Best Things to Do in Mykonos — Mykonos

Best Things to Do in Mykonos

Mykonos is the most iconic island in the Cyclades — whitewashed cubic houses tumbling around Chora, five 16th-century windmills crowning the hill above Little Venice, and a coastline of the Mediterranean's most famous beach clubs. But there is real depth beyond the glamour: the sculptural Paraportiani church, small museums full of finds from ancient Delos, the calm of Ano Mera, and a short boat ride to Delos itself, Apollo's mythical birthplace and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Here are the 16 attractions worth building your trip around, with prices, opening hours and insider tips.

Chora (Mykonos Town)
Free

Chora (Mykonos Town)

4.8(41,000 reviews)

Area

Chora

Category

Old Town

Matogianni Street is packed from 11:00–18:00 when the cruise ships are in — wander at dawn or after 19:00 for clear photos of the whitewashed lanes and pink bougainvillea.

Little Venice (Alefkandra)
Free

Little Venice (Alefkandra)

4.6(33,000 reviews)

Area

Chora

Category

Waterfront

Caprice Bar and Scarpa have the best sunset seats — arrive 30–45 minutes before the sun drops for a waterside table. Drinks run €15–25 a glass, but the view is included.

The Windmills (Kato Mili)
Free

The Windmills (Kato Mili)

4.7(38,000 reviews)

Area

Chora

Category

Landmark

The best sunset photo in Greece — arrive 45 minutes before sundown for a front-row spot. The windmills are floodlit after dark, so they double as a free open-air landmark around the clock.

Paraportiani Church
Free

Paraportiani Church

4.6(21,000 reviews)

Area

Chora

Category

Church

The best light is early morning (07:00–09:00) before it turns harsh. Inside, four of the chapels are small, dark and cool — a perfect 5-minute break from the August heat. Cover shoulders and knees.

Archaeological Museum of Mykonos
€4

Archaeological Museum of Mykonos

4.3(4,200 reviews)

Area

Chora

Category

Museum

The highlight is the burial vase from around 1600 BC bearing the earliest known depiction of the Trojan Horse — 47 Greek soldiers peer out through its openings. Often near-empty; ideal on a windy afternoon.

Aegean Maritime Museum
€4

Aegean Maritime Museum

4.4(2,600 reviews)

Area

Chora (Tria Pigadia)

Category

Museum

A compact private museum with superb ship models from antiquity to 19th-century steamers — 60–90 minutes is plenty. The rear garden holds a working replica of an 1890s lighthouse lantern.

Mykonos Folklore Museum
Free

Mykonos Folklore Museum

4.3(1,900 reviews)

Area

Chora (Kastro)

Category

Museum

Set in an 18th-century captain's house next to Paraportiani — traditional furniture, textiles and costumes show island life before tourism. It often closes by 14:30, so check hours before you go.

Armenistis Lighthouse
Free

Armenistis Lighthouse

4.5(5,400 reviews)

Area

Fanari (northwest cape)

Category

Viewpoint

An 1891 lighthouse on the western cape — an alternative sunset spot without the Little Venice crush. A rental car or ATV is easiest; it's about 15 minutes from Chora and the last stretch is gravel.

Ano Mera & Panagia Tourliani Monastery
Free

Ano Mera & Panagia Tourliani Monastery

4.5(6,800 reviews)

Area

Ano Mera (centre)

Category

Village

The island's only inland village — the 1542 Panagia Tourliani monastery has a carved wooden iconostasis and a calm, monastic air. Tavernas on the square serve local food 30–50% cheaper than Chora.

Delos (day trip)
€12 + boat

Delos (day trip)

4.8(15,000 reviews)

Area

Delos (15 min by boat)

Category

UNESCO Site

UNESCO-listed since 1990 and Apollo's mythical birthplace — book ahead, as tours sell out fast in July–August. Cover your shoulders, wear good shoes, and bring 1.5 L of water: there is no shade and no kiosk.

