Things to do in Mykonos

Mykonos is small, dry and granite, in the middle of the Cyclades, with a reputation that outruns its size. The wind explains most of the island. It comes out of the north, which is why the south coast holds the beaches.

Chora, and why it is a maze

The lanes were laid out to confuse raiders and now do the same to visitors. Cars are kept out and nothing is signed. Give up on the map and it works better.

• Kato Mili. The row of seven windmills on the ridge above the harbour.
• Little Venice. Houses built with their balconies out over the water, and the sunset crowd underneath.
• Paraportiani. Five chapels fused into one whitewashed shape, and one of the most photographed churches in Greece.
• The old port. Where the Delos boats leave, a short walk north of the lanes.

Delos, half an hour west

Delos is uninhabited now. It was the sacred centre of the Cyclades, and Rome made it a free port in 166 BC. Sacked in 88 BC, it never recovered.

What is left is a whole excavated town, not a temple. Tens of thousands once lived here. Two hours with a guide is the minimum.

The coast, and what leaves the island

• The south beaches. Paradise and Super Paradise for clubs, Platis Gialos and Ornos for families, Agios Sostis and Fokos for neither.
• Day cruises. The south coast by boat with lunch, or the crossing to Rhenia and the empty coves.
• Tinos. A full day by boat to the pilgrimage island next door, greener and far quieter.
• Jeep days and wine. The north and the interior, which almost nobody sees, and a handful of small producers.

Practical

• The meltemi. It blows hard through July and August, empties the north beaches and cancels the Delos boats. Go early in your stay, not on the last morning.
• Delos hours. The site closes on Mondays and shuts for the winter. There is no shade, no shop and no shelter, so carry water and a hat.
• Season. May to October. June and September are the sensible months; August is the loud one.
• Cost. One of the dearest islands in Greece, and a sunbed on the fashionable beaches can cost more than a room elsewhere.
• Taxis. Famously few of them. Buses and the sea shuttles between the southern bays do the real work.