Mykonos holiday travel tipsThe Greek island of Mykonos is famous around the globe for both its holiday hedonism and its stunningly beautiful landscape characterised by chalk-white cliffs and architecture. The island is renowned for its cosmopolitan culture and swinging holiday nightlife. Topless and nude bathing, both hetrosexual and gay, is common on the magnificent beaches of Mykonos and tourists often dance throughout the night at the many clubs and discos. The island is a favourite among international celebrities and prices for its food and hotel accommodation are aimed at the elite. |
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Mykonos travel tips Mykonos is in the heart of the Cyclades chain of Greek islands. Holiday cruise ships from around the world unload their passengers at Mykonos and glamour is the order of the day, typified by the upmarket jewellery stores that line the streets of the capital. However, this glitzy, hedonistic party of rich, tipsy and often gay tourists indulging their passions at nudist beaches must coexist with a traditional Mykonos lifestyle of orthodox religious belief and rural piety. To escape the never-ending blur of wine-fuelled holiday hotspots on Mykonos, either head inland or catch a ferry to one of the sister islands of Delos or Rhinia, both of which have unique historic and natural attributes. The island capital of Mykonos Town has a picturesque harbour shared by small fishing boats and the towering luxury yachts of the rich on holiday. Mykonos Town is built on a flat landscape, is considered classically Cycladic and features a network of narrow paths, many about a metre wide. Just about every house, shop, church, restaurant and windmill is immaculately whitewashed, their door frames and window shutters highlighted with splashes of blue and green. Cats prowl every alley. One of the town's most picturesque districts is Little Venice, a neighbourhood next to the sea with colourful two and three storey houses lining the streets. The Mykonos nightlife is often debauched, featuring wild nightclub and bar parties with top European DJs. Many tourists visit the island seeking sex at night and a suntan during the day while they recover on the beach. Paradise, Paranga and Elia are nudist beaches and Super Paradise is also openly gay.
Popular family beaches include Platis Yialos, Ornos, Psarou, Agios Stafanos, Kalafatis, Agia Anna, Megali Ammos, Kalo Livadi, Tourlos, Agos Ioannis and Korfos. Mykonos has low rocky hills sloping down to golden beaches with soft white sands and crystal clear waters. Quaint windmills are a feature of the skyline. As a general rule of thumb, beaches on the south shore of the island are more popular. Like most Greek islands, Mykonos offers plenty of Mediterranean holiday fun... snorkelling and scuba (at Psarou Beach near Platy Yialos), windsurfing, island daytrips, water skiing, parasailing, jet skiing, pedal boats, classy shopping facilities, jeep safaris, museums, churches, authentic Greek restaurants and a renowned nightlife. Take note that for several decades recreational scuba diving was banned in most Greek waters to protect the sea bed for archaeologists. However, the restrictions have been eased in recent years and diving has become a huge tourist drawcard as almost all the seas around Mykonos can now be explored. Mykonos, which is about a 30 minute flight from Athens, has sunny, hot and dry summers demanding plenty of sunscreen lotion. However, the evenings are cool and often require a sweater. The island has mild winters. The average temperature in January is 12 degrees Celsius and in August it is 27 degrees. It's easy to explore this small island. Mykonos has an efficient bus system so budget holiday travellers can get around the island cheaply. The central bus station in Mykonos Town is in an area called Fabrika. Almost 80,000 tourists per day visit Mykonos during the summer holiday high season. There are only a few dozen taxis on the island so it can be time-consuming waiting or hoping for a cab. If you're able to arrange a transfer from the port or airport to your hotel or other accommodation when you arrive, it can save a lot of frustration. The town of Mykonos doesn't bother with street names or building numbers and newcomers can sometimes feel lost when they begin their holiday. If you want to escape the non-stop parties, voeuyerism and often debauched vibe of the Mykonos township, it's still possible to find some fairly authentic, old-fashioned areas on the island. Useful telephone numbers: Medical Police Airport Ports Museums / Libraries To book airline discounts, hotels, car rentals, etc. for a holiday in Greece, visit our Travel Shop. |
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