Rhenia (day trip)
€40–60 combo

Rhenia (day trip)

4.6(3,100 reviews)

Area

Delos archipelago

Category

Island / Beach

An uninhabited island beside Delos — it served as Mykonos's cemetery in the 1500s and is usually deserted. Combined Delos + Rhenia boat trips typically include lunch and snorkelling — a perfect full day.

Paradise Beach
€30–50 loungers

Paradise Beach

4.4(24,000 reviews)

Area

Paradise (south coast)

Category

Party Beach

The young crowd's party beach — Tropicana Beach Bar runs day-club DJ sets from lunch to late. Not the place for a quiet day. Arrive before 11:00 if you want a lounger near the water.

Super Paradise Beach
€50–150 loungers

Super Paradise Beach

4.4(16,000 reviews)

Area

Super Paradise

Category

Party / LGBTQ+ Beach

More upscale and grown-up than Paradise — Coco Beach Club and Jackie O' Beach are the big names. The east end keeps its LGBTQ+ tradition; book loungers via the clubs' apps a few days ahead.

Psarou Beach (Nammos)
€100–500 loungers

Psarou Beach (Nammos)

4.5(12,000 reviews)

Area

Psarou

Category

Luxury Beach

The luxury beach — Nammos Beach Club was Anthony Bourdain's favourite, with loungers from €100 rising to €500 nearest the water. Book weeks ahead via the Nammos app; champagne and sushi outnumber swimmers.

Platys Gialos
€30–60 loungers

Platys Gialos

4.4(14,000 reviews)

Area

Platys Gialos

Category

Family Beach / Hub

Family-friendly and doubling as a transit hub — daily water taxis run onward to Paradise, Super Paradise, Agrari, Elia and Paranga (€5–10 per hop, far smoother than the bus).

Ornos Beach
€30–50 loungers

Ornos Beach

4.4(13,000 reviews)

Area

Ornos

Category

Family Beach

Mykonos's best family beach — calm water, a gentle slope, and a full spread of hotels and tavernas right on the sand. The KTEL bus from Chora is €1.80 and runs every 20 minutes.

Mykonos attractions in detail

1.Chora (Mykonos Town)

Chora — Mykonos Town — is the beating heart of the island and one of the most perfectly preserved cubic-architecture towns in the Cyclades. The white, hand-plastered houses with blue doors and shutters went up from the 18th century onward, originally as a defence against pirate raids: the lanes were deliberately kept narrow and irregular to confuse invaders who came up from the harbour. Today that same labyrinth is one of Europe's most photogenic walking networks, where pink bougainvillea climbs whitewashed walls, designer boutiques share alleys with 200-year-old chapels, and tavernas set blue tables out into the street. Matogianni Street is the main shopping artery, lined with Gucci, Louis Vuitton and local jewellers; quieter Enoplon Dynameon and Mitropoleos are where locals actually shop. It is free to simply lose yourself here, and you should budget a whole evening for it. Come at first light or after 19:00 to beat the cruise-ship crowds and catch the softest light on the lanes.

Hours

Always open; shops roughly 10:00–01:00 in season

Price

Free to wander; taverna lunch €25–40 per person

Getting there

Everything radiates from the Old Port and Manto Mavrogenous square; fully walkable

Insider tip: Matogianni Street is packed from 11:00–18:00 when the cruise ships are in — wander at dawn or after 19:00 for clear photos of the whitewashed lanes and pink bougainvillea.

