Mykonos is the best-known and most expensive island in the Cyclades, having earned a reputation as Europe's Ibiza — the beach clubs on the south coast rank among the priciest spots in the Mediterranean, and dinner for two can easily reach two hundred euros. Behind that reputation, though, is a genuinely beautiful white town, Chora, with a maze of lanes originally built to confuse pirates. The island itself is small, bare and windy — the Cycladic meltemi wind blows all summer and is one of its defining features. Just offshore lies Delos, one of Greece's most important archaeological sites and the mythical birthplace of Apollo. The season runs from May to October, and outside those months most of the island closes.
The places worth your time in Mykonos, and what to expect at each
Μύκονος
Chora
The island's main town, with white cube-shaped houses, blue shutters and bougainvillea, its lanes deliberately built as a maze to confuse pirates. Even with a map, you'll still get lost here today — part of the experience.
Tip: Before ten in the morning, Chora is empty and lit by soft light — it's the only time you'll see it without the cruise-ship crowds.
Chora
A row of houses built right at the water's edge, with balconies hanging over the sea, originally the homes of merchants and, according to legend, pirates. Today they house a string of bars perfect for watching the sunset.
Tip: Bars here charge significantly more for the view — one drink is enough, since the sunset looks just as good from the rocks a few meters further on.
Chora
Seven sixteenth-century white windmills on a hill above Little Venice, a symbol of the island. They once ground grain for passing ships and were powered by the very meltemi wind. Well preserved, thatched roofs and all, they're the most photographed sight in the Cyclades.
Tip: The best photos are from below, near Little Venice, at sunset, when the mills are backlit and the sea behind them glows.
Chora
Greece's most photographed church, formed by five separate chapels fused into one white, angle-free mass. Built between the fifteenth and seventeenth centuries, the result looks more like a sculpture than a building.
Tip: The interior is usually closed — the whole point of the building is its exterior, especially in the late afternoon light.
boat trip
An uninhabited island just off Mykonos, the mythical birthplace of Apollo and Artemis, and in antiquity a religious and commercial hub of the Aegean. The whole island is a UNESCO-listed archaeological site, home to the Terrace of the Lions and its mosaics.
Tip: The island has no shade and no shops, and boats return at fixed times — bring water, a hat, and keep an eye on your departure time.
south
The island's most exclusive beach, in a sheltered bay with fine sand and calm water. It's lined with beach clubs charging hundreds of euros for a sunbed, with yachts anchored just offshore. The beach itself, though, remains public.
Tip: Front-row sunbeds cost hundreds of euros and are booked weeks ahead — but you can lay a towel down at the edge of the beach for free.
south
Two neighboring beaches on the south coast that turned Mykonos into a party destination. Afternoon beach parties start around five and run into the night. Super Paradise is calmer by day and wilder by night.
Tip: If you're after peace and quiet, come in the morning — after two in the afternoon the music starts and the whole atmosphere changes.
inland
The island's only inland village, and the one place where prices match the rest of Greece. At its center stands the sixteenth-century Panagia Tourliani monastery, with a carved iconostasis and a marble bell tower.
Tip: The tavernas on the square in Ano Mera cost a fraction of what you'd pay in Chora and cook for locals — the best value on the island.
southeast and north
Elia is the island's longest beach, on the southeast coast, reachable by boat or car, with a calmer setup than Paradise. Agios Sostis, in the north, has no services whatsoever — no sunbeds, no bars, no electricity.
Tip: Agios Sostis has no facilities at all, so bring water and shade — but in return it's the one beach on Mykonos with genuine peace and quiet.
Photos: Chora — Pitichinaccio (CC BY 3.0) · Little Venice — Roberto Faccenda (CC BY-SA 2.0) · Kato Mili Windmills — Bernard Gagnon (CC BY-SA 3.0) · Panagia Paraportiani — Bernard Gagnon (CC BY-SA 3.0) · Delos — Vijinn (CC BY-SA 3.0) · Psarou Beach — sailko stitched by Marku1988 This image was created with Hugin. (CC BY 2.5) · Paradise and Super Paradise — Erkan Tabakoglu (CC BY-SA 4.0) · Ano Mera — Vanbasten 23 (CC BY-SA 3.0) · Elia and Agios Sostis beaches — Squirmy2000 at English Wikipedia (Public domain)
Areas and districts, matched to the kind of trip you are taking
Best for: first-time visitors and atmosphere
The main town, with lanes, shops, restaurants and nightlife. Everything is walkable, but cars aren't allowed into the center and parking is a problem. The island's most expensive accommodation, and bar noise into the early hours during the season.
Best for: families and a calmer stay
Southern bays a few kilometers from Chora, with sandy beaches and shallow, sheltered water. Calmer than the center, with bus connections and water taxis to nearby beaches. The most practical choice for a family holiday.
Best for: nightlife and younger visitors
The south coast, with beach clubs and parties from afternoon into the night. Accommodation ranges from campsites to resorts. Avoid it unless you're here for the music — the noise is part of the setting and doesn't let up.
Best for: the lowest prices
The only inland village, where prices match the rest of Greece. Accommodation and food cost a fraction of what you'd pay in Chora. In exchange, you're ten kilometers from the beaches and it's hard to get around without a car.
Mykonos has its own airport just four kilometers from Chora, served in season by direct and charter flights from across Europe. The transfer takes ten minutes. The alternative is a ferry from Athens — a fast boat from the port of Rafina takes two and a half hours, or from Piraeus three to five hours depending on the vessel. Ferries also connect Mykonos with the other Cycladic islands, so it can easily be combined with Naxos, Paros or Santorini.
