Welcome back to the second part of our Greek adventure, which is all about Mykonos! I’ve heard about this party island from many friends that have visited there before, so when we were picking our islands that we wanted to visit, Mykonos was high on my list. Known for its night life and shopping, Mykonos seemed like a great destination for a girls trip, so after looking at all possible options(we also looked at Crete and Rhodes to see which one of the 3 would be best to visit), we settled on Mykonos, and it didn’t disappoint!
Mykonos is part of the Cyclades, lying between Tinos, Syros, Paros and Naxos. The island spans an area of 85.5 square kilometres and there are on about 10 000 people that live there permanently, with that number increasing to 50 000 over the busy summer period. In Greek mythology, Mykonos was named after its first ruler, Mykonos, the son of the god Apollo and a local hero. The island is also said to have been the location of a great battle between Zeus and Titans and where Hercules killed the invincible giants having lured them from the protection of Mount Olympus.
Getting to Mykonos
Mykonos was our first stop after Athens (the Athens post will be up here next week), and again we chose a ferry to get there. The speed ferry from Athens to Mykonos is about 2:30 hours, so not too bad (it cost just over R850) and it leaves at 7 o’clock on the morning from the Piraes Port. We were all set to leave early, bags packed and taxi arranged with our hotel contact. Except it was 6:15 in the morning and the taxi still hadn’t arrived…so we waited another 10 minutes and then went into panic mode and ordered our own taxi(there is no Uber in Greece by the way). Long story short- we missed our ferry! Luckily, there were other ferries going to Mykonos but they were not the fast ones, so we had to pay another R550 and get onto a slower (but much nicer) ferry. It took close to 6 hours to then get to Mykonos, but the slower ferries are much nicer in terms of comfort and facilities (we used Blue Star Ferries). Again, there is a quick flight from Athens to Mykonos that costs around the same so I do recommend that you maybe rather take the quick flight and not spend 6 hours on the sea.
What to Know About Mykonos
It is (excuse my language) crap expensive
I did know that Mykonos was going to be the most expensive out of the 3 places that we visited, but boy was I not prepared for how expensive it actually was. Keep in mind that we also went in “low season”, because at the end of April is only when the restaurants and shops start opening in Mykonos. For example, our accommodation was R1250 per person per night in April, when from June to August the same place goes up to R3500 per person per night! A cocktail in Mykonos is 15 euros (R225), and a glass of prosecco was 8 euros (R120, yes a glass only). Meals start at about 10 euros for a souvlaki (R150) and go up to 30 euros (R280 for pastas and meze platters). It is not cheap at all!
If you want to go out in the clubs, it gets even more expensive from the entrance fees to the drinks. Even when it came to shopping, I could only browse in Mykonos! A no-name brand, boutique shop sarong was going for 100 euros, so while there were plenty of nice things on offer in terms of shopping in Mykonos, I could not even afford it. I window- shopped and spend my money on experiences rather than things in Mykonos(which I did not regret at all).
Mykonos is perfect for a beach vacation
Unlike Santorini, Mykonos is filled with amazing beaches! This is THE place to go to if you want to chill by the sea in the day and party in the night. In fact, this island is often referred to as the Ibiza of Greece. We went at the end of April and we got lucky with amazing beach weather- not too hot, not too cold. We spend 2 days lying on our private hotel beach, sipping Prosecco and enjoying the views that Mykonos has to offer. However, sitting on a beach is not cheap! If your hotel does not have a private beach you have to go to one of the public beaches, but not all of them are free! The Ornos Beach which we were on with our hotel, costs 10 euros per person per day (it does have lounges and umbrellas to lie around under), and the famous Super Paradise Beach of Mykonos holds an 8 euro entry fee. Another famous beach in Mykonos is the Psarou Beach, which is known to attract celebrities in the peak times. However, that will set you back a shiny 30 euros per person, but then again you might run into George Clooney there, so it might be worth it 😉
Research beaches close to your hotel before you go, but ultimately it is best to book a hotel with a beach for Mykonos. Kind of like its best to stay in a hotel with a Caldera view in Santorini, I found it best to stay at a hotel with a private beach in Mykonos.
You cannot walk in Mykonos!
Not that absolutely can’t walk, but it’s not safe to do so because the streets are incredibly narrow, and there are little to no street lights, so you risk the chance of being run over by a car if you decide to take a light stroll on the roads at night. So how do you get around Mykonos then? There is a public bus which costs about 2 euros that you can use to get around to Mykonos Town and certain beaches. We got around using taxis- it cost 10 euros from our hotel to Old Town and surroundings, so split between four people it worked out to 2 euros each time. You can also rent a car, or renting a quad bike is also a popular choice to get around Mykonos.