2.Little Venice (Alefkandra)

Little Venice (Alefkandra in Greek) is the row of 16th- and 17th-century merchant and captains' houses built directly on the waterline at the western edge of Chora — their façades drop straight into the sea and their wooden balconies sit literally above the waves. The houses once belonged to wealthy sea captains and smugglers who wanted to load goods straight from ships into their ground-floor storerooms. Today almost every ground floor is a bar or restaurant, and at sunset the whole shoreline becomes one of the Aegean's most photographed moments: the sun sinks behind Delos in the distance, the windmills above are thrown into silhouette, and drink prices climb to €15–25 a glass. Caprice Bar and Scarpa have the prime perches; Galleraki and the higher 180° Sunset Bar are good alternatives when it gets too crowded. When the Meltemi wind is blowing hard, the waves crash right up onto the balconies — spectacular, if not entirely dry. It is free to wander at any hour.

Hours

Always open; bars from late afternoon to late

Price

Free to stroll; sunset cocktail €15–25

Getting there

On the western edge of Chora, a short walk from the windmills

Insider tip: Caprice Bar and Scarpa have the best sunset seats — arrive 30–45 minutes before the sun drops for a waterside table. Drinks run €15–25 a glass, but the view is included.

3.The Windmills (Kato Mili)

The five white windmills known as Kato Mili (the Lower Mills) stand on the rise directly above Little Venice and form the island's signature silhouette. They were built in the 16th century during the Venetian period and worked until the early 1900s, grinding grain — Mykonos was one of the Aegean's key wheat-trading stations, and the same Meltemi winds that torment today's windsurfers made it a perfect milling site. Of the island's original sixteen mills, seven survive; the five at Kato Mili are the most photographed. You can't go inside, but the hilltop delivers a 360-degree panorama over Chora, Little Venice, distant Delos and the whole harbour — free and accessible around the clock, and beautifully floodlit after dark. The walk up takes about five minutes from the harbour and is signposted from Manto Mavrogenous square. Come 45 minutes before sunset to claim a front-row spot for what many consider the best sunset photograph in all of Greece.

Hours

Always open (exterior only)

Price

Free

Getting there

A 5-minute signposted walk uphill from the Old Port / Manto Mavrogenous square

Insider tip: The best sunset photo in Greece — arrive 45 minutes before sundown for a front-row spot. The windmills are floodlit after dark, so they double as a free open-air landmark around the clock.

4.Paraportiani Church

Paraportiani — formally Panagia Paraportiani, 'Our Lady of the Side Gate' — was built between 1425 and the end of the 16th century and consists of five completely fused chapels: four at ground level and a fifth resting on top. The result is one of the most visually distinctive churches in the world, an organic sculpture in whitewashed stone where each chapel is dedicated to a different saint (Saint Anargyros, Saint Sozon, Saint Eustathios, Saint Anastasia and the Madonna herself on the upper level). The name 'side gate' refers to its original position beside the little auxiliary gate of the medieval fortress. It is Mykonos's white symbol and one of the most photographed buildings in all of Greece, often shot with the sun sinking behind its rounded domes. Entry is free, but this remains an active church, so keep respectfully quiet and cover shoulders and knees. Walk right around the whole building to appreciate how the five volumes lock together into a single form.

Hours

Daily, daylight hours

Price

Free (donation box inside)

Getting there

In the Kastro quarter of Chora, near the Folklore Museum and Old Port

Insider tip: The best light is early morning (07:00–09:00) before it turns harsh. Inside, four of the chapels are small, dark and cool — a perfect 5-minute break from the August heat. Cover shoulders and knees.

5.Archaeological Museum of Mykonos

The Archaeological Museum of Mykonos opened in 1902 in a handsome neoclassical building near the old harbour, and it is dedicated largely to finds from Delos and Rhenia — Mykonos itself was almost uninhabited in antiquity, so its greatest archaeological treasures come from the neighbouring islands. The collection runs from the Cycladic era (3200–1100 BC) through the Archaic, Classical and Hellenistic periods. The undisputed star is the geometric pithos (storage vase) from around 1600 BC, unearthed on Mykonos in 1961, which carries the earliest known scene of the Trojan Horse in Greek art — including 47 Greek warriors visible peering out of the horse's belly and helmet openings. The museum is small (one or two rooms plus a courtyard) and can be seen comfortably in 45 to 60 minutes, making it a perfect programme point on a day when the Meltemi is blowing too hard for the beach, or when you simply need a cool, cultured pause in the middle of the afternoon. Entry is just €4.

