Mykonos: Αttractions and Directions
1) Μykonos Town
Mykonos Town is built on the western edge of the island, in the middle of a large bay formed by the bays Tourlos and Agios Stefanos in the north and the bay Korfos and Diakoftis in the south. Built with traditional Cycladic architecture, Mykonos Town enchants visitors with its beauty, its narrow alleyways and the small white houses with colorful flowers. Mykonos is famous for its market and the narrow streets. There, you will find many souvenir shops, folk art, jewelry and designer clothes, most of which are concentrated in Matogianni, the most commercial street of the island. Magnificent churches and picturesque churches complete the scene of the island. At night, Mykonos raises its rates, offering fun for all kind of people and ….the party can last until morning.
2) Little Venice in…Mykonos!!!
Perhaps the most photographed and charming area of Mykonos, the "Little Venice" or Alefkandra is a picturesque neighborhood built on the sea and very reminiscent of Venice. This is a district that was built in the middle of 18th century and housed a lot of the most wealthy merchants’ and captains’ families . Elegant and beautiful homes with colorful verandas, windows, stairs and wooden balconies, literally on the sea, giving the feeling that the visitor is located in the famous Italian city.
In the afternoons, hundreds of visitors gather here to admire one of the most beautiful sunsets in the Aegean, but the best captivating sight is when bad weather and rough sea are hitting the rocks and the houses.
3) Windmill of Mykonos
Mykonos’s trademark are the windmills, which are internationally recognizable, thanks to countless photographs and postcards of visitors. Standing on a hill, in the Castle district in town and going for seven storey cylindrical structures, with small windows and wooden conical roof.
From the 17th until the 19th century they were the main source of Mykonos entrances and they were serving the needs of the island and the passing ships. However, with the development of technology after the First World War, their value began to decline, and now they have emerged as one of the most important monuments of the Cyclades. The restored mill of Boni now serves as Agricultural Museum and several of them have been renovated and inhabited by individuals.
4) Beaches
The fact is that the most important tourist spot of the island are the beaches. Countless beaches (most of them) are organized, but also you can find some quiet and picturesque bays, which offer calmness and relaxation.
Super Paradise Beach is the most famous place on the island with sandy bay and turquoise waters. It is ideal for all kinds of water sports. It is particularly popular in young audiences, since there is the Super Paradise Club, the most famous part spree on the island. Just beside, it is the Paradise Beach, a great beach with thick sand and natural shade. Psarou Beach, Platis Gialos and Kalo Livadi are popular and organized too.
From quiet beaches you should recommend you Ftelia Beach , which is very close to town and if you want to go southern, don’t forget to visit Megali Ammos and Fokos, that the ideal places for naturists. Kalafatis is the only beach of the island which is surrounded by trees and offers water sports.
5) Delos
Delos is οwned in Mykonos. According to mythology, Delos was a small island that floated in the sea and when Leto, Titan Kokai’s daughter became pregnant by Zeus, Hera angered and she wanted to kill her. Then Zeus begged Poseidon to help her and he immobilized in the floating island and formed Delos, where he found refuge and Leto gave birth to the twin gods. Apollo and Artemis.This gave a sacred character to the island from the more archaic years and it was the religious center at antiquity. Furthemore, during the Roman era, Delos came at the height of its prosperity, as it was declared a free port and It was a slave center.
To day the entire island is a vast archaeological site and there is also an archaeological museum with 9 rooms that houses rich collections of funerary statues and columns of the 7th until the 1st century BC, figurines, vases and mosaics. Major exhibits include a trunk statue from the sanctuary of Apollo, a plate of ivory with embossed representation Mycenaean warrior and a statue of Apollo in the type of Praxiteles. The museum opens from Tuesday to Sunday and the entrance costs 5 euros. Delos is under the protection of the Ministry of Culture and you can’t stay on this island.