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Mykonos
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The island of Mykonos is certainly one of the most popular destinations in all of Greece. This small granite island partly rocky and windswept is one of the most fascinating places in the Aegean thanks to its crystal clear sea, the beautiful beaches of very fine sand, the beauty of its white houses among which the colored blue domes of the small churches stand out built as vow by fishermen and sailors. But especially in the last 50 years, Mykonos has become the emblem of fun and of worldliness, and every year thousands of people of different origins, of all ages, of all social backgrounds invade the island and almost without ever getting tired they go from one beach to another, from one club to another without stopping throughout the night.
However, even in the busiest periods, the island manages to preserve all its typical charm of the Cyclades, in fact it is enough to deviate slightly from the central streets to come across quiet streets overlooked by flowered balconies and small squares where the small chapels are located , and for sea lovers it is enough to deviate towards the north of the island, away from the lively and fashionable southern beaches, to come across some wonderful and peaceful coves.
Mykonos town
Arriving from the sea in Mykonos town you immediately perceive the beauty of this small town of about 4000 inhabitants, you immediately find yourself in front of a series of houses all whitewashed with white lime where the flowered balconies stand out, the small blue or reddish domes of the churches and the splendid windmills typical of the Cycladic landscape.
Cafes, restaurants, trendy clubs but also souvenir shops overlook the whole small port, then entering the small streets of the interior there are also jewelers, designer shops and various galleries such as the famous Skala Gallery, the Orama Art Gallery and the Artists ok Mykonos.
To the west of the marina is the small chapel of Agios Nikolaos dedicated to the patron saint of sailors and a little further on is the Museum of Popular Art which preserves traditional costumes and local handicrafts.
At the point where the Kastro (medieval castle) once stood, today stands the most important example of Cycladic architecture, the Panaghia Paraportiani, a beautiful 17th century church actually made up of 5 small churches one next to the other and joined by a layer of very white lime.
Behind the port wind an infinite series of winding streets, specially designed to interrupt the annoying Meltémi wind, which lead to the old city village, here in Tria Pigadia, the square of the three wells, is the Naval Museum of the Aegean, the Naftiko Moussio Egeou, where ancient nautical charts, ship models and other objects and instruments related to the history of navigation are kept; just adjacent to the museum there is a beautiful 19th century residence furnished with fabrics and furniture typical of the traditions of the island, the Lena house.
Lena house. Alefkandra which due to the position of its houses close to the waters of the sea is nicknamed the Little Venice, here the romantic moment of the sunset is absolutely not to be missed; from the small port of the Alefkandra district several stairways lead to the mills of Ano Miloi arranged in the shape of a crown close to a ridge from which you can enjoy a spectacular panorama and sunset.
Information:
Moussio Laikis Tehnis (Popular Art Museum)
timetable: open from April to October from 14.30-20.30, closed on Sunday at 18.00.
Naftiko Moussio Egeou
opening hours: open from April to October from 11.00am to 1.00pm and from 6.30pm to 9.00pm.
Lena house
hours: open from April to October from 18.00 to 21.00.
Beaches
The most famous and renowned beaches are concentrated almost all in the south-eastern part of the island, here despite a series of villas, villages and resorts, the sea is really very beautiful; the most sought after beaches by those who want to have fun and for those in search of worldliness, are certainly the "party beach" Paradise where the music is non-stop and the Super Paradise, the most famous gay-friendly beach but also the one preferred by the rich and VIPs.
A little more isolated and certainly more peaceful are the small beaches of leah, lapped by crystalline waters and where we suggest you taste an excellent lobster in the homonymous tavern, and of Agrarians frequented above all by the people of naturists; who wants to try to get away from the fashionable crowd, can go to the beach Kappari which overlooks the island of Delos right in front or take a boat trip to reach the islet of Dragonissi.
Not to be missed, if the annoying meltemi wind allows it, are the beaches north of Mykonos, in the bay of Panormos where the most beautiful is that of Agios Sostis.
Living the “night”: having fun in Mykonos
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The fun in Mykonos already begins in the afternoon, in fact, from 4 pm on the beach the first aperitifs with non-stop music begin up to the afterhours that continue throughout the night.
The main places of unbridled entertainment are the beaches of Paradise where from the afternoon music, dancing on the tables, dancers and DJs enliven the hot summer hours until late sunset, the same program also at the beach of Paragraph and of Agrarian Great; but among all the beach of Super Paradise it is certainly the wildest, where until 21.30 a crowd goes wild dancing on the sunbeds, on the tables, on the roofs and even on the trees!
In Mykonos town the most popular places are certainly the Astra, Kalua and the Pierro's disco-bar (very popular in the gay scene) in all these places you can dance, have fun and you can make interesting meetings!
Very popular and frequented by beautiful women and music of all kinds is the place One located in the center in Matoyannia where the local Aroma is also a meeting place for young Greeks; not to be missed for lovers of discos, lo Space, in Lakka Square, one of the biggest and most fashionable clubs.
How to get there
Mykonos is one of the easiest Greek islands to get to. Besides having an international airport, there are many flights a day from Athens and numerous ferries from Piraeus or Rafina, so you can easily move to any other island. The journey by ferry takes about 5 hours, and 3 hours by high speed. The ferry stops in Andros, Tinos and Syros and it is therefore convenient to include these islands in an itinerary with a stop in Mykonos. There are now high-speed boats from Rafina that can get you to Mykonos in about two hours. But any ferry that stops in Tinos a few days before August 15th, if you're going to Mykonos, and after the 15th, when you come back, will probably be full. This is because thousands of pilgrims go to Santa Icon in Tinos for the Panagiri!
There are also summer connections from Crete, Santorini, Paros, Naxos, Ios and two more of the other Cycladic islands. Remember that the nearby island of Syros is the capital of the Cyclades and has ferry connections to the other islands.
History
The island of Mikonos was inhabited since the Neolithic. Subsequently the Egyptians, Phoenicians and Cretans populated them. During the period of Roman occupation, Delos was a free port, until the town was razed to the ground during the First Mithridatic War, in 88 BC. C. During the period of the Byzantine Empire the island became part of the dominion of the Venetians, who built the group of churches of the Panaghía Paraportiani, whose construction continued until the seventeenth century. Conquered in 1537 by the corsair Khayr al-Din Barbarossa, its territory was then subdued by the Turks, until the revolution of 1821.
Matt Barrett's favorite shops in Mykonos Town are the Fruit Center, which obviously sells fruit, and the International Press Center, where you will probably find your favorite newspaper, magazine or book, no matter what your language. When he is in Mykonos Town Matt Barrett often goes to the Gallery of Yiannis Galati, one of the most famous designers in all of Greece, perpetually in love with the island. Thousands of celebrities have visited his little shop. A fundamental stop is the Lalaounis Jewelery Museum, where they give away the best maps of the island and often have wine tastings in the evening. When the sun goes down, much of the action at sunset is under the windmills, in the area known as “little Venice” and where there are some upscale restaurants and bars, and a beautiful sunset view.
Mykonos Beaches
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