Where to Stay in Mykonos
Mykonos is a resort island- it has fabulous beaches, a fantastic sea and the weather normally allows for glorious beach days. If you are going to a resort island, your accommodation should include a private beach! Also I’m telling you now that Mykonos does not come cheap, so if you’re going to Mykonos in its peak season, you best be prepared to spend some serious cash money. We stayed at the Mykonos Ammos Hotel and it was simply fabulous. Everything from the private shuttle pick-up and drop of, to the beautiful room and down to the friendly staff, was exceptional and I highly recommend this place!
Mykonos Ammos also houses a fab little restaurant called Kuzina, where we had breakfast every day (which is included in the price of the stay). You must try the Mykonian Cream Pie (yum!) and the traditional Greek bread that Kuzina serves as part of its elaborate breakfast buffet. You can also stop there for lunch and dinner, as the restaurant is open until late. The hotel also has the My Ammos Lounge Bar, which is linked to the beach, so we had our lunch served with our prosecco right on the beach front (and obviously there is great wi-fi in every beach in Mykonos!). Even the outside section of the hotel reminded me of the Old Town with its whitewashed design and wild Bougainvillea growing everywhere. Simply beautiful! It was R1250 per night when we stayed there but price does go up every month as the season progresses.
My other recommendations for accommodation in Mykonos would be the Mykonos Princess Hotel and the Anax Resort and Spa
What To Do In Mykonos
Visit its charming Old Town
Getting to walk around the Old Town of Mykonos was my favourite part about our visit. Its tiny little streets, all whitewashed with a pop of colour, are simply majestic. We got lost inside the Old Town every day and I did not mind at all, because that’s the beauty of this place- get lost and find yourself! If you are wondering if it is against the law to paint a house in Mykonos anything but white, you are right! By law if you own property in Mykonos Old Town you have to paint it white, and you are allowed to choose between blue, green and red accent tones on your doors and staircases(although I did see some rebels who used yellow).
Cute coffee shops, Gelato stalls, chic boutiques, souvenir shops and even all-time favourites like Cartier and Sephora can be found inside its charming little streets! We spend a full day here and visited it every night for dinner, and I could have visited it another 100 times and explored it more and more.
Have a drink at Little Venice
At the bottom of Old Town, you will find Little Venice, one of the most beautiful little neighbourhoods that Greece has to offer. Filled with little colourful houses that sit on the edge of the sea, Little Venice is a magical sight. This neighbourhood took its name from a close resemblance to actual Venice, and this strip is filled with some of the best restaurants in Mykonos. If you visit one of the restraunts, you will also get the view of the famous Mykonos windmills that have been around since the 16th century! We had drinks at Kastro Bar which provides an amazing view of the windmills and made us feel like we are having drinks in the sea itself! It did not come cheap though- a round of cocktails cost us R1000 but I have already spoken about the costs of Mykonos: P
Watch a Mykonos Sunset- it is just as beautiful as the one in Santorini!
After watching a sunset from the beach on the first night, we headed of to 180 Sunset Bar for the ultimate view and a glass of prosecco. I knew that the sunsets of Santorini would be beautiful, but I was not prepared for the beauty of a Mykonos sunset! Overlooking the famous windmills, we raised a glass to this incredible view, and one of the most memorable sunsets of my life!
Party!
We just missed the start of the party season (clubs opened on 1 May and we left on 27 April), but even though the clubs were closed, we still managed to throw our own party in the hotel! You can feel the party atmpshpehere in Mykonos- starting from the fact that breakfast only starts at 10:30AM, and dinner is only served from 9PM and onwards. Being single in Mykonos is recommended because there are many, many good looking people on this island, ha-ha(we called this the land of the Adonis)! Mykonos is home to two of the best clubs in the world- Cavo Paradiso and Paradise Beach, so if you are looking for the ultimate party, Mykonos is your island!
I really loved visiting Mykonos, and it was probably my highlight of the Greece trip. The glorious beaches, the crystal blue sea, the Old Town and the sunsets, made me completely fall in love with Mykonos. I would go back in a heartbeat, or maybe when I can save enough money to visit it again ;). Worth every cent spend, I highly recommend Mykonos as a resort and party destination in Europe!
Funny story about this picture- I saw this street in an Instagram photo and got so obsessed with finding it that I drove my friends mad. There were no street names or any landmarks, and when we stopped to ask people if they knew where this street is, people replied with a “Mam, that’s every street in Mykonos!”, because everything looks so similar! We eventually found this street after hours of wondering around and I got my picture!
Here are a few more pics from our trip! PS how cute are my sandals that I won from Lokal and Glash Resort Wear?
[…] about for ages (and saved for ages too ;)) and you can read my Santorini post over here and my Mykonos post over here. I went a little backwards of how we actually traveled to Greece, but we started and ended at the […]