Mykonos, one of the Cycladic islands in the Aegean Sea, is considered one of the most expensive islands in Greece. But are the prices justified? Can visitors enjoy Mykonos at reasonable costs? I went to find out and came back with addresses, tips and focused recommendations.
The town: A little Venice
A few dozen meters from the island’s famous Kato Mili windmills begins a dense strip of bars and restaurants known as Little Venice, named for the way its buildings sit almost directly on the water. It is a row of cafes, pubs and restaurants just centimeters from the waves, which sometimes splash the diners.
The coveted location is naturally reflected in the prices. An alcoholic cocktail at sunset can cost up to 25 euros, and the area is so crowded at that hour that it is almost impossible to take a photo with your drink without other visitors entering the frame.
But when I arrived at midday, I found plenty of available seats, quiet and an excellent Greek salad for just 17 euros, about 60 shekels ($16). The place was Lalamou, at the edge of the strip. The vegetables for the Greek salad are cut only after the order is placed, not in advance, which guarantees a superb salad. The tzatziki, at 10 euros, was also excellent, thick, rich and precisely seasoned.
Mykonos’ old town, a touristy but beautiful and magical area that should not be missed
(Photo: Yael Garty)
Morning and midday are also the best times to visit the alleys of the old town, Chora, behind Little Venice. Every corner reveals the magic of an area where cars are not allowed: whitewashed alley floors, white houses, blue doors, turquoise shutters and bougainvillea bushes blooming in fuchsia pink. There is no prettier combination. Do not miss it.
The sea: Swimming, snorkeling and champagne
At Ornos Beach, a luxurious yacht was waiting for us, sailed by a green-eyed skipper from Thessaloniki named Yiannis. We first sailed close to Delos, the island with the glorious history, though without going ashore, which only made me want to return for a more thorough visit. From there, we continued to Rhenia, an uninhabited island, anchored in one of the bays and jumped from the yacht into cool turquoise water. It was a perfect pleasure on a hot summer day.
Mykonos, a yacht in one of the bays
(Photo: Yael Garty)
Another bay served as an anchoring point near a recommended snorkeling site. The quiet was immaculate. In the water, I saw hypnotic sea plants and two types of fish, while on the yacht itself we were served pineapple wedges and champagne.
And the bill? A yacht like the one we sailed on costs 600 euros per hour or 3,000 euros per day through the company we used, Don Blue. But an online search found much cheaper offers, including yachts for 600 euros per day, depending on size and season, boat trips for 100 euros per person and yacht parties for just 45 euros per person. The conclusion: Do not be lazy. Search several options for every activity.
The food: Gourmet tastings
Five courses at Theoxenia. Not far from the windmill area is the entrance to the luxury Mykonos Theoxenia hotel, part of Louis Hotels.
The hotel restaurant, where the Greek salad is exceptionally fresh
(Photo: Yael Garty)
At the hotel’s Apanemi restaurant, which is also open in the evening to guests who are not staying at the hotel, we enjoyed a five-course meal led by a Michelin-starred French chef and a sous-chef who moved here from Albania.
Highlights included a Greek salad with pieces of toasted rye sourdough that crumbled into hundreds of tiny pieces with each bite, with thrilling taste and texture; zucchini blossoms stuffed with round rice, soft and seasoned with fresh herbs, swimming in a green sauce made from Greek yogurt; and, for dessert, a small glass of local mastiha liqueur, made from the resin of the mastic tree, alongside a tiny baklava centered with a scoop of ice cream to lighten the sweetness. A meal for two costs 100 to 200 euros.
Sushi, desserts and sunset. On Agios Ioannis Beach, which is especially beautiful at sunset, stands Hippie Fish, a restaurant that specializes, as one might guess, in fish.
Mykonos, Hippie Fish restaurant, specializing in fish and seafood
(Photo: Yael Garty)
The restaurant opens toward the sea and has a pleasant atmosphere. The DJ plays good music, and at a certain hour the place turns into a dance bar. A huge and beautiful sushi platter arrived at our table, with prices ranging from 9 to 32 euros per dish. But I will expand on the area I know better: the desserts, which are made in-house.
The cheesecake with strawberry sauce, 16 euros, was spectacular. The chocolate mousse, at the same price, tasted heavenly, and the trio of sorbets, apricot, strawberry and lime, was especially refreshing. Three glasses of Greek Chardonnay from the Florina region, 10 to 13 euros per glass, led me into spontaneous friendships with tourists from France and two local women, who recommended a visit to the nearby Rizes farm. The next day, our guide surprised us with a visit there.
From field to plate. At midday, we arrived at Rizes, which means roots in Greek, a farm in the village of Ano Mera. The guided tour includes rooms where something of the design and lifestyle from the farm’s establishment about a century ago has been preserved. The tour continues through olive groves and fields filled with zucchini blossoms, which later appear on the plate stuffed with cheese and fried in tempura.
At the farm restaurant, we also had onion pie, an especially fresh Greek salad and wonderful fava, a spread made from yellow peas. Dessert was Greek yogurt with watermelon jam served alongside a walnut cake scented with rose water. It was a particularly interesting combination.
Rizes Farm, the restaurant
(Photo: Yael Garty)
Tip: If you reach Ano Mera, visit the Panagia Tourliani monastery, built in the 16th century and decorated with beautiful ceiling paintings. Entry costs just 2 euros and includes a visit to the adjoining museum of ecclesiastical art.
Sweet snacks at the factory. Also in Ano Mera is Matsouka Bakery, a sweets factory where local women roll almond sweets scented with rose water, with a texture somewhat reminiscent of marzipan, and bake almond cookies from a secret 1959 recipe. As gifts for those left at home, I bought packages of Turkish delight flavored with mastiha liqueur, soft and wonderful in texture. At 6.60 euros per unit, it is original and worthwhile.
