Mykonos: commercial, expensive and crowded, those were my thoughts about the island, and so at first I had no intention of going to Mykonos island at all. I was afraid I would have to shave every day and dress up, and those are just the kind of things I enjoy not doing during a holiday. But of course I don't always travel alone and people have different tastes, so on the 10th of september 1998 I set foot on the island for the first time. After about an 8 hours trip by boat from the island of Samos our ferry sailed into Mykonos harbour at three o'clock in the night. To my surprise there was still a big crowd of people from hotels in Mykonos awaiting us to offer accommodation. When I heard the words "studios, apartments" my curiousity was aroused. In one way or the other those rooms always seem a bit bigger and the idea of having a small kitchen always attracts me. Not that I'm always cooking my own dinner every evening, but more the thought to have a kitchen block to make a cup of coffee with my French press in the morning, and the idea of having plates and cups, and maybe make a little breakfast.

We had planned to stay in Mykonos Chora, the main village, but the man I talked to had a building in Platis Gialos, a village on the sea 3 kilometers away, but then: the beach was practically in front of the house. Besides that it was late, and we really didn't care at that time. There was a regular bus to Mykonos town, every half hour, untill around one o'clock in the night, so okay, we took the offer. The apartment was situated in Mina Studios and it was very nice, two rooms and two balconies. I enjoyed having my own bedroom. And it wasn't as expensive as we thought it would be. We paid 9000 drachma at the time, which is about 25 euro'a night. (in the meantime things have become much more expensive though and prices have more than doubled).

Mykonos proved to be fun. I could walk the streets of Mykonos Chora unshaved and wearing my plastic slippers. Most of the ordinairy things were indeed a little bit more expensive on Mykonos compared to the other islands, like going out for dinner or having a drink, and buying stuff in the supermarkets, but if you pay a little attention it's not too bad. In the years after that I kept returning to Mykonos island, sometimes up to three times a year. On these pages I want to give you some information and I have also added some space for my favourite acccommodations on the island, hotels on good locations (I prefer to stay in Mykonos town itself nowadays) run by friendly people, with a good price.

Mykonos is an island where it is fun (at least that is what I think) if you visit outside the high season. Every year the island gets about 750,000 tourists that visit it. The combination of the beautiful harbor, the beautiful sandy beaches and the possibility for naturism on some beaches makes it a popular destination for many people. Also the nearby island of Delos with its excavations contributes to the number of visitors. In addition, there are the many cruise boats that call on the island. Nevertheless, if you visit during the right period - we are usually there in May or the end of September / beginning of October - it is really a very nice island. If you rent a car you can still find quiet places and beaches. Just take a look at the buttons in the menu links.

. Make a walk through Mykonos Town with its many churches, squares and shops and sit on one of the terraces in the harbour and look at the people that walk by.... Behind every corner there is a surprise.
. Visit the nearby island Delos with its excavations from the ancient periods, boats depart from Mykonos Town.
. The prettiest beaches: (more quiet than the rest and equally pretty, but that is what I like) Myrsini & Fokos in the north next to eachother, or Panormos and Agios Sostis Beach (also in the north not far apart). To reach these beaches you need a car - don't rent it just anywhere but compare prices. Off course you can also take a taxi. Quite different from the other more crowded beaches on the island of Mykonos.
. A visit to the village of Kalafatis (you can get here by bus as well), where it looks like you are on another island. Around the corner is the lovely beach of Kalo Livadi.
. A boat tour along all the beaches. You can get on and jump off on many places, where ever you want. Take your beach towel with you and get out when you see a beach that you like.
. Make a daytrip to the island of Tinos with the regular ferry. You can go there in the morning and return in the beginning of the evening. The journey takes about half an hour. You can visit Tinos Town and the large church, walk along the shopping street and than along the coast to one of the nearby beaches like for instance Stavros Beach or Kionia Beach.
. Make a walk from Mykonos Town along the beach of Ano Mera to the villages of Ornos and Agios Ioannis and take a rest and a dip into the sea at the (partially) naturist beach of Kapari.
. Check the schedules well, but sometimes it is also possible to make a daytrip to the island of Syros (one and a half hour trip). A visit to the capital Ermoupolis, the ferry harbour, is going to be something you'll remember.

