Find the best shops and book the perfect villa with Mykonos: Insider Advice.
From above, the rugged island of Mykonos appears naked and gray in the surrounding Technicolor blues of the Aegean. But come closer; nothing about Mykonos is as it first seems. Just as fragrant rosemary and thyme manage to spread over its rocky and windswept surface, the island will soon have a hold on you. And its extreme contradictions are part of its appeal. Mykonos's diverse landscapes sparkle like rare stones, as do many of the people you'll meet on this, the most cosmopolitan of the Cycladic islands.
Since the 1960s, Mykonos has attracted artists, expats and high society, a vibrant group that continues to fuel its mystique today. The tiny neighboring uninhabited isle of Delos may be the reputed birthplace of the sun god, Apollo. But Mykonos, once a poor fishing island, was reborn as a legendary jet-set destination when the modern Greek god of wealth, Aristotle Onassis, and his American muse, Jackie Kennedy, chose to dock and mingle with the locals. Accompanying them was a glamorous chorus that included Rudolf Nureyev, Elizabeth Taylor and Mick Jagger. Over the next decades, the crowds grew bigger, louder and more decadent. Nude beaches, such as Paradise and Super Paradise, beach discos and larger villas sprouted, and soon Mykonos, like Ibiza and St.-Tropez, was labeled a clubbing and party scene.
In the past few years, however, the island has settled down, trading discos in for haute cuisine restaurants. Nights on Mykonos can still be long and Dionysian — they say the summer's strong north wind keeps people from sleeping, thereby fueling the revelry — but it's as easy to avoid the high jinks as it is to join in them. "You'll never get bored on Mykonos," says Greek fashion designer Sophia Kokosalaki. "There are always a lot of interesting people to watch. Just go to the port and walk around. But if you want to be secluded and alone, that's possible too." Another designer and fan of the Greek islands, Gianfranco Ferré, has sailed the Aegean for years. He passed through Mykonos during its hedonistic heyday and recalls, "Even back then we'd experience the island in our own special way, quietly, enjoying the best of Mykonos: sun, sea, indolence and leisurely boat outings, with only rare ventures out of our wonderful state of seclusion."
While the 1960s beau monde granted Mykonos its status, it was the island's magical main town that drew them there in the first place: at the time, Mykonos could be reached solely by boat, and Chora, also known as Mykonos Town, was usually the first port of call. It remains the center of the action for some of the day and much of the night. Its narrow white streets, recalling aisles in a souk, have a hypnotizing allure.
In his Greek Islands, published in 1980, Lawrence Durrell described the footprint of Chora as being like the inside of a seashell: "And at the end of every gyre or whorl you suddenly plunge out upon the harbor with its welcoming lines of cafés and chop-houses, set out under brilliant awnings or in some places shaded by tall mulberries."
The streets of Chora feel both authentically Greek (despite the tourist traffic) and worldly, lined with shops that offer something for everyone: Brazilian bikinis, designer resort wear, mother-of-pearl necklaces and jewelry made with precious gems. Intimate cafés and restaurants serve up sticky Greek pastries, Mediterranean street food and gourmet French fare. Amid all this you can catch glimpses of everyday Mykonian life: an old woman hanging laundry from her window, a pelican flapping its wings in a square, a Greek Orthodox priest walking to Mass, fishermen with leathery faces playing with local children by the harbor.
As the day starts to fade, most citizens stroll to picturesque Little Venice, a string of old seaside buildings with wooden terraces, to watch the perfect sunset over cocktails. The town is at its most enchanting at night. "Take Picasso, Brancusi and Gaudí," Durrell enthused, "knock their heads together, and you might get something like Mykonos by evening light, foundering into violet whiteness against a blue-black sea."
Drive just a few miles east from Chora and you'll find yourself on a narrow, empty road lined with crumbling stone walls and tiny, pretty churches. Keep going and you may discover a secret beach cove or a remote and romantic taverna by the sea. Drive farther east and you will come across the island's other, less touristy town, Ano Mera, which features the 16th-century Panagia Tourliani monastery and a lovely square. Mykonos may be small, but its rocky nooks and angular streets hide many surprises for those travelers who are looking to forgo first impressions and discover the true nature of this exquisite place.
