After experiencing another UK Summer, I was inspired to head for Mykonos! I was somewhat intimidated since Mykonos has a reputation for being a young person's place.
I flew EasyJet from Luton UK airport (my favourite airport) to Athens. It is a no-frills airline but even parking is simple ... Read review
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Advantages: Variety! Beaches, food, people - Greece! Disadvantages: Very hot. Remembering HOW to deal with loo paper
...I was somewhat intimidated since Mykonos has a reputation for being a young person's place.
I flew EasyJet from Luton UK airport (my favourite airport) to Athens. It is a no-frills airline but even parking is simple (you can book it at the same time as you do your flight) and the airport is easy to get into and back out of! Then I transfered to Olympic for the flight to Mykonos. You can also take a ferry, instead, but it is about 5 ... ...windows open and the lovely Mykonos breeze, too.
It was very hot - the mornings started at 32C or 82F - according to the temperature reading on my newest mobile/cellphone! However, this inspired me to get up fairly early and head for the beach cafe, where there was lovely greek yoghurt with organic strawberries, pain au chocolat, orange juice etc, included in the price of the room. And the view was of the sea and sand, before all the ... more
After experiencing another UK Summer, I was inspired to head for Mykonos! I was somewhat intimidated since Mykonos has a reputation for being a young person's place.
I flew EasyJet from Luton UK airport (my favourite airport) to Athens. It is a no-frills airline but even parking is simple (you can book it at the same time as you do your flight) and the airport is easy to get into and back out of! Then I transfered to Olympic for the flight to Mykonos. You can also take a ferry, instead, but it is about 5 or 6 hours on the ferry, versus less than an hour to fly there. And I wanted to hit the beach!
A friend's daughter was working at a nearby resort, so she found me a place to stay and it was unique! It was a traditional Greek cube style cottage, which had been carved into a hillside, so the interior had not only a stone floor, but the platform bed was carved into a cave! This meant the room stayed cool, with the windows open and the lovely Mykonos breeze, too.
It was very hot - the mornings started at 32C or 82F - according to the temperature reading on my newest mobile/cellphone! However, this inspired me to get up fairly early and head for the beach cafe, where there was lovely greek yoghurt with organic strawberries, pain au chocolat, orange juice etc, included in the price of the room. And the view was of the sea and sand, before all the sunbathers arrived.
Each morning the staff would meticulously sweep everything up from the night before, and it was very clean and tidy and fresh each day.
I stayed at Paradise Camping but didnt camp! I felt quite privileged to be able to return to my comfy bed with cool clean sheets every night, instead. My standalone cottage was number 38; it had it's own porch with two chairs and a view of the ocean. The inside of the cottage included my bed-in-a-cave, an armoire, desk/chair, fridge (wonderful for keeping large quantities of water, and greek yoghurt left over from breakfast). It had its own tiled bathroom, combined with built-in shower (you had to leave the towels outside of the bathroom, else they got soaked).
The web/guides made it sound like it was a total nudist beach, but it was optional. So if you wanted to sunbathe topless, you could, but there was no pressure to do so.
You can stay at your resort and swim or take advantage of water sports offered nearby, or catch the water taxi to nearby beaches and islands, such as Delos (famous for its archealogical interest). Take your own water, if you go, as there are no restaurants on Delos.
Paradise Camping is one of several places to stay in the area, however what makes it special, is that the owner LOVES to garden, so all the fruit and vegetables come from his garden - 100% organic. The watermelon tastes terrific, and is just the thing to cool you down. You can eat all your meals at your resort, or wander down the beach and try the others. There is a choice of buffet, or hot meals, as well as the famous greek salad. Except you ALMOST get too much cheese (almost!)!
Instead of staying in the resort, go to town and eat! The bus to Mykonos town cost less than 1 euro and the town was beautiful, Windmills, narrow streets, with the pavements outlined in white paint, flowers, Pelicans (dont attempt to pat the male, he doesnt like it). Celebrity watching too - at least it LOOKED like Michael Palin! We had a wide choice of open-air restaurants, with generous portions of lobster at a very reasonable price. We also walked up the hill past Paradise to another restaurant where the squid (sorry, calamari) was superb and the atmosphere was lively - very LOUD local music but fun! I would tell you the name, but I couldnt pronounce it, let alone spell it! However, you just walk along the road from Paradise and you cannot miss it.
On my last night, I walked along the beach to the next resort and shared my jumbo prawns surreptiously with a cat who was my date for the night.
