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Greece / Ελλας

Map showing Mykonos with Delos to the South West

Mykonos is the most cosmopolitan of all the Greek islands and probably the most expensive too.
It is a very dry and barren island and lies in the centre of the Cyclades Island group in the Aegean Sea.
Its near neighbour, Delos, is uninhabited and the whole island is listed as an archaeological site and it is against the law for anybody to stay on the island overnight.

Traffic is banned from the town centre of Mykonos Town (also known as Khora or Chora), not that it makes much difference as the majority of the streets are so narrow that vehicles could not possibly get down them anyway. You will probably see goods being delivered to the shops and houses by donkey or little scooters. The streets are a real maze and it is said that this was done to confuse pirates and smugglers. Another theory is that it was constructed to divert the  Meltemi, a strong wind that blows over the island during the months of May to October. Although Mykonos only has a resident population of around 6500, the island has more than 500 churches, many of which are tiny chapels attached to a house or an isolated building tucked away on the barren hillside.

 Many cruise ships anchor off the island and their passengers are brought ashore by tenders - this is when the waterfront restaurants, tavernas, jewellery and leather shops, designer clothes shops etc do a roaring trade.

Island mascot - Petros the Pelican

One of the most famous sights on the island is a pelican named Petros, the island's mascot. The bird wanders into restaurants and tavernas where it is fed titbits by the customers and staff alike. When the original bird died, the islanders brought another bird to the island.

The buildings on the island are built in what is called the Mykonos or Cycladic Cube style. They are built in the shape of cubes, of various sizes, next to or on top of each other but with the corners rounded off. By law every building has to follow this same pattern. The houses are also painted white, with the woodwork painted blue, yellow, green or a rust-coloured red.

One thing that brought the island to the attention of many people was the filming there of Shirley Valentine in 1989. It was filmed at a place called Aghios Ioannis which is just a short bus ride from Mykonos Town.

There are some spectacular beaches on the island too and buses run from the edge of Mykonos Town to take you there. They leave when they are full, with passengers packed inside like sardines. An alternative way to get to some of the beaches is to take a bus from Mykonos Town to Platis Gialos where you can get on one of the very many small boats that leave the jetty at frequent intervals going to Paraga, Kalamopodi (Paradise), Plintri (Super Paradise), Agrari, and Elia beaches along the southern coast, but this can be a bit scary if the Meltemi wind is blowing hard. There's also a 'big' boat which leaves Mykonos Town at a set time in the morning and returns in the evening taking passengers to many of the beaches along the southern coast. Being out on a boat in the open water is also an ideal way to get a sun-tan and gives you another view of the island.
Click on this link to read more about the Beaches on Mykonos.

Click here for Photos of Mykonos and Delos

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If you would like to see more photos of this beautiful little island, here is a link to the

Official Mykonos Web Site

...offering views of | Mykonos Town | Beaches | Sunset | Other |

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 © Gareth K H Nealer 2003 - 2005