Mykonos is a shrunken, stress-free, Ibiza - minus the British package holidaymaker, and with an infinitely more pristine coastline and better shops. As of 2006, visitors are spoilt rotten with cool new sleeperies as well.
It's important to say that although my blog is obsessed with where to eat/sunbathe/party (shopping guide coming soon, when i have time!,) Mykonos is fantastically varied for such a small island: it's a perfect destination for a glorious romantic getaway, a family holiday or a full-on singleton party splurge; you simply have to choose the right locations.
Photos from 2003 trip at: http://www.kodakgallery.com/BrowsePhotos.jsp?&collid=92834178103.799328517103.1149767747771&page=1
Photos from 2004 trip at:http://www.kodakgallery.com/BrowsePhotos.jsp?&collid=92834178103.597314477103.1149768060324&view=1&page=&sort_order=&albumsperpage=&navfolderid=2004 (nb there are millions)
Video of us wasted (esp Kt) on Paraga Beach at: http://www.getpermission.co.uk/clients/kt/
Still too hungover to upload 2006 pix.
(For Mykonos in the press, scroll to the bottom.)
WHEN DO WE GO THERE? Usually late July, or early September. August is hot, packed and very Italian.
GETTING THERE FROM THE UK
Halle-bloody-lujah!!!
DIRECT
The old British Airways route was taken over by easyjet, so the flights are actually more frequent... but also more expensive. However, a long weekend in Mykonos is a pain-free reality... albeit a reality in which you give up 2 working days and fly back Sunday morning, but then you'll probably be glad of an early night on Sunday after a weekend in Mykonos. Of course, it also means you can go for 10 days, which is even better - a week off work sandwiched by 2 weekends. But clearly this is going to have a massive impact on the amount of Notting Hill-accented English you hear spoken on the island....
Charters used to operate on Fridays from London Gatwick but those flights appear to have disappeared from view.
Flight time is around 4 hours.
VIA ATHENS
You also have the tedious option of travelling via Athens, on BA, Astraeus or many other airlines followed by an internal flight with Astraeus, Aegean http://www.aegeanair.com/ or Olympic http://www.olympicairlines.com/ a short 25 min hop to Mykonos. Alternatively you can catch a Sea-cat from (not sure which) (grab a 30 min cab from the airport) which takes about 2.5 hours, buy your ticket from the agents at the airport..
You could alternatively fly out on the Thursday BA flight, and back via Athens on Olympic. Hell now that BA is in the mix there are TONS of permutations.
Alternatively, research Mykonos direct flights from another European hub (Italy has quite a few charter flights there).
GETTING THERE FROM THE US (thank you Rocky for this info!)
Transavia - nonstop from Amsterdam http://www.transavia.com/en
Hapagfly - nonstops from some German cities http://www.hapagfly.com/
Air Berlin: nonstops from some German cities http://www.airberlin.com/site/index.php?LANG=eng
Eurofly - nonstop from Italy http://www.eurofly.it/
LTU - nonstop from Dusseldorf http://www.ltu.com/world
Air Europa - reportedly flew from MAD in the past http://www.air-europa-com/en/default.html
Olympic, most frequent flights from ATH
Aegean - flies from ATH; new jets; earn LH miles; use their website to avoid paper ticket delivery fees charged by Orbitz http://www.aegeanair.com/
Charters are also available. Found some from LGW at http://www.justtheflight.co.uk
SLEEP: HOTELS IN TOWN
THE BELVEDERE (http://www.belvederehotel.com/) My FAVOURITE hotel. Mykonos's answer to the Delano. The bedrooms aren’t so amazing but it’s still our favourite thanks to fabulous staff, a great location bang in the centre of town, a beautiful pool with huge comfy beds… and of course the fact that it has a Nobu (or, more correctly, Matsuhisa Mykonos) is the clincher. For once, the website doesn’t oversell the hotel, which got a big makeover over the winter and now looks even more Miami. Shit, there's even a Scoop store. The gym's had a makeover and is now spacious and well equipped. Expensive… but draws a cool crowd. Has underground parking for hire cars.