What else is there to do in Mykonos? I enjoyed the lazy routine of wonderful breakfasts on the beach, swimming and sunning and just relaxing. Lots of siestas, when it got too warm, enjoying the windy weather, which gave some respite to heat, and trips to Mykonos town to shop (postcards, peasant blouses, hats). It seemed every shop we went into, the owner had SOME relative who lived in Canada, so it was fun to chat about this, so far away from home! I even visited an internet cafe (there are several) where I could email a postcard of the beautiful windmills, like you see on the thumbnail picture on this opinion (kept expecting Don Quixote to come around the corner!)
I was fortunate to have about 6 hours in Athens on the way home and despite the heat, climbed way up to the top to visit the Acropolis - what an amazing view! I got a bit lost, after a greek salad in the Plaka for lunch, but this meant I got to walk up narrow streets with a chance to see small neighborhoods on the way. I had heard that Athens was smoggy and smelly, but not when I was there! And the new Metro was like being in an art museum - and it only cost three euros to get back to the airport. The airport was very easy to get around in (versus what it used to be like, so they say). However, be sure to confirm your return flight from Mykonos to Athens, if you are switching airlines, or if you do like I did, and catch an earlier flight on the way in! They were full and I almost missed my flight because I did not phone 24-48 hours in advance to reconfirm with Olympic Airways. This is when my assertiveness training came in handy, as in, I need to get on that flight, please!
I didn't actualy do my own instant replay of the movie, "Shirley Valentine" (but you might want to watch the film again, as it was filmed in Mykonos) but I came home feeling really relaxed, and tan and planning to visit again in May, when it is a bit cooler! I plan to venture out from Athens to a couple of the surrounding Islands. This will definitely be my first of many trips to Greece.
Advantages: Vibrant, relaxing, fun Disadvantages: Mopeds...
...prior to departure revealed that Mykonos is seen primarily as a "gay" resort, and to be honest, this is a reasonably accurate description of the island. I think anyone with a limited view of the world would have their eyes opened, and any particularly closed minded people may have serious problems with *some* areas of the island. From what I saw, there must be a 50/50 split in the amount of gay/straight holiday makers who visit the island, and this ... ...a (rather steep) hill from Mykonos town itself - you pass them as you come down the road from the airport - the ideal location as far as we were concerned. It allowed good access to the town centre ("taxi square"), and was far enough out of the town to be a touch more relaxed at night. If we had a problem with both the appartments, and the island as a whole, it would be the mopeds. These seem to be driven by anyone, regadless of age, ability, inibriation, ...
georgelowes 17.03.2004
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Mykonos in general
Advantages: sea,sun,sand,sailing!,and lots of sex...honest Disadvantages: expensive, crowded
...I’ve putted my op about Mykonos under the section for general info about Greece, but I didn’t know that I could create a sub-category. Sorry again.
To call Mykonos a 'gay island' is like calling San Francisco a 'gay city'. Sure there are gay bars and homosexuality is not hidden, but unless you are looking for it you may not even notice it because above all, Mykonos is a destination for all types of people. From jet setters to college ... ...and sexual preference...even priests.
Mykonos town in the 10 or more years since I spent my first teenage summer there, has changed dramatically with clubs, bars, boutiques, internationally known restaurants of various ethnic styles and so many visitors that a summer night in town is like "hell". Mykonos is not cheap. But if you are on vacation, with money to burn and willing to pull out all the stops the nightlife compares favorably to any major ...
theo0221 27.01.2002 (28.01.2002)
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: helpful Review of Mykonos in general
Advantages: As above Disadvantages: Can be windy, expensive
...nicest. Can be very windy.
Mykonos town is a maze of little cobbled streets (To defy the wind)
with white washed houses and it is very easy to get lost.
Interesting sights are :- the windmills, Paraportiani church (The most photographed in Greece)Little Venice and of course, the Pelicans
wich can be seen wandering around the harbour.
Some very nice beeches to the south of the island.
Day trips are possible to neighboring Islands of Delos, Tinos ...
nhoare 01.07.2000
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: somewhat helpful Review of Mykonos in general
...northeastern corner of the cyclades, Mykonos is well known for its extensively narrow street and party atmosphere. The actual structure of Mykonos town dates back to the times when pirates would often scour the med looting islands, the narrow streets were developed to counter these threats and also to combat the blustery wind that mykonos gets.
Nowadays Mykonos is heaving in the summer months. In addition to the numreous bars and clubs are some ...
AdonisC 15.08.2000
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: somewhat helpful Review of Mykonos in general