The sweets factory in Ano Mera village, specializing in almond and rosewater delicacies
(Photo: Yael Garty)
A gelato break. Italy is here, too. On the recommendation of a tourist from Estonia, a high-tech worker who travels a lot, I arrived at Snow, an Italian gelateria at the northern edge of Little Venice. How good was the gelato? I visited twice within an hour. Dark chocolate, zabaglione with Amarena cherries and caramel gelato were all excellent. At 8 euros per serving, this is a place to write down. Instagram: snow_gelato.
A voyage into history: Delos
Through the GetYourGuide website, I booked a guided sailing trip to Delos, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, for a sum equivalent to about 270 shekels ($73). We left the old port on a fairly large multilevel boat with an open upper deck. In strong winds, the rocky half-hour sail took us to the island, where we met our guide, a Greek archaeologist.
It turned out that excavations on Delos began about a century ago, and only about a third of the island has been excavated so far. The entire island is defined as an archaeological site and is full of restrictions: no one may live or sleep there, eating and drinking are prohibited while touring the antiquities, there is no cafe, swimming off its beaches is forbidden and, of course, no one may pick up even a shard of pottery if they happen to find one on the ground.
So what is the story of Delos?
In the first century CE, the Romans conquered the island, turned it into a commercial center that competed with Rhodes and, over the years, made it one of the largest markets in the Mediterranean region.
What should you see? Luxurious houses with original marble columns, which must not be touched, frescoes and almost complete mosaics, as well as temples, including one dedicated to the Egyptian goddess Isis.
In a relatively low area, visitors will see a cluster of trees. This was once the site of the so-called sacred lake, where, according to Greek mythology, the goddess Leto gave birth to Apollo and Artemis, the children of Zeus, king of the gods.
Not far away stands the Avenue of the Lions, the island’s symbol. The lions on display are copies. The originals are kept in a nearby air-conditioned museum, where entry is included in the sailing price and where hundreds of items found on the island are displayed, from statues to jewelry.
Good to know: There is no shade on Delos. Try to come on a day that is not too hot, and bring a wide-brimmed hat and sunscreen.
Mykonos, a picturesque church set into the landscape
(Photo: Yael Garty)
Adults only: Five stars
The Once in Mykonos hotel is located on a mountainside above Ornos Beach. It has five stars and belongs to Louis Hotels, a chain based in Nicosia, Cyprus, with 26 hotels in Greece and Cyprus. The hotel is adults only, and small electric golf carts shuttle guests between the lobby, restaurant, rooms and entrance.
The rooms are large, comfortable and equipped with balconies overlooking the sea. After four nights, I can only say there is nothing more enjoyable than waking up in the morning and seeing the sea the moment you open the window. Boats and yachts anchored in the water, the wind blowing through the trees and birds singing from dawn complete the picture and the atmosphere.
The infinity pool at Once in Mykonos hotel
(Photo: Yael Garty)
Prices are not low. In July and August, rooms cost about 2,000 shekels ($540) per night, and in September less, about 1,300 shekels ($350) per night. I therefore warmly recommend the hotel for romantic couples on honeymoon, for a serious anniversary celebration or for anyone who truly wants to indulge.
Practical information
When to go: The season in Mykonos runs from May to early October. Like most Greek islands, Mykonos is fairly empty in winter.
What about the wind? Although summer is the best season for a Mykonos vacation, visitors should keep in mind the strong wind typical of the Cyclades in summer, known as the Meltemi. It is a strong northwesterly wind that originates in the Balkans and Turkey and blows toward North Africa. Its advantages include lowering the temperature and reducing humidity in summer. Its disadvantages include high waves at sea. How strong is the wind? My straw hat flew into the sea during one of the boat rides. Tip: Before leaving for a tour of the island or even for a sunset drink, check the weather. If the wind is expected to exceed 28 kilometers per hour, take a light jacket.
How to get there: For travelers from northern Israel, flying from Haifa with Air Haifa can save a drive, traffic on the way to Ben-Gurion Airport and parking costs. Note that there is a free parking lot near Haifa Airport, but it fills up quickly, so try to arrive by public transportation. Bus line 100 leaves the Merkazit Hamifratz station every half hour. Air Haifa flies to Mykonos on Mondays and Fridays in relatively small aircraft adapted to the size of the Haifa airfield. The flight to Mykonos takes two hours and 20 minutes.
Getting around Mykonos: Taxis are a relatively expensive option, with short rides costing 10 to 20 euros and longer rides around 40 euros. A rental car is more logical economically, at 30 to 100 euros per day, but the roads are narrow, winding and require careful concentration. ATVs are an option for younger travelers, though in my view they are somewhat dangerous. The Mykonos Seabus is a boat line connecting the old and new ports. It leaves every half hour and costs a symbolic 2.50 euros per ride. Public buses are said by Google to exist, but I did not see even one.
Beaches: Under Greek law, beaches are public. There is no need to pay to step onto the sand or enter the water. But there is a difference between free public beaches and beach clubs, where visitors pay high prices for a sunbed and umbrella. On some beaches, the free area is set farther back, smaller and less comfortable.
Shopping: Mykonos does not have a mall of the kind Israelis are used to, but there is a luxury shopping complex for high-end brands in the Nammos area, which also includes a beach club and a marina for luxury yachts. The complex is built as separate houses, each dedicated to a different luxury brand, including Dior, Saint Laurent, Miu Miu and Bottega Veneta. The prices match. Clothes can be bought in the alleys of the old town, though prices there are not low either. There are also plenty of souvenir shops and stores selling silver and gold jewelry.
Tip: Sometimes the price shown on a product or restaurant menu does not include 13% VAT, which you will discover only when the bill arrives.