bringing tourists in from other islands and even from Athens.
What and where to eat in Mykonos:
Just like any other Summer island, food can be quite expensive. We lucked out for most of the time but we did end up paying a hefty price one night! The food was delicious though.
no brainer tip: if you’re staying at a place with a kitchen, buy groceries and cooked your own meals! there is a grocery store called AB Food Market and that’s where we bought our food from. However, there is a grocery store in almost every corner!
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Breakfast:
On our first morning, we went to this breakfast place called The Liberty Breakfast Room. It is a very pretty and instagrammable place and the views were beautiful. The food was good too! However, if you’re a budget traveller, you might want to either avoid this place or just treat yourself once like we did.
I had this fruit bowl with yoghurt and it cost €12 .. yeah, that’s how pricey it is!
Seafood:
Mykonos is known for its seafood and Koursaros did not disappoint. This is a super high-end restaurant but the food was so good! I ended up having a seafood salad (I’m not a huge fan of seafood but this was so good!). The rest of our group ordered 3KGs of shrimp, three types of meat, 1KG of king crab and starters. The amount for six people, including cocktails, ended up being €700. You can imagine our reaction, however, the food was good and the service was excellent!
Make sure you get their special, in house cocktail!
Alegro in Old Port:
We went to Alegro twice. That’s how good it was. The first time we were walking around the Old Port and decided to give it a go and we were not disappointed! The food was beyond good and the prices super reasonable! This piece of pork cost only €11! The staff were super nice and welcoming. The second time we went was when we got off the ferry from Delos and we were ravenous. Therefore, we went to Alegro again for some pasta because we knew for sure we were not going to be disappointed.
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Gyros:
Gyros Corner Opontos it’s where it’s at! It’s very cheap and the food is just delicious. It’s always packed and it doesn’t help that they only have I think less than 10 tables outside. However, the food is outstanding! If you don’t mind sitting next to strangers with barely any room to move but want amazingly delicious food, this is the place for you!
I applied filters for all the pictures in this post but this one deserves to be seen in its natural state.
Cheap authentic Greek food at Niko’s Taverna:
We went to Niko’s Taverna on our last night. Whenever we were in old town, we also walked by and it was always packed! I made it a point to go at least once to see if it’s really good. And it was! Me and Luis spent had dinner on our last night there. The place was packed but the food kept coming out so fast! We were amazed watching the waiters running in and out of the kitchen with plates of food.
I recommend getting the Moussaka from Niko’s!
Moussaka, from my perspective, is Greek lasagna. It had a very thick bechamel sauce, potatoes, meat sauce and vegetables. I Googled how to make it and I will attempt to make it at home for our next cheat day. It was so good!!
Ninnolo’s Ice-Cream:
Right next to Niko’s, you’ll see Ninnolo’s. Hands down of the best ice-cream places I’ve been to! They have a variety of flavours ranging from cinnamon to chili pepper chocolate. My favourite combo was milk chocolate and dark chocolate. What I liked about it, apart from the taste, is that the dark chocolate had chocolate pieces in it!
[bctt tweet=”The beauty in front of her interrupted her thoughts. She took a deep breath, staring at the shores of Mykonos with the scenic coves and the golden sand beaches.” username=”reebeccaam”]
Best beaches in Mykonos:
We did have a pool in our villa and we did make use of it. However, we spent most of our time in the beautiful waters of Mykonos, and that’s how it should be! As you can imagine, there are a number of beaches to choose from. These are the three we had the opportunity to go to:
Kalafati Beach:
Apart from its crystal clear waters, this beach was not that busy! We bought sunbeds and umbrellas for €20 for two people. We also did rafting which cost €15 for two people. It was definitely one of the highlights of our trip! If you’re looking for a rather quiet beach but with things to do and places to find food, this is the beach for you.
Super Paradise Beach:
Compared to Kalafati, this beach was a little busier. As soon as you walk in, you will see a restaurant, bar and a small supermarket. Then, you walk to the sunbeds which cost us €40 for two. The water was still crystal clear though!
One thing to keep in mind when visiting this beach is that every 30 minutes or so, a small boat comes in carrying people from other beaches. A lifeguard comes and tells people to move so the boat can “anchor” onshore.
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Agios Sostis Beach:
This is a purely local beach. You won’t find that many tourists here – hardly at all. This is definitely my favourite beach we’ve been to! Again, the water was so fresh and clear and there were hardly any people. It is a little far out though so you’d definitely need a car to go to this beach.
There are many other beaches that I would have loved to go to! Click here if you want to know more.
What To Do In Mykonos:
Mykonos Windmills:
This is an iconic landmark. Our host at the villa urged us to go and that’s what we did! These windmills can be seen from any point on the island. We saw them from Old Town and even from our villa! They are white just like the rest of the island pretty much. Their primary use was to mill wheat. Now they serve as a tourist hot spot. There are windmills in Chora and Boni.
