Mykonos

, The island has a peculiarly mixed clientele: elegant middle-aged couples, drunken twenty-somethings, flamboyantly gay couples, Italians, Greek Greeks, Germans. This is a party island, but more upscale than Ibiza and more exclusive than Mallorca. In the evenings, we mostly walked through the narrow streets of the city of Mykonos. We had dinner in the tavernas in the side streets, since it was a bit cheaper there, meaning an average of about €40 for two. We sometimes ended up in bars that were clearly frequented by a mostly gay clientele, but nobody minded us going there as a straight couple, especially as we weren’t the only ones.

The city has a bazaar-like atmosphere, but both quality and price are at quite a high level. There are heaps of jewelry shops and gift shops, and during the day, the city is full of crowds disembarking from cruise ships for a few hours sightseeing.

Bus traffic on the island is unpredictable, and the buses are not exactly state of the art. We took a boat trip, and it was quite good. Maybe there were 10 of us altogether. We have visited several Greek islands, but Mykonos is perhaps the most beautiful of them all. We had good weather, too: dry, warm, and cloudless, with a wonderfully blue sky and a pleasant breeze.” (2018)

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“This Greek island has become a popular holiday resort for billionaires. However, the result is that this exquisite, picturesque destination has become too trendy and exploited. Prices are continually rising, and the cheapest accommodation costs $130 a night.
The island's main attractions are the windmills, but at sunset, when the passengers arrive from the big cruise ships, they can hardly be seen for the people.” (2019)

Mykonos - Ata photo

Shopping

Prices are high on the island. A glass of vodka-red bull cocktail costs about 11 Euros.

The coolest shops and boutiques are on Matoyianni Street, in the capital.

Mykonos - boutique - Ata photo

Mykonos City - s.g. photo

Fun

Party life is high in Chora, but almost nothing really starts before midnight. Parties often last until sunrise.

There are many gay clubs in the town (one of the best known is Kastro). They are always full.

There are party beaches on the island, such as Paradise and Super Paradise beaches. In high season, these beaches have parties almost day and night.

Mykonos - for opulency (however note the quantities as well) - Viktor Ohotin's photo

Mykonos - evening stroll - Ata photo

Mykonos - bar - Ata photo

Others

Mykonos - Ata photo

Mykonos - old windmills - Ata photo

Mykonos - Viktor Ohotin's photo

Mykonos - bay - Ata photo

Mykonos - Chora - Manto Mavrogenous Square - Ata photo

Mykonos - panoramic view - a.u. photo

Destination in brief

Mykonos is a Greek island that is part of the Cyclades archipelago. Mykonos is adjacent to Naxos, Santorini, and Paros.

Size: 105.2 km²  (40.62 mi²) - Reasonably easy to discover the island as it is only 12-15 km (7,4-9,3 mi) and 10 km (6,2 mi) wide.

Population (in 2020): 12,500

The island's capital is the city of Mykonos, or Chora, which has a famous quarter, the "Little Venice."

Mykonos is well-known for its LGBT community, and that is one of the most gay-friendly Greek Island destinations!

Nowadays

“Mykonos, which belongs to the Cyclades archipelago, is one of the most beautiful Greek islands and was not really discovered by today’s rich and beautiful, but as early as the sixties. Brigitte Bardot, Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, and Grace Kelly also sought peace here. At the time, however, there was no trace of today’s luxury and nightlife.

Mykonos’ unique image began to take shape in the 1970s and had crystallized by the early 2000s. The inhabitants of this fabulously located island are legendarily friendly and calm, and tolerate otherness much more than most Greeks, meaning that gay people and nudists were and are received and welcomed as warmly and readily as anyone else. Over the years, the place has slowly become a tourist paradise for gay travelers, especially because unlike many other gay-friendly destinations, they are not expected to remain inside “gay ghettos”. The gay community doesn’t vacation separately here; instead, everyone goes to gay bars and nightclubs, and vice versa – everyone and has a great time together.

Celebrities who have turned up here include Leonardo DiCaprio, countless Victoria’s Secret models, and the entire Kardashian clan. Former actress Lindsay Lohan, who is currently traveling for hospitality, opened her own place on the island this year, and the harbor is filled to the brim with luxury yachts all summer long, with affluent businesspeople relaxing together with their young girlfriends.

The nightlife on Mykonos has now become legendary. In the center of Mykonos town, in the so-called Chora, the party goes on all night, then continues in the morning in the beach houses.
However, this fresh European lifestyle comes at a price – and quite a steep one! Ever since it became painfully hip, there has been a proliferation of luxury hotels and restaurants on the island, not to mention all the paid beaches on earth. The cheapest hotel rooms cost €270 per night, the average price is around €460, and if you really want luxury accommodation, expect to pay €1100-1200 for a single night. (2018)

Mykonos - Ata photo

Mykonos Town