The THEOXENIA vies with Belvedere for reputation as trendiest hotel in Mykonos town. It had a big refurb 2 or 3 years ago and tons of hype ever since. Overhangs the water underneath the windmills. Very funky with spa treatments and a little gym. In town up by the windmills, in a great setting overhanging the sea. Almost as convenient than Belvedere or Semeli if you want to catch buses to the beach.http://www.mykonostheoxenia.com/
THE SEMELI (http://www.semelihotel.gr/)
Chora, Mykonos, 00 30 289 027466; fax 00 30 289 027467
Next door to the Belvedere and not dissimilar, the Semeli in 2006 opened a spa, as well the slightly disappointing island branch of top Athens restaurant Freud Oriental in a bid to out-flash Nobu). The Semeli is an old Chora mansion around which has been built a Cycladic village of two-storey houses with green and blue woodwork and wooden balconies. Great restaurant, fab pool, the bedrooms are OK but basically the whole place needs a makeover. Expensive and compared to the newer stuff overpriced.
OSTRACO SUITES (http://www.ostraco.gr/) E-mail : info@ostraco.gr
846 00 Drafaki Mykonos Tel (30) 22890 23396, 22890 27121, Fax: (30) 22890 27123 ATHENS (Winter office): tel./fax: ( 30) 210 9228452, 9225265
6 year old, sweet little hotel up the hill 600m from the centre of town. Next door to the Andronikos and owned by the same people. 24 double rooms and suites. Pretty saltwater pool, bbq etc. On the hill. Described on hiphotels.net as “A stylish family owned resort of 24 double rooms and suites ideally located close to the town a hill in an area of 6.000m2 offering a spectacular view of the Aegean sea”. See also http://boutiquelodgingpl.worldres.com/script/property.php?hotel_id=78764
ANDRONIKOS (http://www.andronikoshotel-mykonos.com/)
Tel. +30 (22890) 24231, Fax: + 30 (22890) 24691
Up the hill from the Belvedere and the Semeli, so a little way out of town (but halfway to fab Paranga Beach) the Andronikos has a big pool and faded hip hotels décor. Some of the rooms are looking a bit tatty these days; I would venture that only the suites are worth booking. Service isn’t so great, they play really loud music in the poolside bar and the uphill walk back from town can be a struggle late at night (there are only 12 taxis on the island!). Not really selling it I know: disappointed with last year's visit as used to be a big Andronikos evangelist.
ROCHARI Hotel Rochari http://www.roccari.com/ tel # +3022890 23107
Next door but one to the Belvedere and the budget option. Lacks the style and service, but with rooms at around €110 per night this family run hotel is good value, and has a nice pool area and a great juice and cocktail bar which used to be run by the indomitable Mary who sadly moved on this year. Rooms. Parking available, but on a horrible 45 degree incline.
CARBONAKI (http://www.carbonaki.gr/)
If you want to skip the five star luxury and save your money for shopping then the Carbonaki is the most fantastic alternative, slap bang in the middle of the old town. It has double and twin rooms, or triples, or quads (a room sleeping 4 costs about 200 Euros), a bar and restaurant, and a little courtyard with a swimming pool. Don’t go with a huge suitcase as you’ll have to wheel it down masses of stairs and cobbled streets.
APANEMA (http://www.apanemaresort.com/) is, according to the website, a gorgeous boutique hotel on the waterfront 1o mins walk from the town. 17 rooms tricked out in typical island style (all white!) and nice bathroom products. We haven't heard such great reports though.
PORTO MYKONOS ttp://portomykonos.gr
A cool little hotel in the port. Recently tarted up to look like a low rent Belvedere. Clean tidy rooms, nice swimming pool, a little gym, calm at night and close to the town centre and the port. Affordable.
