Mykonos
Cycladic Island Known For Its Whitewashed Chora, The Kato Mili Windmills, Little Venice And Its Beach Clubs; The Boat Port For Delos · Mykonos Town (Chora), South Aegean
Mykonos is a small, dry, windswept Cycladic island that became one of the Mediterranean's best-known summer playgrounds. Its main town, Chora, is a maze of whitewashed lanes, blue doors and tiny chapels, said to have been laid out to confuse pirates. On its edge sit the Kato Mili windmills on a ridge above the sea, the balconied houses of Little Venice built right over the water, and the sculptural white church of Panagia Paraportiani. Beyond town, sandy beaches ring the south coast, from family bays like Psarou and Platys Gialos to the party beaches of Paradise and Super Paradise, while the north is wilder and windier. Mykonos is also the port for boats to Delos, the sacred island next door. People come for the beaches, the nightlife, the long tradition as a welcoming place for gay travellers, and the beauty of Chora in the evening. The honest caveat: prices are among the highest in Greece, beach clubs set steep minimum spends, taxis are scarce, cruise days crowd Chora, and much of the island shuts from November to April.
Mykonos, Cyclades; Chora (Mykonos Town) with Little Venice and the windmills; old port and new port at Tourlos; Mykonos airport, Mykonos Town (Chora), South Aegean, Greece
The island is lived on all year, but the season runs roughly late April to October; from November to April most hotels, beach clubs, restaurants and many shops close and ferries run less often. The Archaeological Museum and Delos follow state-site patterns - long summer hours, short winter hours, closed on 1 January, 25 March, 1 May, Easter Sunday and 25-26 December; confirm current hours. Arrive by air (about 40 minutes from Athens) or by ferry from Piraeus or Rafina (roughly 2.5-5.5 hours) to the new port at Tourlos. Book ferries, rooms, car hire and beach-club sunbeds ahead in July and August.