Mykonos is famous for reasons everyone knows: the party beaches, the pelicans, the prices. What surprises first-time visitors is how much else is here — a genuinely beautiful old town, two thousand years of sacred history across the water at Delos, and a coastline of coves and bays that only boats reach properly.
The island sits at the very centre of the Cyclades. From its ports you can reach Delos, Tinos, Syros, Paros and Naxos on short, manageable legs, which makes Mykonos both a destination in itself and a natural crossroads for any route through the middle of the Aegean.
This guide covers what to see, what to do, the best beaches and swim stops, where to eat, and everything you need to plan a visit by boat.
Why visit Mykonos?
Start with the town. Chora is one of the prettiest settlements in Greece: a maze of whitewashed lanes built to confuse pirates, painted doors and bougainvillea at every turn, and houses in the quarter known as Little Venice standing with their balconies right over the water. It is compact, walkable and best explored on foot, slowly, before the evening crowds arrive.
Then there is history. Myth says the giants of the Battle of the Gods lie buried under Mykonos' rocks; the island's real importance came from its neighbour, Delos — the birthplace of Apollo and Artemis and one of the great religious and trading centres of the ancient Mediterranean. Mykonos fed and supplied it, and the archaeology is now a short boat ride away.
And of course there is the water. Mykonos has more than twenty beaches, from family sand at Ornos to the famous party coves of Paradise and Super Paradise, plus quiet north-coast pockets and the uninhabited island of Rhenia with swimming most islands would envy.
What to see in Mykonos
Mykonos Town and Little Venice
Give the old town a proper wander. The streets were laid out deliberately as a maze — the theory goes to break the wind and confuse raiders — and getting mildly lost is the point. Look for the whitewashed Church of Panagia Paraportiani on the headland, an asymmetrical cluster of five small churches built over several centuries and probably the most photographed church in Greece.
On the western edge, Little Venice (Alefkandra) is the row of 18th-century sea captains' houses with wooden balconies hanging over the waves. It was built for loading cargo directly onto boats, and today it is the classic sunset-watching spot, bar after bar facing the water.
The windmills of Kato Mili
On the hill above Little Venice stand the seven surviving windmills of Kato Mili, built by the Venetians in the 16th century to grind grain with the steady northern winds. They ground flour into the 20th century; one of them, the Bonis Windmill, is preserved as a small agricultural museum with its machinery intact.
The terrace around them is the best viewpoint over the town, and at sunset the whole scene — windmills, sea, the channel to Delos — turns gold. Come early evening, take the photo, then stay for the light.
Delos, the sacred island
Twenty minutes by caique from the old port lies Delos, and no visit to Mykonos is complete without it. In myth it is the birthplace of Apollo and Artemis; in reality it was for centuries one of the most important sanctuaries and trading ports of the ancient world, and today it is a UNESCO World Heritage site and the largest open-air archaeological site in the Aegean.
Walk the Avenue of the Lions, stand in the amphitheatre of a 3,000-year-old city, and see the mosaics of the House of Dionysus. Excursion boats run from Mykonos' old harbour throughout the day; landing is only allowed during daytime visiting hours and there are no overnight stays, so plan it as a half-day trip. Bring water and a hat — there is almost no shade.
Ano Mera and the monastery
In the quiet interior of the island, the village of Ano Mera gathers around the Monastery of Panagia Tourliani, founded in the 16th century. Inside are a carved marble bell tower, an ornate iconostasis and a small museum of ecclesiastical art. The village square has traditional tavernas — some of the most relaxed eating on the island — and it makes a good stop combined with the beaches of the east coast.
In Chora itself, the small Archaeological Museum near the old harbour holds finds from Delos and Rheneia, and the Aegean Maritime Museum tells the island's long seafaring story — fitting for an island whose white boat-shaped houses seem built by sailors.
What to do in Mykonos
Do the beach day properly
Mykonos invented the Greek beach-club scene, and it is worth experiencing once: a sunbed at Psarou or Scorpios, lunch arriving at your lounger, music until the sun drops. If that is not your scene, no problem — the same coastline has quiet sand at Kapari and Agia Anna, family bays at Ornos and Platis Gialos, and windsurfing at Kalafatis and Ftelia when the meltemi blows.
