The island of winds is the nickname of Mykonos. As soon as we stepped off the plane the wind started tossing and turning my hair. It reminded me of my childhood in Baku, another city of winds. I like that it’s windy because it diffuses the heat. Apparently it also prevents the clouds from forming, hence the 300 plus days of sunshine a year in this beautiful island.
We came to Mykonos with zero expectations. Some said it’s a party island and others said that it’s peaceful and relaxing. This is why it's important to travel- so that we can all have our own experience and form our own opinion about a destination. The fact is - Mykonos is both a party island and a peaceful haven. It all depends on what you are there for and this way you can choose to spend your time accordingly. Alex and I spent our days driving around the island discovering various beaches soaking up the sun, oh and there are so many spectacular ones. Surprisingly, our friends from London also happened to be in Mykonos at the same time. It was a great chance to spend some time with them and discover really cool beach restaurants. Make sure to watch our Vlog on Mykonos for a real experience of the beautiful island and read below for our comprehensive Mykonos travel guide.
Our room in Boheme Hotel with a jacuzzi
WHERE TO STAY
I highly suggest staying at Old Town Mykonos, it’s the most convenient location as you can walk everywhere. We were in Mykonos for only three nights and split our days between two hotels. We like to sample places in order for us to experience more and be able to make better recommendations. The first night we stayed right in town and the last two days in Agios Stefanos (10 minute drive from old town).
- The first hotel that we stayed at was Boheme. We absolutely fell in love with it and the location was just perfect. It’s only a five minute walk to the old town. The hotel has incredible views of the sea and the perfect place to watch the sunset. Something that you can still enjoy even if you are not staying at this hotel. You can just come for a drink or dinner and watch the truly magical sunset.
- Roccabella was the second hotel where we stayed. It was okay. I would choose Boheme over it in a heartbeat. Better location, experience, amenities and customer service. Final verdict: It wasn’t good value for the money paid.
The sunset view from Boheme Hotel terrace
Cute kitties in the Old Town
WHAT TO SEE
Start with the old town. Even though it’s small, there is lots to discover. The narrow alleys feel like a never ending maze. A beautiful maze where you want to get lost in between the white and blue painted homes. With kids playing, cats photogenically napping on the stairs, little shops, and beautiful pink carmelia that has been mindfully planted all around the town to add romance.
Below are the three must see spots in Mykonos Old Town. I suggest visiting all three around sunset. This will add magical light for those perfect Instagram photos, haha! :)
Mykonos Windmills
- Windmills: Built in 16th Century and still look just as beautiful. Make sure to snap a few photos.
- Little Venice: You can see it right from the windmills. I suggest walking towards it through one of the narrower paths situated right at the edge of the town facing the sea. It’s a fascinating and thrilling experience, especially on a windy, stormy day. Just watch the vlog to see just how exciting it was!
- Old Port: If you keep walking past Little Venice you will hit the old port. It’s a very romantic spot at sunset. Don’t miss the super old white church right behind the port (great spot for photos).
The Little Venice of Mykonos
Watch a sunset with the stars: Bill and Coo hotel was our favorite spot to watch the sunset. It’s a beautiful hotel situated on top of a hill overlooking the Aegean sea. We made a reservation to have dinner there and arrived a bit earlier to watch the sunset by the pool. It was absolutely stunning. The coolest part is the infinity pool that has magical stars in it. I suggest skipping the dinner (we weren’t crazy about it) and just going there for drinks. They don’t even have to be alcoholic as I personally had a berry smoothie.
The sunset view from Bill and Coo Hotel
THE BEACHES
- Super Paradise Beach- the name says it all. It truly looks like paradise. The water is crystal clear and turquoise. I mean look at the photo! It’s like an ad for Mykonos, haha!
Super Paradise beach
- Ornos Beach - another one of our favorite beaches. We walked all the way to the right of the beach, where the public part of the beach is (we prefer grounding on the sand and not using the sunbeds).
Ornos Beach
- Agios Sostis- a wild beach. It’s calm, peaceful and relaxing. It’s a perfect spot if you want to just have a peace of mind, away from all the beach parties. We went there on the first day when we arrived to Mykonos, as we had lunch at Kiki’s. * details below*
The wild Agios Sostis beach
- Ftelia- is a cute little beach right by Cafe Alemagou in the Northern part of the island. They play lovely music and the whole vibe is very bohemian chic.
- Kapari beach is a great spot to watch the sunset. Alex and I spent a bit of time there watching the sun slowly go down as we sat on a blanket hugging and dreaming.
- Psarou Beach is a very popular beach as it’s next to famous Namos restaurant. ( we didn’t go to the restaurant, but we heard it’s good) The water was incredibly clear and warm with white sandy beach. Walk to the left of the beach and hike up the stair for an unforgettable view - picture attached.
The Psarou Beach from above
Cafe Alemagou
WHERE TO EAT
Kiki’s was highly recommended to us by a few locals as a lunch spot. They do not take reservations, so when you arrive there you have to wait. And the line up is pretty much guaranteed, unless you manage to arrive first. We waited two hours to get in. What’s the hype? They do not use any electricity or gas to prepare the food they make. Everything is baked in their traditional oven fueled by charcoal. The food was great, however I don’t think it was worth the 2 hour wait. I suggest going early to beat the lineup. The portions are big, so do not over order, like we did, haha! Their version of greek salad was very delicious, as well as grilled eggplant.
Scorpio was recommended to us by our friends who visit Mykonos frequently. It’s got beautiful panoramic views of the sea and a lovely beach near by. The food was great, so we ended up going there twice for lunch and dinner. They have great parties there on Sundays and Tuesdays. We happened to go thereon Tuesday evening and enjoyed the music and dancing in addition to our delicious food. We loved their quinoa salad, tomato salad and a green been salad. Mmm…..
Kalita is hidden in a narrow alley of old town. It’s a great place to have dinner at if you are in old town. The service was very warm and attentive and the food was good. I enjoyed my wild mushroom risotto.
Liasti - is a great spot to have lunch. It’s a beautiful place with fresh local food. They even grow most of their vegetables in their own garden in the backyard of the restaurant. We absolutely loved the baked potato, grilled eggplant, tzaziki sauce and grilled vegetables.
Cafe Alemagou has a cool bohemian chic vibe. It’s modern, cool and cozy with beautiful design and decorations , as well as very friendly staff. I just loved the vibe of this place and could easily spend the whole day there. The food was fresh with a modern twist. We loved their quinoa salad, green juice and the fresh fruit flatter. They even have two dogs who run around the restaurant entertaining the guests ( I guess it’s the dogs of the owners). I played with both of them and they were so sweet and friendly. Occasionally running to the sea for a quick swim and then back to the restaurant. Those dogs have the life! Haha I loved their green juice and the fresh fruit platter.
Scorpio
TIPS:
- Rent a Car- although the island is quite small, there is lots to discover there, hence you will definitely need a car. The good news is that everything is about 10-20 minutes away.There is public transit, however I’m not sure how reliable it is.
- Frozen seafood is quite common on the island. I’m still not sure why. We asked one waiter and he said that it’s due to the fact that they don’t have a fish market. If you see anything on the menu with a star beside it, it means that the item was previously frozen.
- Iced coffee - Although I hardly ever drink coffee, I had to try Caffe Freddo’s when we were in Mykonos. It’s their specialty drink and is very refreshing on a hot day.