Mykonos Chora is without any doubt one of the prettiest harbour villages on the islands of Greece. All houses are painted white and in cycladic style, cubic shaped, and the local authorities are very strict when it comes to building a new house. You have to fulfill lots of demands on Mykonos if you want to get a building permission. The center of Mykonos Chora is a jumble of little alleys where you can after years of practice still easily lose your way. It was build like this on purpose so that pirates in case of a raid would get confused. The harbours with the terraces, "Little Venice" with its houses standing in the sea, and the windmills on the hill all contribute to give Mykonos Chora that special kind of magic. The village is bursting with shops, terraces and churches, and you keep bumping into new discoveries. The atmosphere is supercozy.

Regularly cruise ships will dock in Tourlos, a small distance away from Mykonos Chora, usually carrying Americans for a cargo, and they will come and take over Mykonos Chora for a short while. Mykonos town is alive 24 hours a day, always there is something opened somewhere, and always there will be people on its streets. Around all the activity the old residents of Mykonos keep leading their own life and don't seem to care much about the crowds. They still buy fresh fish in the harbour, make a walk around it and the men are drinking Greek coffee on the terraces while playing a game or sit and play with their rosary and look ar the passing tourists. The last small fish in the market is sold to tourists that want to feed them to the few pelicans that are on the beach or walk around the city.

In the evening the party in Mykonos breaks loose, both in the city and at Paradise Beach, and while one bar or disco is trying to sound louder than the other, the visitors stroll through the narrow streets and the port. The nightlife on Mykonos goes on until the early hours (and this is why we were looking fora place to stay that was central but also quiet quiet - that is to say, no music and no cars - Hotel and Hotel Rania Nazos here on the page are two examples of that and very quiet). The nocturnal life on Mykonos is off course famous and there is something for everybody - the gays and the straight - and it goes on without problems, intollerance or anything bad.

Except for the happy and friendly Mykonos town the island also has a bunch of beautiful sand beaches to offer its guests, like Psarou, Platis Gialos, Elia, Ornos, Paranga, and off course Paradise and Superparadise Beach. I name a few here, and these are probably the busiest, because they are serviced by the busses, but there are a lot more. Like for instance Kalo Livadi, a beautiful beach and much more quiet, or Kapari Beach, a little more remote, which can only be reached on foot or by scooter. On Mykonos there's a beach to everbodies' liking.

I can defenitely recommend Mykonos: lots of atmosphere, sun, sand and sometimes also lots of wind... I try to go there every year to meet old friends and recapture some of that atmosphere. Check the beaches on the left side menu, because there are so many. Many of the guides describe Paradise as the most beautiful beach of the island. I totally disagree. The beach of Elia, for example, is much bigger and more beautiful. Superparadise is traditionally been the beach for gays. It's overcrowded and sometimes it is close to impossible to find a place to lie down. Avoid it is my opinion. Many gays nowadays also go to the beach of Elia, where there is much more space and where it is a bit more of a mix of different kinds of people. There is a section of textile beach and a good part of the beach is for the naturists. From Mykonos town in irregular intervals there is a bus (not on the Fabrika Square but elsewhere) to Elia, but it can get very crowded, especially on the way back. Just take a taxi, I would say, especially if you are with a few people, because it is not really expensive. We sometimes asked people at the bus stop if they would want to shared a taxi. This is almost as expensive as a busticket. For the way back I always call 2289022400 for the taxi-central of Mykonos and then we go back, or I just ask someone with a car that I see getting in if I can get a lift back to Mykonos town.

Many of the beaches, with the exception of Platis Gialos, Kalo Livadi, Psarou, Agios Stefanos, Agios Ioannis and Ornos, have a beach area for the naturists. It is often left textiles nudism right (or reversed course), so just take a look around. Superparadise is almost entirely naturist beach just like Agios Fokos and Myrsini. Kapari, Elia, Paranga, Panormos and Paradise have a naturist section. The beaches in the north are often not very clean, such as the beach at Ftelia and Meridias. You can save yourself the trip. This does not apply to all beaches: Panormos, Agios Sostis, Myrsini and Agios Fokos (my favorites) are clean and much quieter because there are no buses that go to these beaches. From Mykonos town you can take a bus to various beaches, for example Kalafatis, Ornos and Agios Ioannis, Paradise, Paranga and Platis Gialos. However, the frequency of buses is different and sometimes you have to pay attention when the last bus goes back (eg to Kalafatis there are only a few).