Mykonos Island National (JMK) · 4 km
The island is small, and the KTEL bus network reliably connects Chora with the main beaches, running frequently in season and remaining the cheapest option. Cars aren't allowed into Chora, and parking nearby is limited and paid, so a car is more of a burden unless you're staying outside town. Water taxis also run to the south coast beaches from Platis Gialos and are faster than the road. Taxis are scarce on the island — in season you may wait an hour, so don't count on one being reliably available.
Useful apps: Moovit, Google Maps
Swimming season runs from June to October, with the sea warmest in August and September at twenty-four to twenty-five degrees. June and September are best: warm but not scorching, and prices noticeably lower than in August, when Mykonos is at its most expensive and crowded all year. The meltemi wind blows all summer, taking the edge off the heat but whipping up waves on north-facing beaches and occasionally disrupting ferry services. From November to April, most of the island closes.
Best time
June and September
What to avoid
August for prices and crowds, November to April for closed businesses
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Day | 15° | 15° | 16° | 19° | 23° | 27° | 29° | 29° | 26° | 22° | 19° | 16° |
| Night | 10° | 9° | 10° | 12° | 15° | 19° | 21° | 22° | 19° | 16° | 14° | 12° |
| Rainy days | 11 | 9 | 7 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 6 | 9 | 12 |
| Sea | 16° | 15° | 15° | 17° | 19° | 22° | 24° | 25° | 24° | 22° | 20° | 18° |
Cycladic cuisine is simple, built around what the island can sustain — cheese, legumes and fish, since the bare landscape can't support much farming. Mykonos has its own cheeses: kopanisti, sharp and spicy, and louza, herb-cured dried pork. In Chora you mostly pay for location; real food at reasonable prices is found in Ano Mera or at harbor tavernas off the main strip. Reservations are necessary in season even at ordinary places.
Kopanisti
A sharp, spicy cheese aged in clay containers, a Mykonos specialty with protected designation of origin status.
Louza
Dried pork cured with herbs and pepper, served in thin slices as a meze.
Amygdalota
Almond sweets flavored with rose water, a traditional Cycladic dessert sold in Chora's pastry shops.
Kremmydopita
An onion pie with cheese and herbs, typical of the Cyclades and served as a starter.
Fresh fish
At harbor tavernas, fish is priced by weight; on Mykonos it tends to be noticeably pricier than on other islands.
Souma
A Cycladic fig spirit, served chilled as a digestif after a meal.
Greek coffee or frappé
4–6 €
Gyros in pita
6–8 €
Dinner at a taverna in Ano Mera
20–30 € per person
Dinner at a restaurant in Chora
60–120 € per person
Sunbed at an ordinary beach
20–40 € for two
Front-row sunbed at Psarou
from 200 €
Delos trip including admission
from 37 €
Night at a 4-star hotel in August
250–500 €
Indicative prices that change over time — treat them as a guide, not a price list.
1 day
2 days
3 days
Naxos
40 km · 1 h by fast ferry
The largest Cycladic island, with the marble Portara gate by the harbor, mountain villages and the best beaches in the Cyclades. Noticeably cheaper than Mykonos and with its own farming.
Paros
35 km · 45 min by fast ferry
An island famed for its white marble, the source stone of the Venus de Milo. The fishing village of Naoussa has a Mykonos-like atmosphere at half the prices, with good beaches nearby.
Tinos
25 km · 30 min by ferry
A pilgrimage island centered on the Church of Panagia Evangelistria, which Greeks approach on their knees from the harbor. Inland are dozens of villages with dovecotes and marble workshops, and very few tourists.
In Chora and at the beach clubs on the south coast, yes — a front-row sunbed at Psarou costs hundreds of euros, and dinner for two can easily run two hundred. Inland, in Ano Mera and at ordinary tavernas, prices are comparable to the rest of Greece.
No. The island is small, and buses run reliably from Chora to all the main beaches. Cars aren't allowed into Chora anyway, and parking is limited. A scooter or quad bike is the most common option, but even those are mainly for short distances.
Definitely — it's one of Greece's most significant archaeological sites, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and the mythical birthplace of Apollo. Keep in mind the island has no shade and no shops, and boats return at fixed times that you need to respect.
June and September. In August, Mykonos is the most expensive and crowded it gets all year, with accommodation prices roughly doubling. In June and September the sea is pleasant, prices are lower, and you can get around the island without the crowds.
The meltemi, a north wind that blows all summer and is typical of the Cyclades. It makes the heat more bearable, but it whips up waves on the north-facing beaches and, in strong gusts, can disrupt ferry services, including trips to Delos. South-facing beaches are sheltered.
Yes, if you avoid the party beaches in the south. Ornos and Platis Gialos have sandy beaches with shallow, sheltered water and good bus connections. Paradise and Super Paradise get loud from the afternoon onward and aren't suitable for families.
It's not recommended. The island has no natural water sources of its own, and tap water is desalinated, so it's fine for washing and cooking but not for drinking. Bottled water is available everywhere, though it costs more here than on the mainland.
Two to three days for Chora, Delos and a few beaches. The island is small, and three days is enough to see it all. A longer stay only makes sense for the beach itself, or if you plan to combine it with other Cycladic islands by ferry.
Check the latest visa requirements for entering this country. Some nationalities may need to apply for a visa or e-visa before travel.
Check visa requirementsLanguage
Greek
Currency
EUR
Timezone
Europe/Athens
Dial Code
+30
Population
10.4M
Area
131,957 km²
Voltage
230V / 50Hz
Driving Side
Right