SLEEP: HOTELS OUT OF TOWN
CAVO TAGOO just out of town got rave reviews in 2006 after its refurb. And then they did a second refurb over the winter and, wow, you should see it now. This is an uber-cool boutique hotel with a jazzy website, sexy, mod rooms and a groovy little gym in the basement, just north of the main town and an easy walk to the old port. Much of the decor is white, as it is everywhere on the island apart from the Theoxenia (which has a lot of snot green), but there are flashes of gold in the lobby, and the wedge shaped swimming pool, over which decks hover, has colour changing LED lighting in it. The big outdoor cocktail bar is now a ginormous fishtank. The sunloungers are double beds framed with silvered bamboo poles supporting canopies (they look like chuppahs). The service is lovely and the food is not bad. If you don't stay here, be sure to pop in for cocktails at sunset. www.cavotagoo.gr.
BILL & COO Suites & Lounge at Megali Ammos (2 mins drive out of town on a hill overlooking the sea) opened in summer 2006, with 25 rooms/suites. Like Cavo Tagoo, they got a bit carried away with the one upmanship and splurged a load more money over the winter (more suites with, frankly, overlooked private plunge pools). Divine funky rooms, with a great bar/dining scene around the large infinity pool. Hugely expensive even for Mykonos, and targeting Russians. You have been warned. www.bill-coo-hotel.com
KIVOTOS CLUB HOTEL is a pretty, family-owned property on Ornos Bay with 28 rooms and 12 suites (i think). It has the whole Mykonos white thing going on, but with extra character and two pools (one saltwater). The entire place has been thoroughly refurbished and villas are planned for 2008. Ask for Philip and mention my name for a discount. www.kivotosclubhotel.com
MYKONOS GRACE, located north of Mykonos town on Agios Stefanos beach, also got a thoroughly mod makeover during the winter of 2006/7 and is keeping up nicely with the competition. Many rooms have private plunge pools and whatnot. Awaiting a personal report from friends who are there now. Rooms cost from 300 euros in high season. www.mykonosgrace.com
GRECOTEL MYKONOS BLU in Platis Yalos is 4km from the town. This beautiful, cool hotel is also child-friendly with baby sitting facilities etc. Above my favourite Mediterranean beach (which has the best beach restaurant on the island and possibly anywhere apart from the Al Cielo on the Yucatan peninsula) and the Gulf of Psarou on Mykonos, the little enclave of 102 sea blue and white bungalows evokes the "sugar-cube" style of traditional island architecture. Every room comes with modern luxuries like air conditioning, direct-dial phone, satellite TV, minibar, ocean-view terrace, and room service 24 hours a day. Shockingly expensive but popular nonetheless. www.grecotel/mykonos/mykonos-blu
The couples-only hotel APSENTI just got a fab makeover and - despite a rather ill-judged website that's pure cheese-on-toast - has some great little suites, some with plunge pools. www.apsenti.com
PELICAN BAY ART HOTEL http://www.mykonos-web.com/PELICANBAY/index.htm
Allegedly attractive, good value hotel near the Mykonos Blu.
ST JOHN http://www.saintjohn.gr/
Newish luxury resort with spa, indoor & outdoor pools. Opened a couple of years ago. Haven’t visited it myself. Looks quite flash.
PRINCESS OF MYKONOS HOTEL http://www.princessofmykonos.gr/
Posh looking glam Eurotrash hotel north of town. Hilarious flash website has a great interactive map.
THE SANTA MARINA (http://www.santa-marina.gr/)
A luxury resort based on the south of the island in Ornos Bay. The resort is a luxury 20 acre complex of 90 hotel rooms and four fab private villas with their own pools. Stunning views across the bay, looking out at all the luxury yachts. Sharon Stone, Oliver Stone and Mel Gibson have all been guests… but it gets dissed on tripadvisor.com so is possibly best avoided.
ZEPHYROS http://www.mykonos-web.com/ZEPHYROS/index.htm
Small cheap hotel with pool right on lovely Paraga beach.
GERANIUM www.geraniumhotel.com The most stylish hotel on the island - on the edge of town by Starbucks - is for gay men and lesbians only which is tragic for every straight person in the universe. Nude sunbathing beside the pool is actively encouraged.