This one was recommended to me by my readers, so we have booked the last days of our 2009 May-June holiday here. Villa Konstantin is situated on the edge of Mykonos Town on a quiet location overlooking the sea, the sunset and the island of Delos. The owner Sharon is praised into heaven by everybody and the Villa gets high ratings on all the websites. Villa Konstantin is located 700 metres up on the Northern hillside of Mykonos town. A ten minute walk down into the centre.It is a small complex of studios and rooms. Overlooking the Aegean and offering wonderful sunsets and an feeling of openness not to be found down in the centre.

Classed as self-catering studios and apartments the Villa Konstantin is quite different in style to the modern hotels of today and is more of a throw back to the past For the review of our visit in May 2009 and all the pictures see the hotel page.

Check availabilities & prices and book Villa Konstantin in Mykonos Town - click here.

Hotel Nazos is one of the nicest hotels in Mykonos town. We have stayed at this hotel in Mykonos Town as well. It's is a real family hotel, with 14 rooms, yet with all the facilities you can ask for. If you like a bit more luxurious and modernly decorated, and you prefer a personal approach, than this small, friendly and inexpensive hotel in Mykonos Town is for you. The hotel is conveniently situated, close to the harbour and only 100 meters from the main bus station at Fabrika square. The views are are very nice! All rooms have bath/shower and toilet, a refridgerator, a minibar, tv, airconditioning, internet access, a hairdryer and a private balcony with a panoramic view.... In the hotel there is a lounge, a snackbar, and there's space for your car. There's 24 hours a day service.

Check availabilities & prices and book the Aeolos Hotel in Mykonos Town - click here.

For all hotels, studios, apartments, villas and holiday houses on the island of Mykonos in Greece - click here.

Another budget option is the Sahas Studios in Mykonos Town. There are rooms for 2, 3 or 4 people and there are rooms with or without seaview. The seaview rooms are a bit more expensive. Just 500 metres and 5 minutes on foot from the town of Mykonos, this accommodation is situated in Tagoo, a quiet area with a spectacular view of the sea. The rooms are attractively decorated according to Cycladic tradition, which is in keeping with the natural environment. Sahas Studios offers you the opportunity to relax in our garden with a stunning view of the Aegean, as well as a barbecue party once a week.

Check availabilities & prices and book Sahas Studios in Mykonos Town - click here.

Hotel Aeolos consists of 28 elegant furnished modern double rooms The breakfast room and the lounges are very comfortably furnished and in the beautiful garden with palm trees where you can enjoy a dip in the jacuzzi, a swim in the big pool or have cocktails at the bar at sunset for complete relaxation. Compared to other hotels in Mykonos Town with the same facilities (swimming pool etc) this hotel is actually not very expensive.

Check availabilities & prices and book the Aeolos Hotel in Mykonos Town - click here.

If in first place you come for the beach instead of the entertainment than Platis Gialos is a good choice. It is located 3.5 km from Mykonos Town and there is a good bus service (every half hour until in the evening about 1 or 2 o'clock depending on the period that you go). A taxi to Mykonos Town costs very little. Platis Gialos is a large family beach with water sports facilities and a wide choice of various restaurants, from Italian and Greek to a snack bar and from expensive to very cheap. There are also a couple of supermarkets for everyday shopping. Here in this village we have stayed on several of our trips. From Platis Gialos a coastal path leads past a small beach to two other beaches Paranga and Agia Anna, and if you walk further you end up in Paradise and Super Paradise Beach. On the other side are the beautiful beaches of Psarou of Ornos. The complex of Esperides consists of 18 studios and apartments all with a kitchenette and a large balcony or terrace. It is 150 meters from the beach of Platis Gialos. Free transport to and from the port or airport.

Check availabilities & prices and book Esperides Apartments in Platis Gialos, Mykonos - click here.

