Mykonos is a small, dry, wind-scoured island that holds the best-preserved Cycladic town in Greece and the most expensive beach clubs in the Aegean, side by side. It works for people who want nightlife, a genuinely beautiful old town and the boat to Delos. It punishes anyone hoping for a quiet or cheap week.
- Main port
- New Port (Tourlos)
- Recommended nights
- 2–3
- Best time to visit
- May, Jun, Sep
- Wind & disruption risk
- High
Known for
- The lanes of the Chora and Little Venice
- Delos, 30 minutes away by excursion boat
- The Kato Mili windmills
- Psarou and Super Paradise beaches
- Ano Mera and the Panagia Tourliani monastery
Getting there
Fast ferries from Piraeus dock at the New Port at Tourlos, 3 km north of Mykonos Town. This is the island's classic mistake: the Old Port, on the edge of the Chora, handles Delos excursions and the small Tinos and Andros boats, not the SeaJets or Blue Star arrivals. Check which port your ticket names before you book a transfer. Piraeus is 2h 45m fast or 5 hours conventional. The airport is 4 km southeast of town.
When to go
May, June and September. Mykonos carries the highest wind risk of the major Cyclades: the meltemi funnels hard through the channel between here and Tinos, and July and August northerlies routinely cancel the smaller fast ferries to Paros, Naxos and Santorini while the heavier Blue Star keeps running. Shoulder season buys calmer crossings, a Chora you can actually walk through at 8pm, and rates a third below August. Most clubs close in early October.
Where to stay
Mykonos Town puts you 3 km from the New Port and within walking distance of everything, at the cost of noise until 4am around Matogianni and Little Venice. Ornos and Platis Gialos are the family beaches and the departure points for south-coast boats. Paradise and Paraga are the party addresses. Agios Ioannis and Houlakia are quiet but need a car. Ano Mera, 8 km inland, is the cheapest bed on the island.
Good to know
Buses run from the Fabrika and Old Port stations to the south beaches frequently in season, much less so late at night. Taxis barely exist here, and the queue at the town rank is a genuine time sink. The Chora is pedestrian-only, so a rental car means parking outside it. Budget properly: sunbeds at a named beach club can run past 100 euros a pair before you order anything. ATMs and card payment are everywhere.
Related itineraries
Frequently asked questions
How do I get from Athens to Mykonos?
Fast ferries from Piraeus dock at the New Port at Tourlos, 3 km north of Mykonos Town. This is the island's classic mistake: the Old Port, on the edge of the Chora, handles Delos excursions and the small Tinos and Andros boats, not the SeaJets or Blue Star arrivals. Check which port your ticket names before you book a transfer. Piraeus is 2h 45m fast or 5 hours conventional. The airport is 4 km southeast of town.
Recommended nights — Mykonos?
Two to three nights. Mykonos is well connected, with daily boats to Tinos, Syros, Paros, Naxos and Santorini, but the high wind risk makes it the least reliable link in any chain. Place it early in a route, keep a spare day behind it, and never schedule the onward hop for your flight morning.
When to go — Mykonos?
May, June and September. Mykonos carries the highest wind risk of the major Cyclades: the meltemi funnels hard through the channel between here and Tinos, and July and August northerlies routinely cancel the smaller fast ferries to Paros, Naxos and Santorini while the heavier Blue Star keeps running. Shoulder season buys calmer crossings, a Chora you can actually walk through at 8pm, and rates a third below August. Most clubs close in early October.
Times, prices and frequencies are indicative and change by season and operator. Always confirm the live timetable before you book.