MYKONOS VIEW www.myconosview.gr
5mins walk to the town, this one has its own pool and a range of little apartments and studios.
OTHER HOTELS
Once upon a time before all these really cool places opened (circa 2003) The Belvedere recommended the following hotels (all in town)
Hotel Elena tel# +30 22890 23457
Hotel Anastasios Sevasti tel# +30 2289 0 24312
Hotel Andromeda tel# +30 22890 24712
Hotel Leto tel# +30 22890 22207
There are lots of other hotels listed at
http://www.greek-hotels.com/ - click Mykonos in the Cyclades. The Mykonos Star in Agios Sostis looks lovely
http://www.greekhotel.com/cyclades/myconos/chora/home.htm
http://www.mykonos-hotels.biz/mykonos.htm
http://www.mykonos-hotels.net/
WHAT’S THE ISLAND LIKE?
Gorgeous. Vibe is a smaller, prettier Ibiza with all the British oiks sent home. Mykonos is the chicest of the Cyclades islands and correspondingly fairly expensive (on a par with Ibiza in fact). Glam gay contingent and lots of pretty Europeans, especially Italians. Tons of great places to eat, drink and hang out. Dancing around the pool at the beach restaurants at sunset is a nice way to kick the evening off (before going for a disco nap). Mykonos measures just nine miles by six and, as my friend Kt is fond of saying, you could go to a different beach every day for a month. The island is prety barren but is covered with pretty little whitewashed houses. For maps click here: http://www.mykonos-web.com/mykonos/map.htm
Just ten minutes' drive from the airport (if that) is the island's capital, Mykonos Town. It's a labyrinth of narrow whitewashed lanes originally designed to baffle invading pirates, although it hasn't stopped the tourists.
The island was quiet and peaceful until it was discovered by shipping magnate Aristotle Onassis, who brought Jackie O to the island. Since then, owning a house on the island has been considered a status symbol by wealthy Athenians. (though Mykonos is also the place that Shirley Valentine came to and 'found herself').
The island's mascot is Petros the pelican. He was one of a flock which flew to Mykonos from the mainland in the 1950's. There are now two of him. How he bred solo is a mystery.
Good information sites on Mykonos:
http://www.cntraveller.co.uk/destinations/world/europe/greece/Mykonos_and_Santorini
http://www.magicaljourneys.com/Mykonos/index.html
http://www.travel-to-mykonos.com/
http://www.mykonosgreece.com/
http://www.mykonos-greece.biz/mykonos-guide.htm
TRANSPORT
There are various ways to get around the island - car, moped (DANGEROUS), quad bike (marginally less dangerous) or even public transport. Bus service from the town to the beaches is amazingly pretty good. There are only about a dozen taxis on the island; when you order one, the controller tells you what number taxi to look out for. Sweet. Hire a car if you can (bugger to park it in town although some hotels have car parks) but essential really – jeeps are best as roads are pretty rough. The shit jeeps are shit, but they look cool.
BEACHES see map http://www.thesaurus.gr/map_of_mykonos_island.htm
Paraga (pronounced Paranga) – a short bus or scooter ride from town - is a perennial favourite. Small and lively, with fantastic beach bars, including a sunset bar that changes hands every year where you can dance around or fall into an infinity pool, white sand, reasonable sun loungers and turquoise sea. Packed in the afternoon, quiet in the morning (like all the beaches). This is a sociable singles rather than a family beach. There is a great restaurant called Axina just around the corner for watching the sunset and eating fish or paella but it had a rubbish year in 2006 and may not be there this year.
Paradise and Super Paradise are the younger versions of Paraga - great for afternoon dancing to house music, throwing lager around and falling into swimming pools. A bit spring break for my generation (the odd American who makes it to Myknos never gets past these two beaches, which are basically one big beach).
