Two islands in one trip
Mykonos has a reputation for nightclubs and beach parties, and that reputation is accurate. It also sits 30 minutes by boat from Delos, one of the most important archaeological sites in the Mediterranean — the sacred birthplace of Apollo, an entire ancient city abandoned and perfectly preserved, with no permanent population since Roman times. These two facts sit in the same itinerary more naturally than you might expect: Delos boats depart at 9am and return by early afternoon; the nightlife begins after midnight. The island is large enough for both.
The town itself — Mykonos Town, or Chora — is a genuinely beautiful piece of Cycladic architecture: a dense labyrinth of whitewashed lanes deliberately designed to confuse pirates, with no street grid and no straight lines. The windmills on the hill above town, the Little Venice waterfront with its bars cantilevered over the water, and the five tightly-clustered white churches at Kato Myli are the defining images. Getting pleasantly lost in the lanes on a morning before the daytime crowds arrive is the correct introduction.
Getting there from Athens
The high-speed Seajets catamaran from Piraeus covers the distance in about 4.5 hours (€50-90 one way); the conventional Blue Star ferry takes 5.5 hours. Both depart from Piraeus and arrive at the New Port at Tourlos, 2.5 km north of town — a short taxi or bus ride. Ferries run multiple times daily in summer; booking 1-2 weeks ahead is advisable in July and August.
Aegean Airlines and Sky Express fly Athens to Mykonos in 45 minutes; flights cost €60-140 return. The airport is 3 km south of town; taxis run €15-20.
One practical consideration: arriving by overnight ferry (departing ~21:00, arriving ~05:30) costs €30-45 for a seat or €60-80 for a cabin and means arriving at dawn when accommodation check-in requires waiting — less ideal for Mykonos than for Santorini. The daytime high-speed ferry, while rough in the famous Aegean wind (the “meltemi” blows hard July–August), is usually the better option.
See the Athens to Mykonos guide for current timetables, prices, and booking links.
The Delos day trip
No visit to Mykonos is complete without at least one day on Delos. The island is a 30-minute boat ride from Mykonos Old Port (€20 return), open Tuesday through Sunday, and requires half a day minimum to cover properly. The site is exceptional: an entire small city — temples, agoras, a theatre, residential streets, floor mosaics still in place — abandoned in 88 BC after a military raid and essentially undisturbed since. The Terrace of the Lions, five of nine original marble guardian lions still standing against the sky, is the most arresting single image.
A guided day trip to Delos from Mykonos includes the boat transfer and a qualified guide who can explain what you are looking at — without a guide, the scale of the site makes it easy to walk past extraordinary things without recognising their significance. The archaeology here rewards knowledge. The complete Delos guide covers opening hours, what to prioritise, and how to read the site.
For a combined day that adds the nearby islet of Rhenia (uninhabited, with excellent swimming in clear water), the Delos and Rhenia cruise with BBQ lunch is the full-day version — archaeology in the morning, swimming and lunch in the afternoon. The boat returns to Mykonos by 17:00, leaving the evening free.
The Mykonos to Delos boat transfers page has the complete timetable for public ferry departures; note that Delos is closed every Monday.
Beaches
Mykonos has a strong beach infrastructure, particularly on the south coast. Paradise Beach (8 km from town) and Super Paradise are the party beaches with music, sunbeds (€20-30/day), and beach club bars; they are genuinely fun in the right mood and not so much in the wrong one. Platis Gialos (4 km south) and Psarou are calmer, with cleaner water and easier access. Elia at the far southeast is the longest beach, quieter, and has good tavernas.
Most south-coast beaches are accessible by water taxi from Platis Gialos (departures every 20-30 minutes, €4-8 per hop depending on distance). The bus network runs to Platis Gialos and Paradise frequently; for other beaches, a taxi or scooter is more practical.
The south coast beach hopping cruise with BBQ visits the main beaches by boat, which avoids the road traffic problem entirely and gives a view of the coastline unavailable by land. This is the best format for experiencing multiple south-coast beaches in a single day.
Food and the town
Mykonos dining is expensive. A sit-down dinner for two at a mid-range restaurant in Chora costs €80-120 with wine; the more visible waterfront places charge more. The exceptions are the local tavernas away from the main tourist circuit — Nikos Taverna and M-eating on the back lanes are well-regarded; the fish tavernas at Agios Ioannis beach on the south coast are better value than anything in town.
The Mykonos food walking tour is worth doing on arrival: it covers the local food culture, the cheeses (kopanisti, a sharp fermented fresh cheese unique to Mykonos, is worth seeking out), and the lane network simultaneously. The food walking tour is a 3-hour morning itinerary that doubles as an orientation for the town’s geography.
The central market area around Matogianni Street has most of the retail; the Old Port neighbourhood at the waterfront is the departure point for boats to Delos and the calmer end of town in the evenings.
Sailing the south coast
The coastline south of Mykonos — seen from the water — is dramatically different from the crowded beach roads and much less accessible by land. Sea caves, small coves, and the view back to the windmills and Chora are only available from a boat.
The catamaran cruise with meal and drinks covers the south coast and surrounding islets in a full-day format with snorkelling stops, lunch, and open bar. The small-group catamaran is the most comfortable version of this experience, with better sight lines and less motion than the larger party boats. For a more exclusive option, the luxury small-group catamaran limits the group to 12 and uses a higher-specification vessel — a better choice for anyone who has done the standard cruise before or wants a quieter day on the water.
Town walks and guided highlights
Walking the lanes of Chora without any plan is rewarding on its own but a guided tour on the first morning solves the navigational confusion quickly and points out what is historically or architecturally significant versus what is simply pretty. The windmills date from the 16th century; the Paraportiani church — five interconnected chapels that look like a single organic white form — is genuinely unusual even by Cycladic standards.
The Mykonos Old Town walking tour with a certified guide runs 2.5 hours and covers the windmills, Little Venice, Paraportiani, and the Folklore Museum. Running in the morning before the lanes fill, it is the most efficient way to understand what you are looking at for the rest of the stay.
Practical notes
Getting around town: Most of Chora is pedestrian-only. Buses run from the New Port and town to the main beaches (Platis Gialos, Paradise) roughly every 20 minutes in summer; the Old Port is a 10-minute walk from the bus station. Scooters rent from €25-35/day and are the most practical way to reach outlying beaches independently.
Accommodation: Mykonos has a wide range from budget hostels (€40-60/bed) to ultra-luxury hotels at €1,000+/night. The most pleasant mid-range option is a small hotel in the lanes of Chora within walking distance of everything. July–August rates are 2-3x those of May–June; booking 2-3 months ahead is necessary for summer.
Island hopping: Mykonos is the natural starting point for the northern Cyclades circuit and connects directly to Santorini, Naxos, and Paros by ferry. The island hopping from Athens guide covers the multi-island routing options; the Athens, Mykonos, Santorini 10-day itinerary builds the most popular circuit into a planned sequence. The Greek islands overview places Mykonos in relation to the wider islands hub.