Mischief in Mykonos

Carys Reid-Davies
Aug 19, 2020
4 min read

Updated: Sep 7, 2020

Having anticipated beach parties until the early hours of the morning and cocktails in chic bars as the sun set, you can imagine how thrilled I was to hear that the day we arrived a curfew at midnight was announced (brilliant). That didn’t stop us having a cracking time, though, with Mykonos becoming my favourite of the Greek islands.

Now if you’ve never been before, be prepared for the wind. This blustery island will have you feeling as though you may be blown into the sea. Whilst this may seem like a deterrent, we were so thankful for this cool breeze which made the intense heat bearable. In the evenings it can be cooler if you’re not in a sheltered area though.

Mykonos Town

I fell in LOVE with the town. With an abundance of bars, restaurants and shops, the picturesque streets take you deeper into the heart of Mykonos. When walking around it felt like a maze, with each tiny street taking you onto a hidden path. Yet there was something lovely about wandering aimlessly with no real notion of where we were.

My favourite part was undoubtedly Little Venice which was marked by windmills and the waves crashing up to the gorgeous bars sat on the waterfront. Watching the sun slowly descend into the sea and light up the sky with orange, purple and blue swirls was breathtaking. So, to be fair, I did get that cocktail and sunset like I’d hoped.

As the evening crept in, bars came alive and whilst the midnight curfew was a shame, we still got out to some funky spots. Usually, the town would be electric all night but after midnight we bought wine and sat at the Amphitheatre which was actually really fun.

Beaches

The beaches in Mykonos are lush and so easy to get to. We went to Elia by bus (a one way ticket is €2.10) and then got a water taxi (€20 or €10 for one way) a different day to all the other beaches. Personally, I’d suggest going by bus to Elia and then walking to Agrari which is only five minutes away but across a rocky terrain. Elia had beds and water sports available so you’ll have hours of entertainment whilst Agrari felt more exclusive. I preferred the beach bar at Agrari to the restaurant at Elia so I would definitely recommend going there for any food or drinks. Either way, these two beaches are worth a visit and so easy to get to.

We also got a bus to Platis Gialos beach and then hopped on a water taxi which stopped at seven beaches (including Elia and Agrari). I found Paraga and Paradise beach the best by far as Super Paradise was more family orientated and smaller (we didn’t get off here). Paradise beach hosts Tropicana, a beach party, which starts around 5pm. It has a nice vibe and is a good place to get grooving.

Paraga also has beach clubs and is very pretty. These two, Elia and Agrari are probably the ones to go to. Just be warned, most of the beaches have beds which you have to pay to go on and most of the food is quite expensive but we just took towels and found spots on the side to set up base camp (the beds at Paradise beach were only €7 so far more reasonable than most) . Oh, and there are a lot of nudist spots and budgie smugglers on show!

Where to Eat

You won’t be short of places to eat in Mykonos as the town has almost every cuisine you could imagine; Japanese, Italian, Mediterranean and so on. It is, however, far more expensive than other islands so be prepared to have to splash the cash (cocktails average between €11 and €14 and most meals will be €20 plus).

We found two Italians which are viewed as the best in Mykonos. Most meals were between €15 and €22 so it was one of the less expensive places and the food was sensational. The first was D’Angelo, with an extensive menu offering every pasta and pizza dish you could possibly imagine (I’d recommend the tiramisu)!

The following night we had another Italian feast at Casa De Giorgio. Marginally more expensive but in a perfect spot for watching the sunset, this restaurant came alive at around 9pm with a buzz of hungry customers chatting around the church situated in the middle.

We also ate at The Local (yep, it is literally called The Local) as it was right next to our little hotel. If you want cheap as chips and huge portions then this is the place for you. Constantly busy, we squeezed in and had huge plates of fried food, souvlaki and gyros. The gyros were €2 and nothing was more than €9 so it was a good spot for some filling grub close to home.

Accommodation

Well did we have a treat or what. Having stayed in villas on every other island, Mykonos was our only hotel and what a hotel it was. Aeolos Resort had a luxurious pool which we were lucky enough to have right outside our rooms and it was only a short walk to the town (it was a steep walk home but the resort often dropped us off and taxis could be booked to come back if you didn’t fancy the hill). The people were incredible, giving us a free bottle of wine and always giving us a friendly smile when we passed. They could not have done more for us and lying around the pool each morning was a delight.

I’d definitely recommend either staying in town or close by as this is the centre and definitely the place to be in the evenings. Aeolos was perfect for us, especially with the resort picking us up and dropping us off at the airport and giving us lifts to town. It is also opposite a bus stop and there were a few places to eat next door as well as a supermarket. What more could you want really?

If you’d rather somewhere in town we had friends staying next to the Amphitheatre at a hotel called Semeli. It was a brilliant location, right in town, and a lovely hotel but a bit more expensive.

Overall, I was seriously impressed with Mykonos. A mix between luxurious beaches, tasty food and (under usual circumstances) a great nightlife. It is somewhere I’ll be returning to as soon as I can!