Mykonos is best known as an adults' island of beach clubs and nightlife, but it works surprisingly well for families if you know where to look. There's the island's only waterpark for a guaranteed fun day, a boat trip to ancient Delos that turns history into an adventure, the safe, calm family beaches of Ornos and Platys Gialos, and plenty to keep older kids busy — ATV tours, sailing trips, a farm visit and the maze-like fun of getting 'lost' in Chora. Here are 8 of the best family-friendly things to do, with suggested ages, prices and practical tips to make a Mykonos trip work with children.
€35Mykonos Waterpark (Aqua-Land)
Area
Marathi
Ages
All ages
“The island's only waterpark — 8 slides, a lazy river and a kids' pool. Bus from Chora. Open May–October, 10:00–19:00. Book tickets online.”
€25 + €12Delos UNESCO Boat Tour
Area
Old Port
Ages
Ages 6+
“A 30-minute boat to one of the world's great archaeological parks — Apollo's birthplace. Book a guided tour in English. Bring a hat and water; it's a 4-hour trip.”
FreeChora Labyrinth Walk
Area
Chora centre
Ages
All ages
“The most photographed streets of Cycladic architecture — white cubes, blue doors, narrow lanes built as an anti-pirate maze in the 1500s. Great fun for kids to explore and get 'lost' in.”
€35–60/dayATV / Quad Island Tour
Area
Islandwide
Ages
Ages 6+ (as passenger)
“A classic Mykonos adventure for families — rent an ATV (around €50/day) and explore the island's beaches (Fokos, Agios Sostis, Panormos). Children 6+ can ride behind. Helmets required.”
€80–120Sailing Trip Around the Island
Area
Old Port
Ages
All ages
“A half-day trip around the island — stopping at 2–3 beaches for swimming and snorkelling, with lunch aboard. Around 5 hours, departing 10:00 or 14:00. Book a week ahead.”
€15–30Mykonian Farm Visit
Area
Ano Mera
Ages
All ages
“A local farm 15 minutes from Chora — sheep, goats and a cheese dairy making kefalotyri. Great for kids to see the animals and taste. About 2 hours.”
€25 loungersOrnos Beach (family)
Area
South coast
Ages
All ages
“The island's most child-friendly beach — a small crescent bay with calm water, watersports and a sand shuttle, five minutes from Chora. Loungers around €25.”
€25 loungersPlatys Gialos (family)
Area
South coast
Ages
All ages
“A 700 m sandy beach with restaurants, hotels and calm water — great for young children. Boat trips run onward to other beaches. Bus 20 minutes from Chora.”
Mykonos with kids — in detail
1.Mykonos Waterpark (Aqua-Land)
Mykonos Waterpark (Aqua-Land) is the island's only waterpark and a genuine lifesaver for families travelling with children on an island otherwise geared toward beach clubs and nightlife. Set inland at Marathi, it packs in eight water slides ranging from gentle to genuinely thrilling, a relaxing lazy river, and a dedicated shallow children's pool for younger kids, plus sun loungers, snack bars and shaded areas for parents. It makes for a reliable, energetic full day out that will wear the children out completely, and it works as a great change of pace from the beach — especially on a windy day when the Meltemi makes the north-coast beaches unpleasant. The park is open from May to October, roughly 10:00 to 19:00, and it is well worth booking tickets online in advance to save time and sometimes money. Entry runs around €35 per person. A bus runs from Chora, or it is a short drive if you have a rental car or ATV. For families who need a break from sand and sea, or simply a day the kids will love without a single 'are we there yet,' the waterpark is Mykonos's most dependable family attraction.
Hours
May–October, 10:00–19:00
Price
~€35 per person
Getting there
At Marathi, inland; bus from Chora or a short drive
Insider tip: The island's only waterpark — 8 slides, a lazy river and a kids' pool. Bus from Chora. Open May–October, 10:00–19:00. Book tickets online.