The classy and modern Rania Apartment Complex is located in a peaceful and beautiful garden in the heart of Mykonos Chora, the lovely capital town of Mykonos, in the Petasos region, close to the entertainment venues, shops and sandy beaches of the island. The Rania Hotel Apartments in Mykonos Town are built according to the traditional Cycladic architectural style and is comprised of 15 fully equiped and comfortable rooms, studios and apartments, as well as organized communal facilities. The hospitable management and friendly staff of Rania Hotel Apartments provide all-inclusive services, making your stay in Mykonos Town pleasant and carefree. It is an A' class hotel complex and is open all year round. Prices in 2006 start ay 58 euro a day for a room and 75 euro for a studio for two people.

All the apartments comprise of private bathroom, refrigerator, microwave oven, telephone, television, veranda, air conditioning, safe deposit box and a desk. Moreover, several apartments have living room, sitting area, kitchen with the proper utensils, baby cot and balcony with spectacular sea view.

The Rania Hotel complex is close to the Manto square (in the harbour with the restaurants) where you can find the taxis. You have to climb up some stairs behind the square to get there. The good point is that it is a very quiet spot without the noise of traffic and disco's, yet close to all the shops and the nightlife. Rania Apartments is run by Bonis and his charming son Anthony. We had a lovely studio with a livingroom and a bedroom seperated by an arch, a bathroom and a small kitchen. In the above pictures we are on our terrace that overlooked the harbour. Thank you very much for your hospitality Anthony!

Check availabilities & prices and book Rania Apartments, Studios and Rooms in Mykonos Town - click here.

Mykonos can be easily reached from Rafina or Piraeus (near Athens) where there are daily ferries departing to the Cyclades, but off course there are also direct flights to Mykonos from the airports at Amsterdam and Brussels. Check the following websites: Cyclades Fast Ferries, Blue Star Ferries, Alfa Ferries and Agoudimos Lines (Rafina - Andros - Tinos - Mykonos - takes about 4 and a half hour), Hellenic Seaways (Tinos - Mykonos - Naxos - Paros), Sea Jets Consortium (Rafina - Tinos - Mykonos of Rafina - Mykonos in two hours). Ferry connections from Rafina to Mykonos are very good and plenty. There are also ferries leaving from Piraeus heading for Mykonos, but it is easier and more convieniant to leave from Rafina. First of all it is not as hectic and large as Piraeus and second of all you don't have to go through Athens. You can reach Rafina from the airport by bus or by taxi in about half an hour. If you want to check the ferries from and to Mykonos and order a ticket - click here.

I always take off by car and drive around the island to the more isolated and quiet beaches of Mykonos. Or I like to park the car on top of a mountain and make a walk. If you want to discover the island and visit the beaches of Mykonos that most people don't see, or you just want to be mobile and comfortable, it would be wise to rent a car. Get quotes from different car rentals before you go and if like an offer and you want to, than make a reservation ahead. Print the quotes out and take them with you if you don't make an on line reservation, so you have something to show. If you rent a car on the island than don't take it if it sounds too expensive. There are many car rental companies on the island of Mykonos so you can afford to shop around and save yourself a lot of money. You can also try to make a better deal than you are offered. Car rental in Mykonos is more expensive than on most of the other islands, or probably than on any other Greek island. Be safe and take a full insurance. On some places the traffic can be hectic and the streets can be narrow. Compare prices of the different car rentals and different kinds of cars with reviews of the car rental company on the website of rentalcars.com - click here.

The Ionians settled in Mykonos in about 1100 BC, but escavations tell us that the island was already inhabited around 3000 BC by a neolithic tribe. Close to the island of Delos, that became "sacred", Mykonos was under the influance of all the different rulers there: the Phoenecians, Macedonians and the Athenans all left their mark on Mykonos. Just like all the other Greek islands the island came under the rule of the father of Alexander the Great, Philip of Macedonia. During that time the island florished and became a center for agriculture, pottery and shipbuilding. In the time of the Roman occupation under the rule of Augustus the island did even better. In the middle ages the island was occupied by the Venetians, and after that untill 1830 by the Turks, that enslaved Mykonians by the thousands. Off course the island was also occupied by the Germans. Today Mykonos has evolved to an important touristic attraction, because of its beautiful beaches, its relaxed atmosphere and the closeness of Delos.