Hours

Roughly 08:00–15:30; closed Mondays

Price

€4 adult; free on certain national holidays

Getting there

By the Old Port on the northern edge of Chora

Insider tip: The highlight is the burial vase from around 1600 BC bearing the earliest known depiction of the Trojan Horse — 47 Greek soldiers peer out through its openings. Often near-empty; ideal on a windy afternoon.

6.Aegean Maritime Museum

The Aegean Maritime Museum was founded in 1985 by George M. Drakopoulos as a private, non-profit institution dedicated to preserving and documenting Greek maritime heritage. Housed in a restored 19th-century captain's house in Chora's Tria Pigadia quarter, it offers one of the finest ship-model collections in the Aegean: Minoan trading vessels, geometric and archaic galleys, Hellenistic merchant ships, Byzantine dromons, Venetian galleasses and the three-masted Greek brigantines of the 1800s. There are also original maps from the 16th century onward, ancient anchors recovered from the harbour at Delos, and a working replica of the 1890s Armenistis lighthouse lantern in the garden behind. The museum is small and curated with genuine love — a perfect 60-minute break when you want air-conditioning, context and something tangible to do between the beach and the taverna. Because its opening hours split around a long afternoon closure, it pairs neatly with a late-morning wander through Chora or an early-evening stroll before dinner.

Hours

April–October, roughly 10:30–13:00 and 18:30–21:00

Price

€4 adult

Getting there

In the Tria Pigadia quarter of Chora, a few minutes' walk from the centre

Insider tip: A compact private museum with superb ship models from antiquity to 19th-century steamers — 60–90 minutes is plenty. The rear garden holds a working replica of an 1890s lighthouse lantern.

7.Mykonos Folklore Museum

Mykonos Folklore Museum opened in 1954 on the initiative of Captain Nikolaos Kyriazopoulos and occupies one of Chora's oldest buildings — an 18th-century captain's residence wall-to-wall with Paraportiani church, built right at the entrance to the old harbour. The collection is a wide-ranging record of Mykonian heritage before the tourism era: traditional 18th- and 19th-century furniture, embroidery, costumes, religious icons, rural farming and fishing implements, old kitchen fittings with their original open hearths and bread ovens, and a recreated 19th-century bedroom complete with four-poster bed and spinning wheel. It is run by the Folklore Society of Mykonos as a non-profit, and entry is free (donations are appreciated). Opening hours are limited — usually late afternoon and evening in high season, and frequently closed in the middle of the day — so it is worth checking before you make the trip. For anyone curious about how islanders actually lived before the yachts and beach clubs arrived, it is a quiet, human counterpoint to the glamour just outside.

Hours

Typically 16:30–20:30 in season; often closed midday

Price

Free (donations welcomed)

Getting there

In the Kastro quarter beside Paraportiani church, near the Old Port

Insider tip: Set in an 18th-century captain's house next to Paraportiani — traditional furniture, textiles and costumes show island life before tourism. It often closes by 14:30, so check hours before you go.

8.Armenistis Lighthouse

Armenistis Lighthouse was raised in 1891 on the northwestern cape of Mykonos after the wreck of the English steamer Volta the year before — a disaster that cost eleven lives and proved the need for navigation aids in the channel between Mykonos and Tinos. The 19-metre cast-iron tower was shipped from France and mounted on a triangular stone base; the original oil-fired Fresnel lantern is now preserved in the Aegean Maritime Museum, while the lighthouse itself has been automated and still flashes every ten seconds across the Tinos passage. The spot is a popular and far calmer alternative to Little Venice for sunset: no drink prices, no tourist crush, just an open view toward Tinos and Delos. You'll need a rental car, ATV or taxi (though taxis are notoriously scarce on Mykonos) — take the Ano Mera road for about fifteen minutes from Chora and turn off toward Fanari, where the final stretch is gravel. Bring a jacket, as the cape catches the full force of the wind.