2.Delos UNESCO Boat Tour
A boat trip to Delos is one of the most rewarding family outings on Mykonos, combining a short, exciting sea crossing with a walk through one of the world's great archaeological sites. The uninhabited island — a UNESCO World Heritage Site and, in myth, the birthplace of Apollo — is essentially one enormous open-air ruin, and for older children (roughly six and up) it can be genuinely captivating: marble lions standing guard on their terrace, ancient houses with surviving mosaic floors, temples, a Roman theatre and the climb up Mount Kynthos for sweeping views. A guided tour in English brings the myths and history to life in a way that holds young attention far better than wandering alone, so it is well worth booking one. Practically, it is a half-day trip (around four hours) with a 15–30 minute boat ride each way from the Old Port; there is no shade and no shop on the island, so bring hats, sunscreen, water and snacks, and note it closes by mid-afternoon. Entry is around €12 plus the boat fare. For families who want a dose of real history and a boat adventure rolled into one, Delos is unbeatable.
Hours
May–October; boats from the Old Port, closes ~15:00
Price
~€23 return boat + €12 entry; guide extra
Getting there
Boats depart Mykonos Old Port; the crossing takes about 15–30 minutes
Insider tip: A 30-minute boat to one of the world's great archaeological parks — Apollo's birthplace. Book a guided tour in English. Bring a hat and water; it's a 4-hour trip.
3.Chora Labyrinth Walk
Wandering the labyrinth of Chora is a surprisingly great activity with children, and it is completely free. The old town's tangle of narrow, whitewashed lanes was deliberately built as a maze in the 16th century to confuse and slow down invading pirates who came up from the harbour — and that same disorienting layout, with its blue-doored cubic houses, sudden little squares, chapels and flower-draped corners, makes it wonderful fun for kids to explore and happily get 'lost' in. Because the old town is pedestrianised and self-contained, it is a safe, low-stress place to let children lead the way, turning down promising alleys to see where they come out, hunting for cats, counting the blue doors and windmills, and discovering hidden churches and shops. It is also the island's most photogenic spot, so parents get their pictures while the kids get their adventure. Turn it into a game — a scavenger hunt for the pelican, the windmills, a particular colour of door — and an hour or two flies by. Best of all, it costs nothing and needs no booking, no tickets and no transport. For an easy, free, screen-free adventure right in the heart of town, the Chora labyrinth is a family winner.
Hours
Always open
Price
Free
Getting there
In the heart of Chora, fully walkable
Insider tip: The most photographed streets of Cycladic architecture — white cubes, blue doors, narrow lanes built as an anti-pirate maze in the 1500s. Great fun for kids to explore and get 'lost' in.
4.ATV / Quad Island Tour
Renting an ATV (quad bike) is a rite of passage on Mykonos and a genuinely fun way for families to explore the island together, away from the tour buses and crowded beach-club circuit. With a quad you can strike out to the wilder, harder-to-reach corners of the island at your own pace — the remote northern beaches like Fokos and Agios Sostis, the chic bay at Panormos, the inland village of Ano Mera — and stop wherever a view or a beach tempts you. Rental costs around €35–60 a day, and children of about six and up can ride safely behind a parent; helmets are required and should always be worn. A very important caveat: Mykonos's roads are famously narrow, winding and often without barriers, and the island sees a lot of quad accidents, so this is best for confident drivers who take it slow, stick to sensible routes and avoid the busiest times of day — it is not the moment to be reckless. Driven carefully, though, an ATV tour turns getting around into an adventure in itself, and gives families the freedom to discover the quiet, beautiful side of Mykonos that the buses never reach. Sunscreen, water and a sense of caution are the essentials.
Hours
Rentals daytime in season
Price
ATV rental ~€35–60 per day
Getting there
Rental agencies in Chora, Ornos and the main resorts
Insider tip: A classic Mykonos adventure for families — rent an ATV (around €50/day) and explore the island's beaches (Fokos, Agios Sostis, Panormos). Children 6+ can ride behind. Helmets required.
5.Sailing Trip Around the Island
A sailing trip around the coast is one of the most relaxing and memorable family days out on Mykonos, swapping the crowded beaches for the freedom of the open water. These half-day cruises (typically around five hours, departing mid-morning or early afternoon) sail along the island's coastline and stop at two or three quieter coves and beaches — often ones that are hard to reach by land — where you can swim, snorkel and jump off the boat into crystal-clear water, with snorkel gear usually provided. Lunch is served aboard, and the gentle rhythm of the sailing, the sea air and the swimming stops tend to keep children happily occupied all afternoon. It is a wonderful way to see a different, calmer side of Mykonos, away from the beach-club noise, and to reach water and scenery that day-trippers on land never see. Trips cost around €80–120 per person and depart from the Old Port in Chora; it is worth booking a week ahead in high season, as the better boats fill up. Bring hats, sunscreen, towels and a light layer for the breeze. For a laid-back, screen-free day that combines swimming, snorkelling and the simple magic of being out on the Aegean, a family sailing trip is hard to beat.
