Although this jewel of the Aegean is famous for its nightlife and its beaches, the truth is that there are more things to see in Mykonos. It would be a shame to miss the most unknown part of the island: its arid landscapes, the small traditional churches, the archaeological sites..
It is known as the Ibiza of Greece since they share a tourist offer in terms of nightlife and virgin beaches with turquoise waters, especially during the months of July and August. And it has always been one of the favorite Greek islands for tourists; initially of the rich and famous, and in recent years it has become very famous among the gay community.
And, some of you may wonder… is Mykonos an equally suitable destination for the rest? The answer is yes and, in fact, in this article we tell you how to prepare for Mykonos.
Island Overview
Mykonos is a small island with more than 3,000 years of history, belonging to the Cyclades archipelago, which currently has a population of just over 10,000 inhabitants in just 85 km². According to Greek mythology, the island emerged from the giants defeated by Hercules, who were thrown into the sea and immediately solidified in the form of rocks. Mykon, grandson of Apollo, and God of light, healing and spring, gave the island its name.
How many days does it take to see Mykonos
Despite being a destination included, practically, in all routes and cruises through the Greek islands, ranking first in number of visitors, with almost 3 million each year, the truth is that it is the most expensive Greek island, along with Santorini. And this is noticeable, above all, in the accommodation, so if you are going to travel to the island and your pocket is not heavy, we recommend that you arrive on the island in the morning and try to leave it at night to save some money on hotels.
Defining the days needed to see the island of Mykonos is something very relative. It depends on the interests of each one. There are those who arrive by cruise ship and spend a day or just a few hours on the island, and with a walk around the city they have enough, and there are those who prefer more days to explore the island discovering all its corners.
If Mykonos is part of a stop on your tour of different Greek islands and you also want to spend time on other islands, 3 days (2 nights) will be enough to see the best of the island without incurring an excessive cost (for low cost travelers) . If, on the other hand, your vacations have a single stop, you can choose to visit the island in a more relaxed way, although, yes, spending more.
How to get to Mykonos
By plane:
Mykonos Airport (JMK) is a small airport located about 3 km southeast of Chora (town). In summer there is a local bus that connects the two points but if you dare and carry a backpack as luggage, we encourage you to reach the center on foot in a walk of about 40 minutes downhill, it’s worth it!
There are direct flights to Mykonos from Spain, departing from Barcelona or Madrid. Direct flights to the island are often expensive or at odd hours, and sometimes it can be cheaper to fly to Athens and then take the ferry to the island. It is highly recommended to study this option if you also want to visit the country’s capital.
There are also domestic flights from other parts of Greece. From Athens, there are several companies that operate: Olympic Air or Volotea are some of them.
By ferry:
Getting to Mykonos from Athens is possible by plane and also by ferry, like the rest of the Greek islands. Ferries depart from the port of Piraeus or the port of Rafina (which is closer to the airport but further from the city). The journey takes about 5.5 hours with conventional ferries (from the Blue Star Ferries company) and 2.5 hours with the rapids (from the Seajets company). Prices are around: 40 euros each way and passenger, the slow ferry; and 60 euros, the fast one.
From other islands such as Santorini, Milos, Naxos, Paros, Crete you can also reach Mykonos by ferry.
How to get around the island of Mykonos
To move around the island, there is a local bus network (KTEL) but the most comfortable is to rent a motorcycle, a car, or a quad. In case of staying more than 3 days, renting a car via kskrentacar.gr is the most recommended way to get to beaches or areas where the bus does not arrive. For fewer days, you may not need it since you are probably going to stay on the beaches closest to your accommodation.