Hours

Always open (exterior/grounds)

Price

Free

Getting there

About 15 minutes by car or ATV via the Ano Mera road, then the turn to Fanari

Insider tip: An 1891 lighthouse on the western cape — an alternative sunset spot without the Little Venice crush. A rental car or ATV is easiest; it's about 15 minutes from Chora and the last stretch is gravel.

9.Ano Mera & Panagia Tourliani Monastery

Ano Mera is Mykonos's only genuine inland village besides Chora — 8 km east of the capital in a fertile farming area where islanders lived before tourism took over the coastline. The village square, Plateia Ano Meras, remains sleepy and authentic: two or three tavernas under plane trees, a baker, a greengrocer and a permanent local population playing backgammon. The highlight is the Panagia Tourliani Monastery, founded in 1542 by two monks and named after an icon that, according to legend, was found on the spot where it still stands. The monastery church has a spectacular Baroque altar screen (iconostasis) of carved wood with 31 panels from the 1700s, plus a small museum of ecclesiastical textiles and old icons. Entry is free and the monks still serve loukoumi (Turkish delight) to visitors. The tavernas on the square — Spilia, Vangelis — run 30–50% cheaper than Chora and serve simpler home cooking. For a taste of the island beyond the beach clubs, Ano Mera is a welcome, grounding stop.

Hours

Village always open; monastery daily, daylight hours

Price

Free; taverna lunch €18–32 per person

Getting there

8 km east of Chora; KTEL bus from the Old Port station or a short drive

Insider tip: The island's only inland village — the 1542 Panagia Tourliani monastery has a carved wooden iconostasis and a calm, monastic air. Tavernas on the square serve local food 30–50% cheaper than Chora.

10.Delos (day trip)

Delos is one of Greece's most important archaeological sites — an entire uninhabited island that functions as a single open-air museum, UNESCO-listed since 1990 and, in Greek myth, the birthplace of Apollo and his twin sister Artemis. From the 8th century BC, Delos grew into the Aegean's foremost religious centre, with temples to Apollo, Artemis and later Egyptian and Syrian gods; in Hellenistic and Roman times it also became a commercial hub with one of the Mediterranean's largest slave markets. It all ended in 88 BC when King Mithridates of Pontus sacked the island; the ruins have lain largely undisturbed ever since. Highlights include the Terrace of the Lions (marble lions from the 7th century BC), the House of Cleopatra with its mosaics, the reconstructed Temple of Apollo, the Roman theatre seating 5,500, and Mount Kynthos with its 360-degree views. Boats leave from Mykonos Old Port (about 15 minutes) and you get four to six hours ashore. Modest dress, sturdy shoes and plenty of water are essential — there is no shade and no kiosk.

Hours

May–October, closes ~15:00; last boats return early

Price

€12 entry + ~€23 return boat; optional guide €15–25

Getting there

Boats depart Mykonos Old Port; the crossing takes about 15 minutes

Insider tip: UNESCO-listed since 1990 and Apollo's mythical birthplace — book ahead, as tours sell out fast in July–August. Cover your shoulders, wear good shoes, and bring 1.5 L of water: there is no shade and no kiosk.

