Mykonos town, Greece is a jewel of a town on Mykonos island

Visit Mykonos Town

Mykonos Town or Chora as it is known is a really charming town that is famous for its windmills, its 'Little Venice' area and its laid back atmosphere but it is really its narrow paved streets lined with gleaming white houses with brightly coloured stairs and balconies that we loved the most.

Mykonos town is a short drive or bus ride from Mykonos airport and is also the main port and bus station on the island of Mykonos.

Explore Mykonos town

Greece This Way comments: Mykonons town ranks in our top 10 Greek towns. It is beautiful, full of great shops and restaurants, is on the edge of the sea and also has lots of small Byzantine churches to admire

Little Venice in Mykonos

Mykonos town is built around two bays. One, the bay of Alefkantra is where you will find the famous windmills of Mykonos and, on the other side the waterside houses of 'Little Venice' with their brightly coloured balconies overhanging the water. This area is particularly popular on a night when many of the waterside bars play music and may even have a live DJ in the bar.

There are lots of restaurants along here too though they are perhaps more touristy and expensive than further back in the picturesque warren of streets of the town.

The 16th century Mykonos windmills are an iconic monument of the town though up close they do sit on a flat concrete area and are less impressive up close than on pictures from further away.

Within the town the streets are pedestrian and paved in a distinctive kind of 'crazy paving' style. The cubic shaped houses are all whitewashed and all the window frames, doors, balconies and exterior stairs are painted in bright colours, usually shades of blue. Add to this the blue or red domes of the churches; the pink bourgainvillea and the bright blue sky and you can see why walking through the narrow streets is such a pleasure.

As well as plenty of shops selling tourist trinkets including many with the 'evil eye' there are lots of very good and unique boutiques to explore. (Wearing the evil eye traditionally is a way of deflecting the effects of the evil eye from yourself. Whatever the reason the evil eye glass beads or cushions are very decorative and you will probably end up buying one or two!)

The streets are full of nice looking bars and restaurants with a range of prices. Mykonos is not cheap but it is possible to eat out inexpensively if you choose carefully. The streets tend to be quiet until 10 am making the early morning a good time to get your photos. Later on the streets fill up and the town stays vibrant well into the night and it has a particularly nice atmosphere with the music coming from the bars and all the lights of the shops and restaurants. Everything seems to stay open until late.

As you walk through Mykanos you will notice a very large number of churches. Many are tiny and could only hold about 10 people but there are lots of them and many have stunning Byzantine interiors.

The Panagia Paraportiani church is unusual in that it is triangular in shape and is actually five churches in one. The churches of Saint Eustathios, Saint Sozon, Saints Anargyroi and Saint Anastasia are at ground level and a fifth church has been built above them. Construction began in the 14th century and lasted into the 17th.

Panagia Paraportiani church in Mykonos town

The harbour and old port of Mykonos are found on the Yialos Bay and the harbour is a very popular part of Mykonos town. Around the edge of the harbour are a good selection of restaurants and bars and you can sit here and watch the fishing boats come in and out of the harbour and further away watch the ferry boats and occasional cruise liners go by further out to sea as they make their way to the New Port a little further around the coast.

Note that if you need to get to the New Port there is a water bus from the harbour or you can get a bus from the bus station

Also to look out for whilst in Mykonos are the views from above the town near to the old windmill at the top of Agiou Georgiou. Look out for the steps leading uphill. There is an Archaeological museum with sculptures, jewellry and ceramics from Mykonos and neighbouring islands and there is a Maritime museum with a 19th century lighthouse and models of ships from the pre-Minoan period to the 20th century.

Last of all be sure to look out for Petros the pelican who can be spotted wandering around the town and especially near to the harbour area.

Mykonos and Mykonos town are busy at the height of summer but are still very pleasant to visit in spring and autumn.

Where to visit nearby?

Many visitors to Mykonos towns are staying in the nearby beach resorts of which the Paradise Resort and the Super Paradise are particularly famous. These are party resorts and so don't head here if you are looking for a quiet holiday. These party beaches are very popular and are also particularly friendly to LGBT guests.

The beaches further to the east of the island and the northern beaches are quieter if you want a more leisurely pace.

If you are staying in Mykonos town and want to spend some time at the beach the beach of Platis Gialos is just a 5 minute bus ride away and is a pleasant beach with some nice restaurants around the edge. Also nearby is the Psarou beach, home to the famous Nammos restaurant and beach bar.

A visit to the architectural remains on Delos island is a popular day trip. Closer to home the Monastery of Panagia Tourliani is just 6 km from Mykonos town and can be reached by bus. It is the prettiest monastery on the island

Santorini, Naxos and Paros are also Cycladean Islands and can be reached by ferry from Mykonos to make a two or three centre holiday.