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The walk there is also spectacular and we couldn’t help but stop and take some pictures!
Have a drink in Little Venice:
Little Venice is a neighbourhood decorated with different coloured houses built on the edge of the sea. Nowadays, these houses are bars and restaurants and it is one of the best places to watch the sunset whilst having a nice, refreshing cocktail.
Walk around Mykonos Town:
You can’t go to Mykonos and not visit the heart of the island. Here you’ll find everything – restaurants, souvenir shops, clubs, bars etc. We were there every day and every day I fell in love with it more. Even though it was stupid busy and the narrow roads do not help, it is still one of my favourite places to spend my days in.
You’ll see locals driving these insanely loud motorcycles honking their horns at tourists to get out of their way. It was another characteristic that made me fall in love with Greece and miss home at the same time.
why the white buildings?
There are two reasons as to why the buildings are coloured this way. The first reason is to reflect the heat from the Summer sun. The white is not paint but it is a layer of plaster. Another reason is that for a long period of time, the Ottomans conquered the Greek islands, the Turks wouldn’t suppress the Greeks from showing any signs of patriotism. To protest, the Greeks started painting their buildings white and blue. More information here!
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Take a stroll around Old Port and New Port:
Located 10 mins walk away from each other, these are a must in Mykonos. In Old Port, you’ll find restaurants all across the seashore and it leads to the old town. In New Port is where the cruises dock at but you can see some really great views from there.
Fun fact: the old port is also home to Peter the Pelican – Pelekan of Mykonos. The Pelican is the mascot of Mykonos and you’ll find lots of them in Old Port!
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Visit the churches:
Greece is an Orthodox country and its churches are rather different than the ones we have back at home. You’ll see small churches all over the island which you can walk into freely. I walked into this one in Old Port and absolutely loved it! According to some, there are 800 churches in total in Mykonos. Some of the most famous are Panagia Paraportiani and Agios Nikolaos in Chora and the Monastery of Panagia Tourliani in Ano Mera.
Take a ferry to the island of Delos:
This is my favourite thing we did on our trip. Delos is located 20 minutes away from Mykonos by ferry. You pay for the ticket at New Port, which costs €20 per person and get on the boat from Old Port (which is a 10-minute walk). The boat leaves every 90 minutes. The ferry ride there was not the smoothest as it was windy, but keep your eyes on the horizon and you’re good to go!
As soon as you get off the boat, you’d have to walk through an office and pay an admission fee. I do not remember the price exactly but since I am an EU citizen and have a student card still, I paid half the price. So if you’re from the EU, let them know!
You have the option for a tour or a self-guided tour. Me and Luis simply walked around and explored by ourselves. It was hot so make sure you pack a ton of water because there isn’t a cafeteria! There is a souvenir shop though.
More information about Delos:
Delos is an important archaeological site. Here you’ll find remains of temples dedicated to ancient Greek Gods. Our host told us that when walking around, you’d feel this energy and he’s right! It was truly magical walking around and picturing how it would have looked during its prime time. People would come here to worship these Gods. It flourished under the Roman Empire but it was the King of Pontos who destroyed the island. Delos is a UNESCO world heritage site. If you want more details on the island, click here.
It was insanely hard looking through the hundreds of photos we took but here is one of my favourites was the temple dedicated to a Goddess. I can’t tell you exactly which one it is because it was written in Greek but this is one of the best-preserved temples on the island in my opinion!
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Delos is the perfect place for a day trip from Mykonos. It is a must do!
Nightlife:
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Mykonos is known for its nightlife. The Scandinavian Bar is one of the top bars on the island. Scorpio’s is also legendary and always packed, as well as Jackie O! The options are endless when it comes to having a good time.
Shopping:
There are a lot of stores in Mykonos, all ranging from affordable, boutique stores to high-end brands such as Cartier and Louis Vuitton. There are also souvenir shops wherever you look. During our first two days, I noticed that all the souvenir shops had items in the shape of an eye.
This eye is known as Matisama and it is an ‘evil eye’. According to local legend, this eye brings bad luck. I bought a lot of souvenirs and decorated the house with this eye .. let’s see if this prophecy is true or not!
Eat Caprice Chocolate Sticks:
Our host left us a basket of food when we checked in to our villa. These chocolate sticks were one of the items they left us and I had some and it’s safe to say that I was addicted. Whenever we went to a grocery store, or even at the airport on our flight back to Germany, I bought some! You have to get yourself a can!
DO YOU HAVE ANY MORE QUESTIONS ABOUT MYKONOS?
Make sure to, at least once in your life, visit the postcard-perfect island of Mykonos. I hope this blog post gave you enough travel inspiration to head over to Greece!
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