THE THOMS SUNDAY TRAVEL SECTION
What Is Good Mykonos?
Mykonos has incredible marketing. It begins in the 1960s, as the glamour destination in Greek travel brochures.
Photos of Jackie O, Brigitte Bardot, and Grace Kelly living it up in Mykonos appear. Everybody wants to go there.
At that time, it was a sleepy island with ferry service and more private planes than commercial.
It was a place to get away from the crowds on your yacht. There were luxury homes here and there, but not too many luxury hotels. Celebrities would sip wine and look happy.
And there was nightlife.
When Shirley Gets Her Groove Back
In the late 1970s, the island appears in several films, attracting a new crowd. The Greek Tycoon, about Aristotelis Onassis films scenes here. In the 1980s Summer Lovers films on Mykonos and several other Greek islands. Then in 1989, Shirley Valentine goes to Greece with her friend Jane.
By the 1990s, Mykonos has lost its extreme jet-setter A-list crowd. They give it up in a moment for the next “in” island.
But the fun crowd stays. The island is still the Greek island for Greeks and many of the 20 to 35-year-old Europeans.
Luxury hotels start popping up everywhere. Deserted beaches now have large resorts on them, and peninsulas start becoming exclusive gated communities.
Everything Old is New Again
By 2010, the “new” islands are getting so expensive; people start coming back to Mykonos. It has new resorts, clubs, and luxury homes for rent since they were last there. And it is cheaper than the other “IN” islands, in comparison.
In July-August, it is the peak of crazy, crowds and 28+°celsus. (85+) A hotel near town will start around $250 a night with some as high as $1000+. You may find a few cheaper several miles from the Chora, but then you have to deal with transfers.
This peak season is about drinking at the beach all day. Then a nap.
They are then going out to the clubs from midnight until 6:00 AM. I know these hours are correct because when I go home around 11:00 PM the bars and clubs are empty. I see them the next morning at 6:00 AM as I go to capture a sunrise. They are crowding outside the clubs, holding each other up, and fighting over taxis.
Clubbing can be an expensive afternoon or evening out. You can reserve a table at the clubs as long as you pay the food and beverage minimum. For a table far from the stage or dance floor, the minimum can be $500. Closer to the stage, $2000 and up. Plus admission, plus transportation makes for an expensive evening. In summer, they are full nightly.
Read more on Mykonos
Other Things to See and Do
There is not a lot else to do except shop. Mykonos does not have a grand archeological site on the island. Nearby is Delos, which is an impressive sight, but not in the summer sun and heat. Go in the morning if you are there peak summer as there is little shade.
There are many options for eating and drinking on the island. But nothing I feel is worth making a special trip to Mykonos solely to enjoy.
In short, the people going to Mykonos in July or August are Greek and European 18 to 35 year-olds.
And there are the people with, or once with, a reality show and 100 bazillion followers on social media. One of the current hot spots is Lindsey Lohan’s second of three clubs she now co-owns in Greece.
Remember her? Look up “Phoenix,” it is from the Greek.
Should I Give Up on Mykonos?
I don’t think so. Just make sure to go when it is right for you.
Much of the island closes up by mid-October. By mid-September, the beach clubs stack their chairs and the nightclubs in town shutter or cut back their hours. The endless jewelry and souvenir shops lock up and move back to their Athens location for the winter.
May through June, and September – October, I think, are a perfect time to visit.
The temperature drops. At the end of August, Europe goes back to work, and the college kids go back to school. The hotel rates drop, and you can get a table in a restaurant.
Delos is still open for touring, and the rock and marble do not become hot as frying pans.
What To Do In Mykonos
My favorite part is that the “locals” are easier to spot in the spring and fall. Some will be gone by the end of October, but they are here for the season, not a short holiday. I like it better as a Greek island than a resort that could be anywhere.
A typical day for me is a lovely Greek breakfast at my hotel. Then I like to walk through town before the crowds come. I said the mobs leave, but not the smart Greeks and travelers. There are still many people.
The afternoon is a drive to explore small villages. Or a trip up to Ano Mera to have a coffee, pastry and watch the locals in the town square.
Once a visit, I will make my way to a beach, but rarely the famous Paradise, Super Paradise, or Psarou. I’m looking for a few umbrellas, no ear-bleeding music and a small taverna for lunch. I want to hear the waves crashing, not the speakers blasting.
Sunset will find me on a terrace or beach. I am probably drinking a glass of wine in the country where the grape grows.
After Dark
You cannot eat dinner before sunset, so as the temperature drops, I look for a taverna. Not in the little Venice area or main square. I like to wander the back streets and find where the locals are eating. It’s Greece; I want Greek food. Not a fancy variation by a chef from France.
The evening includes a walk through town to people watch. Usually, I will stop in for a nightcap, or two at a small piano bar. The couple who own it run the bar. I have been going there for over twenty years. And although they don’t remember me between visits, within 10 minutes, I feel like an old friend. This bond happens on many Greek islands.
“Small world” moment, they live in South Florida in the off-season. We go to several of the same places. We know several of the same staff, but only seem to see each other in Mykonos every fifteen years.
And I might go to a nightclub. For one drink, long before the night owls begin to emerge. The 20 to 30 yr-old staff is always pleasant and welcoming. And maybe I feel a little younger for awhile.
A walk along the water back to my hotel ends a lovely day.
The Final Bill.
My three-star hotel, with a room overlooking the harbor, with daily breakfast is under $100. The car rental with insurance is around $60 a day. Lunch is usually a salad or sandwich. I may splurge at night with dinner on Agios Ioannis Beach. Another treat is a lovely fish taverna near Kalafati Beach.
Your Good Mykonos.
In the end, you need to decide for yourself which is good Mykonos for you.
For a European international jet set location, there are few like it. Keep in mind that the experience will be more global than Greek.
For those wanting to experience a Greek Island, the spring and fall will be a good Mykonos experience for you. There is still nightlife if you need it, maybe not quite so intense. Yes, I am becoming my parents more every day.
When is your good Mykonos?
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“See Anchorage Alaska” Continued on Page T3 “Taste Spanish Wine” Continued on T11
I had a few friends recently in Mykonos, but can really appreciate the full experience of the island with this honest, insightful review! Thank you, Thom!