I went on my dream vacation to Greece last September! Yes, I know. I am a just a tad late getting this post up.  Anyways, it was a huge bucket list trip of mine and honestly, it was everything I hoped it would be! I visited Athens, Mykonos and Santorini. If you're planning a trip to Greece, I highly recommend a stop at all three! Each stop had its own personality and charm. Mykonos in particular was a beautiful combination of sun, crystal clear waters and sandy beaches. In this post, I am sharing with you guys some tips and recommendations and all the fun things to do in Mykonos!

Where We Stayed:

When we arrived in Mykonos we were picked up by shuttle from the airport and taken to our hotel.  The hotel we stayed at was the Petasos Beach Resort and Spa.  This is such a nice hotel and it's in a great location.  Check in is nice and easy, the staff are super friendly and the morning breakfast buffet is awesome! Not only is the food delicious but breakfast is served out by the pool with amazing views of the Aegean sea.

The hotel is less than a 5 minute walk from Psarou Beach and only a short walk down the hill to Platis Gialos and the water taxi stop.  The bus to Mykonos Town (more on that below) also stops right in front of this hotel, which was super helpful.

The room was a great size and ours had a balcony with ocean views.  This was the second leg of our Greece trip and one thing I was excited about was that there was a little fitness center in this hotel.  It was nice to get a good sweat in for a few days!  It wasn't anything fancy but there were a couple of weight machines, a few cardio machines and plenty of dumbbells.  More than enough to get your workout on! Staying active is one of my favorite ways to stay healthy while I'm on vacation so this was a major plus for me.

Where I Ate:

Saki’s Grill House (Mykonos Town)

This place was great! Delicious, cheap and fast. Just how I like my food! We ended up eating here pretty often. I actually preferred the gyros here to the more well known Jimmy’s Gyros.  They had tons of options on the menu and they work fast.  The only thing is it’s a tiny little place and it gets PACKED at night.  So you’re kind of packed like a sardine to order and then if youre lucky, you can grab a seat somewhere outside to eat.

Jimmy’s Gyros (Mykonos Town)

When I researched cheap eats in Mykonos, this place was on every list. But at 5 euro per gyro (hehe), it really wasn’t THAT cheap.  I mean, compared to 3.50 euro at Saki’s.  Don’t get me wrong, the food was good and this is still a decent option for food in Mykonos, but if I had to pick one place it would be Saki's. Mykonos isn't known for its affordable options so this is something middle of the road. In terms of taste, the gyros are really good so you won't be disappointed with the quality of the food!

Kiki’s Tavern (Agios Sostis)

I read about this place online somewhere and it sounded like a must try. I am SO glad we did! We used an ATV to get there (more on that below) since it was a ways from our hotel near Agios Sostis.  It took us about 20 minutes to get there from the Petasos Resort. This place is first come first serve so expect to wait a little because it's small and seems like a popular place. When we went around 3:30 PM, there was about an hour wait. If memory serves me correctly, they close at sundown because all seating is outdoors and there is no electricity. They give you free water and wine (woo!) while you wait and there are amazing beach views which make the time fly by.

The guy that keeps track of the waiting list is pretty impressive.  He doesn’t even write anything down but just tells you, “See that couple over there? You're after them", and then he somehow miraculously remembers to come get you. When you're called, the staff walk you to the back where you order your salads and sides.  You are then seated to order your main meal.  Everyone here is so friendly and I highly recommend taking the time to walk around Agios Sostis beach when you're done. There is a small set of stairs that lead down to this little secluded area that I never would have found if we hadn't stopped here.  Definitely give Kiki's a try!

Things to do

ATV Rental

O.M.G. If you are in Mykonos you MUST do this! It was 35 euro for a 24 hour rental and we seriously had so much fun exploring the island this way.  We saw so much of Mykonos and it was just the best and most exhilarating experience. It was SO MUCH FUN (as you can tell by my overuse of caps) and a super easy way to navigate the island.  All you have to do is return it with the same amount of gas (or don’t and just pay them the fee like we did) and you're all set!

I let my husband do most of the street driving because well,  I'm a chicken to be honest. But I was a master co-pilot! I used the GPS on my phone to navigate us around the island. When we got to Agios Sostis and there was more of a deserted road, I spent some time taking over the ATV for a spin.  After lunch, we rode down to the Belvedere Hotel to watch the sunset and enjoy a (super pricey) mojito.  When in Rome Greece?

I really can't even describe the feeling of breezing through Mykonos with the sunset and ocean next to you and the wind blowing through your hair.  This was hands down my favorite thing we did while in Mykonos.  And to think we weren't even going to do it because I was so nervous about riding around on one. If you're a scaredy cat like me, don't worry! I felt safe the entire time. 😉 Helmets are your friend.

Mykonos Sailing Tour

For this tour we were picked up from our hotel and taken to the docks where we set sail for Delos and Rinia island. The first stop was Delos which was only a 20 minute sail away. Once we docked at Delos, we had the option of taking a guided tour or exploring on our own. The guided tour is usually an extra fee but we lucked out because we happened to go on a day the museums were free. Score! Our guide told us all about the history of the island and the ruins.