11.Rhenia (day trip)

Rhenia (Rineia in Greek) is the second-largest island in the Delos archipelago, lying just west of Delos and now completely uninhabited — which makes it one of the Aegean's most underrated day-trip islands. Historically Rhenia was linked to Delos by a symbolic connection made by King Polykrates of Samos in the 6th century BC; because Delos was sacred ground where neither births nor deaths were permitted, Rhenia served as the 'island of birth and burial' for the population of Delos. Later, during the Venetian period and into the 1800s, Rhenia was used as Mykonos's main cemetery, and old ruins and stone crosses are still scattered across it. Today Rhenia is prized for its utterly isolated white-sand beaches, crystal-clear water and excellent snorkelling. Most people visit on a combined tour from Mykonos harbour — around €40–60 per person including lunch on board, snorkel gear, and two to three hours on Rhenia plus two to three hours exploring the ruins of Delos. For barefoot solitude a short hop from the busiest island in Greece, it is hard to beat.

Hours

Daytime boat trips, May–October

Price

€40–60 combined Delos + Rhenia tour (with lunch and snorkelling)

Getting there

By boat from Mykonos harbour, usually as a Delos + Rhenia combo

Insider tip: An uninhabited island beside Delos — it served as Mykonos's cemetery in the 1500s and is usually deserted. Combined Delos + Rhenia boat trips typically include lunch and snorkelling — a perfect full day.

12.Paradise Beach

Paradise Beach (Paradisos in Greek) lies on the south coast of Mykonos and has been the island's most legendary party beach since the 1960s, when it began drawing hippies, backpackers and later a broad young crowd. Today it is Tropicana Beach Bar that dominates the scene — DJ sets from lunchtime until after sundown, international resident DJs in July and August, foam parties and a pool in the sand. Loungers cost €30–50 for two plus a parasol, drinks €12–18, lunch €25–40. The beach is 800 metres long and has quieter corners at its eastern end, though the sound carries. Behind it sits Paradise Camping, Greece's best-known youth campsite. The bus from Chora costs €1.80 and runs every 30 minutes in high season; a water taxi from Platys Gialos is the alternative if you want to skip the queue at the Fabrika station. Come for the energy, the DJs and the international party crowd — but not for peace and quiet, and arrive before 11:00 to grab a lounger near the water.

Hours

Beach always open; clubs from midday to late

Price

Loungers €30–50 (two + parasol); drinks €12–18

Getting there

Bus from Chora (Fabrika station) every 30 min in season (€1.80), or water taxi from Platys Gialos

Insider tip: The young crowd's party beach — Tropicana Beach Bar runs day-club DJ sets from lunch to late. Not the place for a quiet day. Arrive before 11:00 if you want a lounger near the water.

13.Super Paradise Beach

Super Paradise (Plintri in Greek) lies one bay east of Paradise and is the island's more exclusive, grown-up alternative. The beach opened as a tourist destination in the late 1960s and was long the Aegean's best-known LGBTQ+ beach; today it is mixed, but the eastern end still keeps that welcoming tradition alive while the west draws a more heterosexual couples-and-families crowd. It is the beach clubs that set the tone: Coco Beach Club and Jackie O' Beach are the two heavyweight names, both with elegant terraces, star DJs from lunchtime until late, and a price tag a notch above Paradise — loungers €50–150, drinks €18–25, lunch €60–120. The view across the bay toward Naxos and Paros in the distance is spectacular; the water is crystal clear and the seabed shelves gradually, making swimming easy. The bus from Chora runs roughly hourly, or you can arrive more comfortably by water taxi from Platys Gialos. For glamour, great DJs and a genuinely inclusive atmosphere, Super Paradise is a Mykonos essential.

Hours

Beach always open; clubs from midday to late

Price

Loungers €50–150; drinks €18–25; lunch €60–120

Getting there

Bus from Chora roughly hourly, or water taxi from Platys Gialos

Insider tip: More upscale and grown-up than Paradise — Coco Beach Club and Jackie O' Beach are the big names. The east end keeps its LGBTQ+ tradition; book loungers via the clubs' apps a few days ahead.