Psarou is the Greek jet set beach and has the comfiest loungers. It’s like the Jockey Club in Ibiza but with lounge music, or like Club 55 in St Tropez but with better food. They even do sushi in the bar. You have to book the beds about a year in advance though or you get stuck at the end. Everybody is from Athens, with a sprinkling of Italians. It’s where the big yachts come in to moor while their occupants go to the fabulous restaurant Nammos for lunch. We bumped into Philip Green and Simon Cowell there in 2005 so it must be good.
Panormos in the north is a huge and stunning bay with three beaches, the most popular one of which, Ftelia, has a gorgeous Moroccanish-themed beach restaurant with bleached camo netting canopies and comfy seating, and lots of pretty colours. The restaurant has grown massively and added a bar area; some say it sold its soul this year when it acquired some big white sun loungers and went all fashionable. But you can still plonk a towel on the sand and the umbrellas are free as long as you buy a drink. This is still the island's beautiful people beach, like Salinas in Ibiza but with white sand and clear turquoise water. Just gorgeous, and the food and music are great.
Agios Sostis next door is, on a windy day, a wild and windswept beach that sits at the northern mouth of a bay and again a big favourite with surfers thanks to its exposure to the meltemi winds. Rollers crash in on a superb sand beach especially in July and August when the meltemi winds are at their strongest. On a still day, there is usually a little breeze here. Another reason to visit Agios Sostis is Kiki's, the fantastic restaurant beside the church.
Elia(s) – Angelo’s favourite. Windy beach good for windsurfing.
Kalo Livadi is a big wide beach, good for families, with a nice taverna called Shalimar.
EAT: RESTAURANTS IN TOWN (phone ahead or ask your hotel concierge as they change every year)
We like
Matsuhisa Mykonos (book: 30 2289 025 122): Mykonos outpost of Nobu at the Belvedere Hotel. Dining outdoors in the breeze at marble tables. The best tables are those closest to the beautiful pool. Booking is essential.
Aqua Taverna : Aqua is set on the shoreline of Little Venice. The proprietor is from Rome, and virtually all of the menu items are imported from Italy. The menu is simple but authentic. Pastas are cooked perfectly al dente, and the flavors of each dish are uncomplicated, but well balanced. This the ideal spot for a romantic dinner, complete with the sounds of the sea crashing on the shore and the moon beams reflecting on the water. Book on 30-22890-26083
Interni: Sketch-on-Sea but don’t let that put you off. An offshoot of the trendy Athens club. Dramatic walkway entrance is poser’s dream. All white décor with striking light sculpture in the main open garden area. Cocktail bar with proper drinks, DJs and fusion menu (to be fair the food's gone off a bit) served at long white marble tables that we broke at our famous White Party in 2004.
Sea Satin: Along with Aqua, probably the most fun place to eat in Mykonos town. Traditional Greek restaurant on the far right of the harbour next to the windmills – rocks in the season with Greek music – not too many tourists. Expensive but the fantastic location makes up for it.
Philippis (sometimes spelt with an F) : One of the longest established and most expensive restaurants on the island but justifiably so. Beautiful courtyard garden and great food. Horrible muzak.
Nautalus: Tiny Italian restaurant up a side street with great food and lovely service.
Mamacas: http://www.mamacas.gr/upindexen.htm Like a simpler version of Interni, In a garden with palm trees. Very popular.
EAT: RESTAURANTS OUT OF TOWN
Nammos: (book: 30-22890-22440) The beach restaurant on Psarou beach is the Club 55 of Mykonos, but still casual. Fabulous Greek/Italian food (and the odd Lebanese dish) with the accent on fish, lounge music, and – unusually – open evenings as well, to cater for guests at the nearby Mykonos Blu hotel no doubt. It’s great for groups at lunch, and this is where the super yachts moor up, and a bit more couply in the evening.
