Mykonos
Getting There
Ferry
There are a variety of companies that operate in the Greek Islands including Hellenic Seaways, Blue Island Ferries, and Seajets. From Santorini to Mykonos, the fast ferry on Hellenic Seaways takes about 3 hours with a few stops along the way. The fast ferry from Athens to Mykonos takes about 2.5 hours. In high season, be sure to book your ferry tickets ahead of time.
It is important to figure out where your ferry arrives (there’s the new port and the old port in Mykonos). The new and old port are not too far away, but your arrival location will affect how you get to your accommodations. Most ferries go to New Port and Hellenic Seaways is guaranteed to always go to New port. New Port is further from Mykonos Town than Old Port so you will need a taxi, bus or arranged pickup to get into town. If you are planning on taking a taxi, keep in mind that there are only about 30 taxis on the entire island of Mykonos. Thus, you may have to wait awhile especially when there’s an entire ferry full of people trying to get places.
If arriving at the new port, line up at the front of the group waiting to get off the boat to improve your chances of getting a taxi quickly. Once you are off the boat, go straight and then slightly left to see the taxis. If you do not have a lot of luggage, bring your bags upstairs with you as it will be a scramble to find luggage at arrival while trying to get in front of the crowds.
Plane
Airport is very small, dirty and not kept in good condition. Keep in mind that since Mykonos is known to be windy, flights can often suffer delays for weather.
Getting Around
Taxis
Taxis are scarce and are not dependable in Mykonos
Bus
The bus system works well to get to the beaches. Most leave from Fabrika Square which is on one side of town (side near the windmills) and others leave from around the Old Port. Check online at Mykonosbus.com for schedules. In the summer, most were pretty frequent (every 30 minutes to 1 hour depending on the beach). The bus costs 1.80 for a one-way ticket during the day and 2.30 in the late hours of the night/early hours of the morning. Buses, like in Santorini, are big coach buses
Vehicle Rental
Renting your own vehicle in Mykonos is not recommended. The roads are a lot thinner, drivers are not careful and the roads are not well-kept. Often roads look like they are one way and then you see a giant bus coming your way driving the opposite direction. People are also known to drive their ATVs back at night after too many drinks. Nevertheless, there are a lot of people who do choose to rent vehicles and there are plenty of rental locations to pick from.
Foot
You can get around on foot in Mykonos Town where standard vehicles cannot drive as it is a pedestrian only area. You can also walk between a few of the beaches, which is helpful if the bus to the beach you want to take is not for another 45 minutes but there is one going to one nearby in a few minutes.
Accommodations
Depending on your trip intentions, stay either in or walking distance from Mykonos Town or right near one of the many beaches.
Mykonos Town
This is where most of the restaurants are located and where a lot of the partying at night takes place. Stay in Mykonos Town if you are planning to visit a bunch of different beaches and want to take advantage of the nightlife scene in Mykonos. Some of the best sunsets will also be from Mykonos Town so be sure to get dinner one night on or along the water.
By a beach
There are many different beaches in Mykonos, with the main ones located on the south shore. Beaches are separated by rocks, but some can be accessed rather easily from others. If quick and easy access to a beach is more important to you than participating in nightlife, consider staying closer to one of the beaches. There are still restaurant options near the beaches, just less compared to Mykonos Town. Staying near Platys Gialos is a good option as you can easily walk to Psarou Beach, Paraga beach, Agia Anna and a bit further to Paradise Beach.
Things to do and see
Beaches
What beach you choose just depends on the vibe you are looking for. You can’t go wrong, the water is beautiful! If you are up for an earlier start, you will have the beach to yourself as the beach does not start to get very busy until 13:00 or 14:00 in the afternoon.
You can walk between Psarrou, Platys Gialos, Agia Anna, Paraga, and Paradise (aligned in that order) on footpaths (not by beach).
Ornos
Quieter beach, more family friendly
Psarrou
Trendier beach
Platys Gialos
Longer beach with many restaurants and a mini mart. The bus stops at Psarrou first, then here from Mykonos Town.
Agia Anna
Quiet and smaller beach
Paraga
Busy and beautiful but more expensive than Platys Gialos. The beach gets a bit rowdier with a different crowd around 18:00 as the beach bars start playing louder music and the younger crowd has made it past their hangover from the night before
Paradise
Young and very lively beach with the Tropicana Beach Bar. The party goes throughout the day into the night and keeps on going until the early hours of the morning as there’s a large club here.
Super Paradise
Smaller beach but lively. A bit harder to get to but there are some boats that travel here from Platys Gialos and Paradise Beach. It is known as the most gay-friendly beach
Elia
This is the longest beach on the island.
Mykonos Town
Cute town with white buildings, colorful doors and railings, and stone ground. It’s very nice to walk around in, and easy to get lost in. There’s a lot more shopping as it is a bit more high-end than some of the other Greek islands and many restaurants, crepe places, quick Greek food, and ice cream shops.
Little Venice
Area along the water that is nice to walk around in and has a lot of cocktail bars which are great for a late afternoon drink
Windmills
Right near Little Venice and along the water. It’s hard to come to Mykonos Town and miss the windmills.
Boat Cruise
A lot of people choose to do some type of boat cruise (visiting another island, around the different beaches, sunset boat cruise, etc)
Food and Drink Recommendations
Jimmy’s
Delicious gyros place in Mykonos Town
Kastro’s
Great restaurant with a perfect view of the sunset if you get the right table. The restaurant is a bit pricier, but worth it for the view. Be sure to make a reservation to get the table you desire if you are trying to watch the sunset. Careful, it is windy here!
Anywhere in Little Venice
Lots of cocktail bars along the water!
Belvedere Hotel Bar
Great view for sunset
Tropicana Bar
On Paradise Beach and party vibes
Scandinavian Bar
In Mykonos Town and the party goes all night
Club Paradiso
On Paradise Beach and huge party spot all night. You will likely have promoters coming up to you at the beach trying to sell you tickets with a cheaper price if you opt to show up a bit earlier
Other Notes
Come to Mykonos with a group of friends or people looking to party. Mykonos often gets compared to Cancun or Ibiza in terms of the crowd it draws and nightlife scene.
Cost
Much more expensive than some of the other areas in Greece. The cheapest beach chairs were 10 or 15 euros with limited amenities. For this reason, you’ll likely want to stay at one beach for most of the day. Some of the sets of beach chairs (2 beach chairs with an umbrella were 50 euros). The front rows were sometimes more expensive than the further back ones and if you don’t want an umbrella, sometimes you do not have a choice.
Water
When visiting the Greek islands, many recommend drinking bottled water instead of water from the tap. Large 1.5L water bottles were only 1 euro at most places and is very easy to find.
Timing
Avoid high season (June – August) if possible as the entire island will be much busier and prices will be higher. If you are able to travel in May, September or October, you will have more options and get a better deal and also be able to enjoy the island when it is less busy with tourists.
Navigation
Transportation and Accommodations
Things to do and see
Food and Drinks