Mykonos
My unexpected love for Mykonos!
The cosmopolitan party destination of Mykonos hasn’t been top of my list to travel to but with Covid causing the postponement of our wedding, local lockdown preventing Plan B of a party we were onto Plan C: getting the hell out of here to relax and recuperate. The next problem we faced was where to go.. due to the government’s minimal list of places to travel without quarantine, we settled upon Greece and Mykonos just so happened to have flights on the days we wished to travel. I must admit I had some apprehension about how pompous it may be and how the party scene may completely clash with our idea of a relax, but I was greatly wrong.
Mykonos is one of the smaller Greek Islands and though it definitely favours young outgoing tourists it still maintains the beautiful landscapes, food and ambience one would expect from anywhere in Greece. Given it’s size, everything is close by. The airport is 2 minutes from car rentals, car rentals were 5 minutes from our villa, the town 5 mins from there, and no beach, bar or restaurant is more than 10 minutes away.
Despite the close proximity of everything, nothing is within walking distance, which is what is probably the most perplexing part of travelling to Mykonos. Everything is along long dusty roads with no pathways in sight. Almost everyone is travelling on mopeds, quad bikes or hire vehicles that resemble bumper cars (I’ll get onto why that is later). I’ve heard there are a select 15 taxis on the island but we didn’t spot them during our stay. Driving for us is fine and we enjoy the freedom of being able to explore different places at our leisure but one simply does not understand how it can be such a party place without appropriate transport? I maybe greatly mistaken but it can only be assumed that this is the cause behind the cars having dented wing mirrors and scraped wheel trims? Despite this and the dodgem feel to driving about the place we never felt unsafe. However if you’re an apprehensive driver Mykonos may not be the place for you (maybe worth a little more research).
The landscape of Mykonos is very picturesque, farmers fields with little white houses dotted between. The sea is never to far from view and the windmills so regularly photographed within Mykonos town (chora) are a beautiful sentiment to the history there. Mykonos town itself is exactly as one imagined, often referred to as ‘little Venice’ you’ll find yourself winding in and out of the alley ways searching for that perfect spot for a picture with the flowers and cobbles. There is an abundance of shops, restaurants bars and the allusive Greek kebabs that everyone craves.
Known as the windy island, Mykonos is certainly that, having got off the plane expecting that gorgeous gush of hot air that everyone travels abroad for you’ll be sorely disappointed by the reality of a gush of wind so strong you’re almost blown off the plane stairs! Truly no one can imagine how strong the wind is but please note no bobble can be undervalued during your stay in Mykonos, nor can the value of sudacrem when you inevitably burn due to the inability to feel the strength of the sun! The weather is dreamy but I can imagine if travelling out of season the wind could bring a chill and I would carefully consider what to pack. Even a jacket for a Summer’s evening should be considered.
As already stated, I am not one for beaches but my partner loves nothing more than a swim in the sea. One morning we ventured to the popular Agios Sostis (here you’ll also find the popular Kiki’s tavern- the rustic originality of this restaurant brings people flocking and queuing up the street so get there early). It’s an unspoilt part of Mykonos and one of few beaches not occupied by the infamous beach clubs. As also previously stated I am not a big drinker so didn’t experience any of the beach club hype though imagine it would live up to every instagrammers' dream.
Given the limited time spent in Mykonos and Covid regulations restricting capacity in restaurants we pre-booked our meals with ease online before arriving. Karavaki restaurant provided one of the nicest meals ever! Moderately priced by Mykonos standards, we had a really amazing 3 course meal for €100 (without alcohol). This price included a view of the best sunset view on the island. Buddha bar is one of most ‘well known’ places to eat. Here you're offered sushi with views over a beach that many a yachts dock up at. The setting was phenomenal but we paid over €100 for just one course. We love sushi so felt it was worth it but don’t get roped into going just because it’s the place to be- I feel there are a lot of those places in Mykonos. During our stay we also ate at D’angelo- an scrumptious italian in town just behind the windmills. It would be nice idea to watch the sunset from the windmills before eating there but note it does feel like people gathering by Sydney Habour Bridge for NYE (which is less than favourable during a pandemic). Having already watched the sunset a lot we gave it a miss and took the opportunity to wander around the town alone before settling down for a fair priced pizza and pasta (€60 for 2 courses). For those keen on snickers they do a homemade version which was “calorifically velvety deliciousness” (even though I am terrible at writing, words are definitely not my partner’s strong point). Our final meal was at Kavos, a little Greek tavern at the old habour looking onto little Venice. Here provided authentic Greek cuisine with yet again another beautiful view (scandalous that this was our first time eating Greek really, it was delicious and only €35 for 1 course and drinks). I would recommend everywhere we ate!!
In summary Mykonos gives a gorgeous combination of old school Greece and modern luxury. Despite the glamorous vibes and celebrity culture associated with this destination the wind and cobbles mean no one is overly ‘done up’ and one doesn’t feel out of place for not having a blue tick or bulging wallet. Sure there are lots of instagramable places to go to on the island (Scorpios, Cavo Tagoo, Principote to name a few) and it would definitely make a brilliant girls holiday but it also worked wonderfully as a romantic getaway for us. For a longer holiday it could be paired nicely with Santorini, Athens or any of the Greek islands that takes your fancy, most accessible by local ferries or internal flights. Even without any travelling add-on Mykonos makes a beautiful place to get away, take the below photo for evidence.
date of visit- August 2020
necessary time - 3 days
recommend time - 5/7 days
overkill - 2 weeks
approximate budget (based on 2 adults for a week all in) - £3500
highlights - exploring little venice, all the food 😍
pros- sunsets to die for, short haul travel, party vibes, welcome breeze
cons- limited transport, quiet expensive
Random info:
- there’s a pelican called Petros who is spotted in Mykonos town. Legend has it he's lived there for some 40 years and all the tourists like to spot him.
- Parking is free and plentiful across the island.
- Beaches welcome nudists so don’t be surprised by what you may see.
- Anyone travelling to Greece during the pandemic needs a QR code to be allowed entry!