Kiki’s: Agios Sostis beach. No phone. Open daily, April to mid-Oct, 1pm to 6pm. This local institution is simplicity itself. There's no sign and no phone. Just follow the bronzed bodies trailing onto the tree-shaded terrace overlooking Agios Sostis beach, lured by the aroma of chargrilled pork chops (tenderised in a marinade). The taverna is beside the church and only got electricity 3 years ago. Gorgeous waitresses and a cosmopolitan crowd add to the charm. The restaurant consists of an outdoor brick oven and a patio under a glorious shade tree, plus a small enclosed building with just enough room for a kitchen, a display case, and a commode. Diners can choose from grilled marinated pork chops, chicken cutlets, calamari, octopus, and prawns, plus a variety of homemade salads ranging from artichokes dressed in a tangy lemon-mustard vinaigrette to tabbouleh, corn salad, and black eyed peas with herbs. All served on artfully mismatched crockery and followed by devilish chocolate brownies. If the patio is crowded, wait a few minutes outside to take in the view. Before you know it, a table will be ready. Wines are served in charming copper pitchers and poured into mismatched tumblers and stemware, evocative of a rustic lifestyle.
Focos, Focos Beach, can't find a phone number, just go there in the afternoon. Remote beach restaurant (not that anywhere in Mykonos is that remote), not sure it has a name. Katie's favourite along with Kiki's.
I Axini: The restaurant on Agia Anna, the little bay next to Paranga beach (walk through the Kahlua beach car park and it’s right there) is a brilliant place for late lunch or early dinner as you get the sunset. Fantastic fish including lobster, chilled out tunes. Like the nicest beach place in Ibiza but 100 times better. See http://www.mykonos-web.com/AXINI/index.html
PARTY
If you start your night early-ish, it's usually and inevitably at Caprice, a tiny DJ bar in Little Venice bursting at the seams. Good place to have a cocktail and watch the sunset. Then leave when it's too full.
The action then moves onto Astra and apparently there's a new place this year called Coo Coo, next door to Astra.
Space in Mykonos town is nothing like Space in Ibiza. One huge, hangar like space, and a mellow little outdoor bar behind a glass screen. The music is the same every night but it's always packed and fun. To book a VIP table in the raised area involves buying one bottle of spirits, which costs about £80. If you spend £300 with a group they treat you like a king. Hilarious.
In 2006 one of our favourite clubs, El Peccado, the Mykonos outpost of a hip (apparently) Athens bar, moved from a sweatbox by the Delos ferry across the port to another favourite called Remezzo. This saved us a walk and gave Peccado a huge wraparound terrace and a decent sized dancefloor. The music is downright peculiar but it's still a giggle from about midnight onwards.
Cavo Paradiso is the big famous club. It's arranged a bit like the main room at Pacha Ibiza, but on a clifftop out of town, is entirely open-sided and half-outdoors, opens just after midnight and shuts at 10am. Watcing the sun come up over the swimming pool is quite spectacular and will make you cry with joy. David Morales does his birthday party here every year and there are big name DJs playing here every weekend in the summer. The VIP room is adjacent to the DJ booth and has the biggest ever breeze blowing through it, so you never get hot. Bottle prices are nothing like Ibiza, so if there are a few of you book a table and get there by about 1am on a Saturday or it's murder. Ladies: tip the lavatory attendant on arrival and you'll never have to queue again. (if any journalists are reading this please do not publish this tip!)
PROPERTY
If you're thinking of buying a property here, dig deep. Prices are extortionate. Cameron Diaz thought she was getting a surf chick's bargain on the windy south side of the island, but it turned out to be downwind of a sewage plant. Oh dear.
UK press articles on Mykonos:
http://travel.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,10320-1685350,00.html
http://travel.guardian.co.uk/countries/story/0,,1461463,00.html
http://travel.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,10320-1615183,00.html
http://www.mrandmrssmith.com/luxury-hotels/greece-hotels/mykonos-hotels/belvedere/review/
OH MY GOD I AM SO EXCITED ABOUT GOING TO MYKONOS THIS YEAR!!!!
Labels: Belvedere, Cavo Paradiso, Matsuhisa, Mykonos
posted by Danielle Nay at 9:52 AM
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