MYKONOS, GREECE

May 3-6
Off to Mykonos, Greece I went. Back in February of 2014 I went to Romania alone and so this was my second solo trip while living in Italy. I flew out of Milano Malpensa and went direct to Mykonos on EasyJet. It is a bit of a pain to get to the Milan airport, but worth it for the price. 

The son of the King of Delos was named Mykonos, which is where the island name comes from. According to the myths:

"Hercules, in one of his twelve tasks, was fighting the Giants and, having killed them, he threw them in the sea where they petrified and turned into huge rocks, forming the island of Mykonos. Being in the shadow of the prosperous and spiritual island of Delos, where Leto was believed to have given birth to the god Apollo and goddess Artemis, little things are known for Mykonos during the Ancient Times." [1] 

The island fell under the rule of the Athenians, Macedonians, and Romans. In 1207 the Venetians conquered the Island until the Turks invaded. Mykonos was liberated in 1830 and tourism slowly picked up. It is now one of the most popular islands in Greece, even known as the Greek version of Ibiza.

The hotel was great! I had a nice balcony with a view of the sea as well as a view of the windmills. There was a great pool and friendly service. The sunset from the pool area was also worth watching. I would highly recommend Poseidon Hotel Suites.

View from my balcony

Sunset from the hotel

Walking around the island is an experience in itself…

Niko's Taverna is a great choice!

I could eat this every day! and I did while I was there

There are not many specific sights to see, and therefore I thoroughly enjoyed my beach explorations. 

Little Venice is along the edge of the sea and extends from Alevkantra beach to the peripheral areas of Kastro. It is a great area to sit and watch a sunset while sipping on a refreshing drink. The water is so clear and the view is beautiful! This is also the area where I spotted Petros, the great white pelican, who is the official mascot of Mykonos. 

There are two legends when it comes to Petros. The first is that he tried to fly from the mainland to Mykonos during a terrible storm. He was found nearly dead by fishermen who managed to nurse him back to health and the island is where he stayed. Unfortunately, the original Petros passed away due to either a hit and run or some drunk tourists. There seems to be three pelicans on the island now. Legend says that Jackie Onassis gave the island one to replace the original, while another says that a German zoo donated a bird. A third story says that the a third pelican was wounded like Petros and was nursed back to health.

Petros

Other sights to see are the many windmills. Most can be found around Chora and Alevkantra. They were used for crushing 'agricultural yields'. They are spherical in shape and all painted bright white. The roofs are pointed and usually made of wood. The windmills are no longer in use, as there are more modern ways of doing their jobs, but they are still a symbol of the island. There are several locations where one can catch a beautiful sunset from the side of a windmill.

Panagia Paraportiani is one of the most popular churches in Mykonos and the world. It is located in the Kastro neighborhood next to the sea. What makes this church different from the many others is that is consists of five small churches that were built on top or next to each other. The church of Agios Efstathios is at the center, while Agios Anargyros, Agios Sozon and Agia Anastasia surround it. The church of the Virgin Mary can be found on top of these four churches. 

The old port is one of the more active areas of the Chora. There are many restaurants that line the walkway, as well as a sandy area [although no one swam in this area]. It is also where the Delos Island ferry departs from. 

An ice coffee!! I get them when I can.

The island of Delos is a must-see when in Mykonos. According to mythology, Apollo, the son of Zeus and Leto, was born on this island. Aside from the religious significance, Delos was an important economic point due to its location and commercial port. It became a free city after the death of Alexander the Great. The Romans later turned it into a thriving free port meaning no tax had to be paid on the trading of goods. After the massacre in 88 BC and the pirates in 69 BC the island was deserted. Excavation began in 1872 and the island is known as being among the first important Greek sites in the Aegean world. 

I was able to spend my afternoons walking around the main center, but during the day I headed to the many beautiful beaches! I found my way to Paraga Beach on my first full day. There is a direct bus from downtown Chora which brings you to Platis Gialos. It only takes about 10 or so minutes with no traffic. From there I walked along the Platis Gialos beach and climbed up a small hill to walk along a dirt trail that ran along the waters edge. At the other end was Paraga! There are beach umbrellas and sun beds as well as two restaurants/cafes. One was still setting up but the other was open for business. I was traveling solo so I stuck to the more relaxed beached [not paradise beach, etc…]

The next day I headed to Psarou beach which is popular amongst the locals and tourists. They have several options for sun beds and umbrellas, but unfortunately one was for hotel members only, another was not open yet, and the last place was Nammos which I didn't think was worth it for only a few hours. It is a trendy beach where boats and yachts come to hang out and spend the night. For a late lunch I headed up to Nikos Gallop. It was a great restaurant with delicious food and a great price. It is known to be one of the best on the island. I would never waste my money at Nammos on psarou beach. I just can't rationalize a 25 euro [almost 30 dollar] mimosa. It is, after all, only prosecco and orange juice.

Mussels at Nikos Gallop!

Bella vista from my table at Nikos Gallop

I didn't spend too much time on Platis Gialos but the water was also crystal clear and there are probably 20 or so restaurants and bars along the boardwalk. Some even had deals that if you ate lunch with them you could get a free sun bed and umbrella. The beach is right where the bus drops off and picks up so it is convenient. 

Overall, it is a beautiful island and I did not want to leave. Everyone was nice, friendly and helped answer any questions I had. One of my most relaxing trips to date!