Hours
Departures ~10:00 and 14:00, in season
Price
~€80–120 per person
Getting there
Boats depart the Old Port in Chora
Insider tip: A half-day trip around the island — stopping at 2–3 beaches for swimming and snorkelling, with lunch aboard. Around 5 hours, departing 10:00 or 14:00. Book a week ahead.
6.Mykonian Farm Visit
A visit to a traditional Mykonian farm offers families a completely different, refreshingly authentic side of the island — a world away from the beach clubs and boutiques, just fifteen minutes from Chora near the village of Ano Mera. On these working farms, children can meet and get close to the animals — sheep, goats, chickens and more — and see how life on the island actually works away from the tourist strip, including the traditional dairy where local cheeses such as kefalotyri and the island's spicy kopanisti are made. Many visits include a chance to watch the cheese-making process and to taste the results, along with other local produce, which turns it into an engaging, hands-on experience for kids rather than a passive tour. It typically lasts around two hours and costs €15–30 per person. Beyond the fun of the animals, it is a lovely way to connect children (and parents) with the island's rural heritage and the source of the food they will eat in the tavernas, and to support the small farming community that keeps that tradition alive. For an authentic, educational and genuinely charming family outing, a Mykonian farm visit is a delightful surprise.
Hours
Visits daytime in season; check ahead
Price
~€15–30 per person
Getting there
Near Ano Mera, about 15 minutes from Chora by car
Insider tip: A local farm 15 minutes from Chora — sheep, goats and a cheese dairy making kefalotyri. Great for kids to see the animals and taste. About 2 hours.
7.Ornos Beach (family)
Ornos is the beach that families return to again and again on Mykonos, and for good reason — it is comfortably the most child-friendly stretch of sand on the island. Set in a small, sheltered crescent bay just 4 km southwest of Chora (about ten minutes by bus), it has calm, shallow water protected from the Meltemi wind and a gently shelving seabed that makes it safe and easy for even small children to paddle and swim. Crucially for families, everything you need is right there on the sand: organised loungers (around €25), restaurants and tavernas serving lunch, watersports for older kids, and hotels lining the beach so you are never far from a bathroom, a snack or shade. The atmosphere is relaxed and family-oriented rather than party-driven, a world away from Paradise or Super Paradise, which makes it far more suitable for a day with young children. The bus from Chora is quick and cheap, or it is a short drive. With its calm water, full amenities and easy access, Ornos takes the stress out of a beach day with kids — the sort of place where parents can actually relax while the children play safely at the water's edge.
Hours
Beach always open
Price
Loungers ~€25; lunch €25–45 per person
Getting there
Bus from Chora (about 10 minutes); 4 km southwest of town
Insider tip: The island's most child-friendly beach — a small crescent bay with calm water, watersports and a sand shuttle, five minutes from Chora. Loungers around €25.
8.Platys Gialos (family)
Platys Gialos is one of the best family beaches on Mykonos, a long 700-metre strip of sand on the sheltered south coast with calm, shallow water that is ideal for young children. It is fully organised and family-friendly, lined with hotels, restaurants and tavernas right on the sand, so everything a family might need — food, shade, loungers (around €25), toilets — is close at hand throughout the day. The water is protected from the Meltemi wind and shelves gently, making paddling and swimming safe and easy, while older children can try the watersports on offer. A particular bonus for families is that Platys Gialos is the island's main water-taxi hub: small boats depart every 30 minutes to neighbouring beaches like Paradise, Super Paradise, Agrari and Elia, so you can turn a beach day into a mini boat adventure and let the kids ride the water taxi to a new cove. The bus from Chora takes about 20 minutes and runs frequently. Calm, well-equipped, easy to reach and full of amenities, Platys Gialos is a stress-free, dependable choice for a family beach day, with the fun of onward boat hops thrown in.
Hours
Beach always open; water taxis every 30 min in season
Price
Loungers ~€25; water taxi €5–10 per hop
Getting there
Bus from Chora every 20 min (about 20 minutes)
Insider tip: A 700 m sandy beach with restaurants, hotels and calm water — great for young children. Boat trips run onward to other beaches. Bus 20 minutes from Chora.