Take the boat to Delos
Even for non-museum people, Delos lands differently — marble lions, empty stadiums and the sense of an entire civilisation paused mid-day. Go early on the first boat to beat the heat and the crowds, and check the return times before you set out.
Catch the sunset like a local
There are two classic options: from the windmill terrace above Little Venice, with the whole town below, or from the water — a cocktail table on the Alefkandra waterfront as the lights come on. On the boat, the west-facing anchorage at Agios Ioannis does the same job with the sun sinking behind Delos.
Beaches and swim stops in Mykonos
Mykonos' coast bends around in a gentle crescent, which means there is nearly always a beach with the wind at its back.
Ornos and Psarou
Ornos, just south of town, is the practical all-rounder: golden sand, shallow water, tavernas and hotels, and the most reliable sheltered anchorage on the island. Psarou next door is the jet-set beach — designer sunbeds and the famous Nammos restaurant, with beautiful clear water to match.
Platis Gialos, Paradise and Super Paradise
The south-coast chain. Platis Gialos is family-friendly and the hub for little boats shuttling between beaches. Paradise and Super Paradise are the legendary party coves — long sand, beach bars and dancing from afternoon into night. Both are also easy, scenic stops by boat outside high summer or early in the morning.
Elia and Agia Anna (Kalafatis)
Elia is one of the island's longest sandy beaches, calmer than its southern neighbours and with a good restaurant scene. Nearby Agia Anna is the tiny cove from the film Shirley Valentine — one taverna, a handful of boats, pure Cycladic charm.
North coast: Ftelia, Fokos and Agios Sostis
When the meltemi rests, the wilder north rewards you: Ftelia's wide bay (with a neolithic archaeological site on its headland), the hidden sand at Fokos and Mersini, and the clothing-optional Agios Sostis. In a strong northerly these bays take the full fetch — admire them from the deck instead.
Food and where to eat in Mykonos
Yes, Mykonos can be expensive. But it also has serious cooking — island food, excellent fish and some of the best traditional tavernas in the Cyclades, as long as you know where to look.
Local specialities to hunt for: kopanisti, the island's spicy, peppery soft cheese, served on barley rusks with tomato (the classic kopanisti mostra), louza, cured pork loin with local herbs, and kremmydopita, an onion pie from the island's farming tradition. Add fresh octopus, sun-dried gouna fish and grilled Cycladic lamb and you have the picture.
In Mykonos Town
To Ma'ereio on Kalogera street is the local institution: a tiny family taverna run by twin brothers, serving meze-style plates like courgette balls, vine leaves and lamb in lemon sauce from a changing blackboard. Arrive early or queue happily.
M-eating dishes up refined Mediterranean food in a century-old townhouse and is a favourite for a proper evening out, while Kastro's in Little Venice is the iconic table with the narrow balcony over the water — book ahead for sunset seating and order the seafood stew.
Under the windmills
Sea Satin Market has been grilling fish and serving Greek classics on the Alefkandra shoreline since the 1990s, with the sunset thrown in free. It is touristy in the best sense — celebratory, generous and right on the water.
Around the island
Mathios Taverna near the new port cooks home-style dishes from its own garden and has fed crews and locals since 1964 — the easy first-night choice if you berth at Tourlos. At the beaches, Nammos rules Psarou, the seafood restaurant in the cave at Spilia (Agios Stefanos) is worth the trip, and the tavernas on Ano Mera's square offer the island's most honest, unhurried lunch.
Exploring Mykonos by boat
Mykonos sits in the middle of the Cyclades, and its waters are as busy as its town — but the sailing rewards are real: short hops to Delos, big-sky anchorages and beaches that are easier to reach from the water than the road.
Tourlos, the new port
Visiting yachts berth at the marina at Tourlos, about two miles north of Chora — the old harbour is now reserved for excursion boats. The marina has water and electricity on the quay, fuel by arrangement, and full provisioning within walking distance; book ahead in July and August. The port is well sheltered but can roll with ferry wash and strong meltemi gusts, so set good snubbers and expect to hear the ferries all night.