After our guided tour of Delos, we set sail again for the island of Rinia. This is a tiny little island and the only thing to really do here is chill at the beach. They anchored the boat and gave us the option of going out in a small boat to the little stretch of beach or just sunbathing and swimming from the sail boat.  The hubby and I stayed on the main boat because the water was freezing! But it was so fun watching others jump from the boat to the water.  We just took time to relax and enjoy the sun and views. The tour included a delicious lunch and lots of wine and then a VERY bumpy ride back to shore. I felt like I was on Splash Mountain but it was a super fun experience!  I would totally do this tour again.

Mykonos Town/Little Venice/Windmills

Mykonos town is a bustling center of eateries and shops.  We took the shuttle bus to get there from our hotel in Platis Gialos and it was about a 30 minute ride with all the stops.  The shuttle runs every 20 minutes until 2 AM. Word to the wise: pay attention to the bus schedule and tickets. If you return after midnight, the bus price goes up from 1.80 euro one way to 2.30 euro one way and the tickets look different. We tried to come back with a ticket from the wrong time and ended up having to pay again.

Mykonos town is a great place for people watching and just strolling around.  We didn't do much shopping (mainly because Mykonos is not a cheap place) but sitting around with a glass of wine and just taking it all in was fun in itself.  At the edge of Mykonos town is a small area called Little Venice.  There are several restaurants looking out on the water and it's just a cute little place to hang out.

Near Little Venice, you can walk to the windmills and it's the perfect place to watch the sunset.  People say the sunsets in Santorini are amazing and they definitely are but man, did we see some BEAUTIFUL sunsets in Mykonos!

Beaches

You can't talk about a trip to Mykonos without talking about the beaches right?!  We didn't get to every single one but here are a few we did visit.

Super Paradise Beach

This beach was pretty laid back despite what I had read about it being a crazy party beach.  Since we went towards the end of the tourist season (late September), I’m sure that made a difference in the crowds. We got to this beach through the water taxi in Platis Gialos near our hotel. We decided to go beach hopping so we purchased an all day hop on hop off ticket which allowed us to visit multiple beaches and go back and forth as we pleased. It wasn't crowded at all when we arrived around 10 am.

Super Paradise Beach has sun beds with umbrellas to rent and music playing while you kick back and relax.  The sunbeds are 40 euro for front row, 30 for second and 25 for all others. Rental price is for 2 people.  We hung out in the 3^rd row and loved it. It was still basically on the water but far enough away where you could still have a relaxing experience. You can order drinks and food and there are also several water activities to rent.  We ordered a nice bucket o' beer and hung out here for a few hours. There is also a section if you just want to lay your towel out on the sand, no rental necessary.

Paraga Beach

Another beautiful beach!  This beach was super chill while still being fun and upbeat. The sunbeds on one side of the beach are 40 euro and literally 3 steps over they are 20 euro so naturally, we went with the cheaper ones. If you can't find a sign with the prices, just ask a server and they will point you in the right direction. Typically, once you choose a sunbed, someone will come find you to collect payment.

The water at Paraga Beach is PERFECTION. So crisp and clear. We took advantage and did a lot of swimming at this beach. There are lots of rock formations in the water so you can swim out to the middle and lay out in the sun. In case it matters to ya, bathing suits are optional.

Paradise Beach

This beach had more of a Spring Break in Vegas feel to it.  More party music and a much younger crowd. This beach was also a lot more crowded and after a long day of soaking up sun, we ended up only hanging out here for about an hour. We read that this place gets crazy at night so we thought we would come back to see what all the fuss was about.  We came on the shuttle from Mykonos Town close to midnight and as we walked up we could hear the party music blasting. I expected to see a raging crowd and instead, it was completely dead. We were shocked!  Also, a little disappointed because I am a grandma and I was actually awake and left my hotel past 11:00 PM so I was ready to see a wild party. Oh well, off-season I guess!  If you're more curious about the party scene though you can check out this post from The Blonde Abroad.

Agios Sostis

This beach we kind of stumbled upon on accident on our way to Kiki's Tavern (mentioned above). We went to go eat and there were steps leading down to this secluded area. There were less than 20 people there and it looked like pure paradise.  Calm, tranquil and clear waters.  It's teeny tiny but to the right, there is a whole other larger stretch of beach that is still secluded but big enough to plop down your towel for the day and hang out. We sat here for a bit while we waited for our table at Kiki’s and just enjoyed the calm lull of the water.  This isn’t an organized beach where there will be waiters and drinks and sunbeds but it is still beautiful and worth a visit.  If you want to get away from the hustle and bustle, this is the spot.

And that concludes my visit to Mykonos. We stayed in Mykonos for close to 4 days and tried to fit in as much as we could. There is tons more to do and see that I did not get to and I guarantee there is more of a party scene during the regular tourist season if that's your cup of tea.  It really just depends when you go and what you're into.  Hopefully this helps you with some recommendations for things to do in Mykonos!