Weekend Guide to Mykonos

Mykonos’ reputation precedes it. Dancing until 4am? Rubbing elbows with the elite? Chrystal blue beaches with soft white sand? Quaint seaside cafes and shopping on winding pedestrian streets? Yes, you will find all of these things in Mykonos.

Where to Stay

There are really two options when it comes to staying in Mykonos. You can opt to stay at a resort on one of the famous beaches or you can stay in Mykonos town. Transportation on the island leaves something to be desired and it’s not the easiest to get back and forth from the town to the beaches or between beaches so if being on the beach is your goal you may want to pick a beach and stay there.

I visited Mykonos for two nights and opted to stay at Super Paradise Beach. The beach is known for it’s wild all night parties in the summer months (I visited in September and while there were parties they were not as wild as I had read about). The beach itself has gorgeous clear blue water and a comfortable beach club with chairs and umbrellas for rent (€30/day for two chairs and an umbrella). Waitresses are available to bring drinks and snacks to your chair and music from the club pours onto the beach. Dining options are limited to an onsite cafeteria with average food or a couple of high end restaurants.

Pro-Tip: Purchase a bottle of wine, snacks and bottled water in town to save some money (tap water is not drinkable on the islands). Once you are at the beach everything is more expensive.

Getting Around

There are only 30 licensed taxis on the island so calling a taxi to go to dinner is not usually an option. Most of the resorts offer shuttle services – Super Paradise has a shuttle that runs hourly from 11am to 11pm (check with the hotel staff to be sure these times are still valid). It goes from the hotel to Mykonos Town and costs a couple of euros each way. It is also a good idea to pre-book transportation to and from the airport or port as you can’t always get a taxi at either locale.

Renting a car is also an option although Mykonos is full of narrow winding roads without street lights – not driving that is for the faint of heart. Parking also seemed to be challenging.

Water taxis are also an option for traveling between the beaches during the day. I did not personally try this option but saw them pulling up and dropping off and picking up passengers from Super Paradise. These seemed to be limited to prime beach hours and do not run at night.

What to do

The thing to do in Mykonos is go to the beach and/or beach clubs. The beaches here are some of the most beautiful in the world and the experience is top notch.

Other tourist activities on the island are limited. I would plan a few hours to wonder the streets of Mykonos Town (also know as Chora). You will see the traditional white buildings, narrow pedestrian roads, shops and cafes. The Mykonos windmills are iconic and worth a photo opp – both the view of the windmills themselves, as well as the view of the sea and town from where the windmills are located is an instagram worthy site.

Pro-tip: Mykonos can be very windy. I spent more time trying to hold my skirt down than enjoying the beauty of the island.

Plan to have lunch or coffee at one of the cafe’s right on the water. They will offer a unique view and experience of Greece. Imagine a hot summer day, sitting in the shade of a European cafe with the waves of the ocean crashing against the cafes walls and light spray occasionally splashing you. This is also very romantic and picturesque.

Where to eat

Staying at Super Paradise beach our dining options were limited, but one of the reasons I picked this beach was the famous Jackie O’s restaurant. In the day Jackie O’s features a beach club and pool party. In the evening the pool transforms into an outdoor night club featuring famous DJs and drag queen performances. The restaurant sits above the party and offers the elegant dining that you would expect based on the restaurants name-sake.

Jackie O’s was the only dining experience I had on the island worth writing about. Compared to Athens, Mykonos is very expensive and definitely knows it has a captive audience of tourists.

Conclusion

Mykonos is a gorgeous island and the beaches are so enjoyable and relaxing. I think it is a perfect place to spend two days to unwind during your trip either before or after visiting one of the more active spots in Greece.