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MYKONOS INTRODUCTION 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 off 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. After about an 8 hours trip by boat from 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 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. |
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A little bit ore about Mykonos island
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. |
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 MYKONOS TOWN 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, ane 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.
The nightlife on Mykonos |
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THE BEACHES OF MYKONOS
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 (I believe the most beautiful one) and much more quiet, or Kapari Beach, a little more remote, which can only be reached walking or by scooter. On Mykonos there's a beach to everbodies' liking. I can deffenitely 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 nowadsys go to the beach of Elia, where there is much more space and a it is a bit more of a mixed nature. There is a section textile beach and a part with 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 Mersini. 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, Mersini 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). |
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Hotel Nazos - Mykonos Town is one of the nicest hotels in Mykonos town, and my all time favorite!! 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 (top location!), close to the harbour and only 100 meters from the main bus station at Fabrika square. The views are awesome!! 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. I always make reservations here myself. It's worth every penny, the people that run it are superfriendly and it's in the best spot in Mykonos town! A place I can truly recommend! Prices start at 60 euro a day (2006). I will see you there too in september maybe, because this is my home on Mykonos ;). Tel:+30 22890 22626, 22904 Fax: +30 22890 24604 Winter Phone:+30 22890 22626 Winter Fax:+30 22890 24604 Send an email to the Hotel Nazos in Mykonos. |
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RANIA APARTMENTS, STUDIOS AND ROOMS IN MYKONOS TOWN.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! Tel. +30 (22890) 28272-3 or 22315, Fax: +30 (22890) 22370
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Constantina Zorz Xydakis Mykonos Town Rooms - Mykonos Town Marina of Mykonos Town Rooms rents rooms, studios and apartments and even a small house in the center of Mykonos town about 300 meters away from Fabrika Square, where the busses leave to most of the beaches. The buildings are in a quiet location, away from the traffic and the disco's and still in the heart of bubbling Mykonos town. The double rooms all have a spectaculair view of the sea. The rooms are varried from single rooms to spacious family apartments, and Constantina is one of the cheaper adresses for a stay in Mykonos Chora. Phone / fax at +30 22890 22730
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HOW TO GET TO MYKONOS
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. |
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| 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. A good and inexpensive car rental company is |
Quattro Rent a Car (+30) 2289022675 or (+30) 2289024187
Send an email to Quattro Rent a Car on Mykonos. . If you want you can also inquire if and what kind of car or bike they would have for you in a certain period using the form below. The best car rental on the island! |
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THE HISTORY OF MYKONOS
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.
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Hans Huisman, www.angelfire.com/super2/greece 2006 2008