Mykonos is the most popular greek island especially amongst celebrities for its party scene. Well, don't worry if you are not the party kind- pristine beaches, pretty cobblestoned streets and the charming Mykonos town are enough for a fabulous experience. I spent my 28th birthday in Mykonos and it was the best birthday so far. While Santorini has its unique selling point due to dramatic caldera views, Mykonos is beautiful in its own way and don't miss this experience for anything. Here is a mini guide for making the best of your 2 days at the beach paradise!
How to get there: Taking a ferry from Athens or Santorini is the best way to reach there. You can also fly into Mykonos but make sure you book in advance to get the best deal. We took a SeaJet ferry from Santorini and found the 2+ hour ride to be very comfortable. The ride is stable and should be comfortable even if you suffer from sea sickness (like me!)
Where to stay: Accommodation in Mykonos is on the expensive side thanks to its popularity amongst celebrities. However, if you book in advance you should be able to find a nice hotel at a good location which does not burn a hole in your pocket. Public transportation in the island is very convenient (till late in the night) so don't stress too much about staying right in the centre of the town. We stayed at Lithos and Spyros which is steps away from Agios Ioannis beach (of the movie Shirley Valentine fame) and will highly recommend it. See my full review of the hotel here.
How to get around: Public transport is pretty convenient and reasonably priced. KTEL buses ply at frequent intervals till late night. For beach hopping, use the water taxi for which the tickets can be bought from Ornos or Platys Gialos beach.
Where to eat: Plenty of fantastic restaurants are there to choose from in Mykonos town area. I will highly recommend Vasilikos at Agios Ioannis, Captain's at Mykonos town and Avli Tou Thodori at Platys Gialos, I Scream and Gelarte for gelato/ice cream.
Day 1: We arrived at the port of Mykonos at 13:15 pm from Santorini. After check-in, we had a nice lunch next door at Vasilikos and then headed to Agios Ioannis beach for a swim. Agios Ioannis shot to fame after it was featured in the oscar nominated movie Shirley Valentine. It is a quiet, beautiful beach with clear waters and fine sand. We enjoyed swimming here and could also see fishes swimming with us.
Our final dinner was at Captain's and I must say the best was reserved for the last. They don't take reservations so you will have to wait but it is totally worth it. Lovely ambience, right opposite the waterfront and fantastic food. The gelato place right next to it i.e. Gelarte is the best one in town (try the pineapple and capuccino flavours).
This blog was originally published on 'My Travel Treasures'
We went back to the room to freshen up and took a bus (bus stop right in front of the hotel!) to the town to catch the sunset. Rather than the watching it from Little Venice we kept walking straight down from the bus stop to catch a rather quiet (read less crowded) and serene sunset.
We walked to the windmills and spent quite sometime there enjoying the beautiful view and taking pictures.
We then walked all the way to Mykonos waterfront area from Little Venice.
We explored some of the most beautiful little alleys with gorgeous shops and cafes before having dinner at Eva's garden (beautiful place but average food for the price). We stopped for delicious greek gelato at I Scream before heading back to our hotel.
Day 2: Today was dedicated to beach-hopping and swimming in the clear Myconian waters. After breakfast, we took a bus to Ornos beach and bought a return water taxi ticket from there. Due to weather conditions, the taxi was not going till Elia beach (the last stop on the route). But you could get off at Agrari beach and then walk to Elia. Ornos beach is nice though super crowded.
We had initially decided to get off at Agrari and walk to Elia but my sea sickness got the better of me (do take a sea sickness tablet if you also suffer from this because the ride can be rocky) and we got down at Super Paradise. We were glad we got down here because this beach is gorgeous with crystal clear waters and golden sand.
Loved swimming here along with the fishes (there is a school of fish very close to the shore!). One of my best swimming experiences ever (and as you can see above I don't have a single decent picture of the beach since I was too busy having fun!). It was not crowded as well since it was mid-September (and parties start only at night I guess). We did not rent any sun bed as it was quite expensive and so was the massage. For lunch we headed back to Platys Gialos beach on the water taxi. Platys Gialos beach is a pretty one with a great vibe and amazing food options.
We had an absolutely fantastic meal at Avli Tou Thodori, relaxed on the sunbeds (free as we had lunch at the restaurant) and swam a bit before heading back to the hotel. The water is clean here as well but not as nice as Super Paradise for swimming.
After relaxing a bit, we watched the sunset from the windmills and spent some time in the town.
Our final dinner was at Captain's and I must say the best was reserved for the last. They don't take reservations so you will have to wait but it is totally worth it. Lovely ambience, right opposite the waterfront and fantastic food. The gelato place right next to it i.e. Gelarte is the best one in town (try the pineapple and capuccino flavours).
The next morning we headed back to Athens on a Fast ferries ship with a bag full of memories.
I really felt 2 days were not enough and I could have spent more time at Mykonos- maybe next time! But I am sure we had a pretty great time in those 48 hours!!
This blog was originally published on 'My Travel Treasures'