14.Psarou Beach (Nammos)

Psarou is Mykonos's luxury beach and the world's most photographed beach-club beach — Nammos opened here in 2003 and has built a global reputation that is hard to overstate. Anthony Bourdain filmed here on his last Greek trip in 2018 and described the place as 'an absurd circus of wealth, noise and excellent grilled octopus.' Loungers start at €100 (back row) and reach €500 for the iconic front-row spots nearest the water, where A-list celebrities and oligarchs share the view with Instagram influencers. The food is genuinely phenomenal — the Nammos kitchen pioneered upscale Greek-Mediterranean fusion — but expect €150–400 per person with wine. The bay itself is small (about 150 metres), crystal-clear and perfectly sheltered from the Meltemi wind, which makes it the island's most reliable wind-protected beach. Book loungers weeks in advance via the Nammos app in July and August. Even if the prices are beyond a day's budget, Psarou is worth seeing once — it is Mykonos's glamour distilled to its purest, most extravagant form.

Hours

Beach always open; Nammos midday to late

Price

Loungers €100–500; lunch at Nammos €150–400 per person

Getting there

Bus or taxi from Chora (about 4.5 km southwest); water taxi from Platys Gialos

Insider tip: The luxury beach — Nammos Beach Club was Anthony Bourdain's favourite, with loungers from €100 rising to €500 nearest the water. Book weeks ahead via the Nammos app; champagne and sushi outnumber swimmers.

15.Platys Gialos

Platys Gialos is Mykonos's most organised family beach — 800 metres southwest of Chora, with a long sandy strip lined by hotels, tavernas and organised lounger sections. The water is shallow well out, the waves minimal (the south coast is sheltered from the Meltemi), and the beach earns child-friendliness ratings that beat almost anywhere else on the island. What really makes Platys Gialos important, though, is its role as a water-taxi hub: small boats depart every 30 minutes throughout the day in high season, linking Platys Gialos to Paranga, Paradise, Super Paradise, Agrari and Elia (€5–10 per hop depending on distance). This is often faster and far more pleasant than the KTEL bus from Chora, especially if you want to sample several different beaches in one day. The hotels along the sand are mid-range and up (Mykonos Palace, Petasos Beach), and the tavernas serve honest Greek home cooking rather than beach-club fusion. For families basing themselves near the water with easy onward hops, it is the ideal beach.

Hours

Beach always open; water taxis every 30 min in season

Price

Loungers €30–60; water taxi €5–10 per hop

Getting there

Bus from Chora every 20 min in season (€1.80); 800 m southwest of town

Insider tip: Family-friendly and doubling as a transit hub — daily water taxis run onward to Paradise, Super Paradise, Agrari, Elia and Paranga (€5–10 per hop, far smoother than the bus).

16.Ornos Beach

Ornos is arguably Mykonos's best family beach and the first proper resort area outside Chora — just 4 km southwest of the capital in a sheltered crescent bay. The water is calm and protected from the northern Meltemi wind; the seabed shelves very gradually, making swimming safe even for small children. The beach is 350 metres long and lined with hotels, restaurants and two organised beach-club sections (Kuzina Mykonos and Kalua Beach). Prices are noticeably friendlier than Paradise or Psarou — loungers €30–50, lunch €25–45, drinks €10–15. The taverna Aperanto Galazio at the eastern end serves excellent classic Greek dishes (charcoal-grilled octopus, taramosalata, local souvlaki). The bus from Chora costs €1.80 and runs every 20 minutes in high season; the walk from town takes about 50 minutes and involves some hill. With calm water, plenty of shade options and a full spread of amenities right on the sand, Ornos is the beach most families end up returning to day after day — comfortable, well-served and blessedly free of the party-beach intensity found further along the coast.

Hours

Beach always open

Price

Loungers €30–50; lunch €25–45 per person

Getting there

Bus from Chora every 20 min (€1.80); 4 km southwest of town

Insider tip: Mykonos's best family beach — calm water, a gentle slope, and a full spread of hotels and tavernas right on the sand. The KTEL bus from Chora is €1.80 and runs every 20 minutes.

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