Three cruise ships are anchored offshore. In the distance, like in a game of Lego, five windmills are sitting still in the city’s lights. On the top of a hill on the left side, the last plane of the day is ready to take off. And everywhere, you can see the white and red lights of the cars, meandering up and down through the rocky relief. Yes, we arrived in Mykonos, probably the busiest island in the Cyclades! It is so much to take in, but we will have time to get used to everything. We are driving in the dark, breathing in the salty sea air, and enjoying the incredible view as our car climbs up and up on the hill! This will be our view for a week on the lovely island of Mykonos.
We like to finish the summer season at the seaside. To prepare our bodies for the cold season, with a last warm sun and sea bath session. The mixture of beautiful beaches, the lively life, and the super photogenic corners made us choose this beautiful island in the Cyclades. We decided to stay at Agnandi Mare Residences, a newly renovated complex of traditional white houses. The owner (Kostas) is an architect, and you can see and feel that in every detail. We were so lucky to get an apartment with a breathtaking view over Chora! And with a nice bottle of rose wine waiting for us in the fridge, we officially begin our holiday.
Our tip: We chose to visit around the “end of season” weekend at the end of September. That still gave us the chance to feel the party vibe of the island and left us with a few quiet days after the last party weekend. And this is our wedding anniversary, so it is our favorite time by default.
The weather forecast didn’t seem so good. There were strong winds from the North during our whole stay, so we were a little bit worried that it would ruin our beach time. Lucky for us, Kostas (our host) recommended the best beaches to visit and avoid the strong breeze. When the winds were weak, we visited the beaches in the North.
We had a great lunch at the tavern on Fokos Beach – recommended for a more isolated and quiet experience. And Agios Sostis Beach had the most beautiful turquoise water and the trickiest parking place on the whole trip. In the South, Kalo Livadi was well protected by the wind and a great place to swim. And Agrari was the coziest beach of the trip for us.
Our tip: Rent a small car or a scouter. Many of the roads are fit for only one car, and the parking spaces might require you to squeeze in tiny places between other cars.
We like to have good weather during our travels. Who doesn’t? But we were so happy to have two days of strong winds. While we couldn’t go to the beach, we could enjoy in peace the streets of Mykonos town. Because of the weather conditions, the cruise ships were not allowed to come to port. So no waves of daily tourists.
Around Little Venice or the windmills, there were still many people. But as soon as we went inside the town, we had the small streets all for ourselves. Except for the Greek cats, of course. These amazing furry creatures were so relaxed and purring that you could not resist petting them all day long.
We also had no problems finding lovely places to eat, stop for a coffee, or enjoy an ice cream. And for our special wedding anniversary night, we booked a table at the fabulous M-eating restaurant. The food and wine were at the highest standards. But the highlight of the night was meeting Alex and Mimi Ikonn. One of our inspiration couple for George and me when it comes to achieving our dreams and building a great family together.
Our tip: Do your research in advance when it comes to restaurants and bars. There are many tourist traps with relatively high prices, especially on an island like Mykonos. Investing some time checking reviews on Google or TripAdvisor will save you money and ensure you a delicious meal.
We were so impressed by the number of high-quality cafes and restaurants on the island! Here is a short list of places we have enjoyed during our stay:
- M-eating – probably one of the best restaurants in Mykonos.
- Veranda bar – our “love at first sight” bar, great cocktails, excellent music, and the best view of the windmills (stay on the balcony, on the first floor)
- Popolo – the place to go for breakfast in Mykonos or for fabulous wine in the evening with the fine selection of cheese and meat, or anytime, seriously. We enjoyed this place so much.
- Pepper Souvlaki & More – traditional Greek souvlaki
- Caesars – one of the few restaurants where you can have food between 15:00 and 19:00; great steak and salads.
- Kastro’s Restaurant – excellent food and lovely sunset views
- Souvlaki Story Taverna – excellent traditional food; located outside the town, on the main road to the island’s center.
- Salt & Sugar – great stop for a coffee
- Hibiscus – homemade cakes and good coffee
- Fokos tavern – excellent grill and fresh fish
- Agrari Rooms restaurant – nice, traditional lunch with an excellent eggplant dish and the best orange cake; located on Agrari beach
- Great bakeries for traditional local pastries: Koutsothanasis Bakery, Gioras Wood Medieval Mykonian Bakery, Attica Bakery
Note: We are in no way affiliated with any of the places we have mentioned in this post. We enjoyed our time on the island very much, and hopefully, you can find a few valuable tips for your next trip.
“IT TAKES A LIFETIME FOR SOMEONE TO DISCOVER GREECE, BUT IT ONLY TAKES AN INSTANT TO FALL IN LOVE WITH HER.”
Henry Miller