Ornos and the south coast
Ornos bay, protected from the northerlies, is the island's classic overnight anchorage — sand and weed bottom, 5–8 metres, mooring balls at its head. Two honest warnings: parts of the bottom are littered with old chains and anchors, so test your set, and sudden gusts roll off the land at night. From Ornos it is a short hop to Platis Gialos, Paradise and Super Paradise for daytime swims, and to Elia, a large, well-sheltered bay that is blissfully quiet after the day boats leave.
Agios Ioannis, just south of Ornos on the west coast, offers firmer sand holding, a lovely beach and one of the island's great sunset views across to Delos.
Delos and Rhenia
The channel between Mykonos and Delos is short but shallow and busy, so give it attention and daylight. Delos itself is a protected archaeological zone with no private anchoring — visit by tender at the official landing or take an excursion boat from the old port. Neighbouring Rhenia, the uninhabited twin island, is the answer for swimming: its coves on the south side are well sheltered from the meltemi, the water is startlingly clear, and at dusk you will often have the anchorage entirely to yourselves.
Cruising tips
The meltemi is the deciding factor here: it blows hard from the north in July and August, making the north coast (Panormos, Ftelia) untenable while the south and west coasts work beautifully. Distances are short — Tinos about eleven miles, Syros around eighteen, Parikia on Paros roughly twenty, Naxos in the low twenties — which makes Mykonos an ideal pivot for a mid-Cyclades route.
Watch ferry traffic at the port entrances, keep well clear of the marked swim zones off the beaches, and remember that provisions on Mykonos cost noticeably more than elsewhere — stock the big shop on a neighbouring island.
Getting around Mykonos
Chora is entirely walkable. For the rest, the island's bus network connects the town with the main south-coast beaches and Ano Mera cheaply and frequently in summer; the airport is a ten-minute drive from town. Taxis are scarce in high season — prebook or use the buses — and ATVs and cars rent widely if you want the north coast and hidden beaches. From the boat, the little beach shuttles out of Platis Gialos and the old port make life easy.
How many days do you need in Mykonos?
Two days cover the essentials: a morning in Chora and Delos, an afternoon on a south-coast beach and a sunset evening under the windmills.
Three or four let the island work as a proper sailing base — a night at Ornos, a quiet evening anchored off Rhenia, beach days chosen around the wind, and dinners in town and Ano Mera. On a crewed charter, Mykonos usually earns two nights: one for the town and one for the beaches.
Islands to visit after Mykonos
Mykonos' central position makes every onward leg short and beautiful.
Delos, minutes to the southwest, is the greatest half-day trip in the Aegean — marble ruins on an uninhabited island.
Naxos, southeast, brings the Portara sunset, mountain villages and the longest sandy beaches in the Cyclades.
Paros, south, pairs Naoussa's fishing-village harbour with good shelter and easy distances.
Syros, north, offers the grand neoclassical city of Ermoupoli and the calm west-coast anchorages.
And further on, Santorini and the southern Cyclades complete the classic circuit — Mykonos sits at the exact centre of it all.
Final thoughts
Mykonos is loud, glamorous and occasionally expensive — and it is also one of the most rewarding sailing stops in Greece. A town that rewards walking, an ancient sanctuary across the channel, a beach for every wind direction and short, easy legs to four great islands in any direction.
Arrive with a plan for the meltemi, book the marina and the restaurants ahead in high season, and let the island show you both of its personalities — the one on the posters and the one in the lanes.
Research sources
Harbour classifications, mooring arrangements and island facts in this guide were cross-checked against the references below.
- Municipality of Mykonos — official information on the island, its beaches and services.
- Ephorate of Antiquities of the Cyclades — Delos — official visiting information for the archaeological site.
- Greek National Tourism Organisation — Mykonos — official destination guide.
- Cruisers Wiki — Mykonos cruising guide — harbour and anchorage details for visiting yachts.
These references support itinerary research but do not replace live navigational information, port notices or your skipper's judgement.
