The windmills Kato Myloi are situated southwest of Mykonos Town – Hora, next to the sea, between scenic Alefkadra and the quarter of Niohori, and impress every visitor with their snow-white magnificence, built in a row, looking to the sea.

Today, seven have been preserved out of ten (once there were more than twenty on the island), which existed here until the first decades of the 20th century and used to grind with the unstoppable power of the northern wind the local wheat. It is the perfect place to start breathing the unique oxygen of the windy island combined with the stunning sea view.

Aegean Blue Villa in Agios Lazaros

Aegean Blue Wedding & more…The fairytale scenery of Mykonos

The Windmills of Mykonos, early processing units, decisively contributed between the 17th and the 19th century to the economic prosperity of the island, which, being a necessary station for the passing sailboats, supplied them with rusk. After  the 1st World War, through the progress of technology they lost their financial value and were finally marked as one of the most popular monuments of the Cyclades islands and, their picture as a trademark travelled all around the world.

Overlooking Little Venice…

Little Venice – Where the most western part of the town meets the sea is the area known as “Little Venice”. Here the buildings have been constructed right on the sea”s edge with their balconies overhanging the water. During the 16th and 17th century pirating was common and it is believed this area was used for the necessary quick loading and unloading of goods.

Mykonos Chora is definitely one of the nicest and most charming towns of the Greek islands, with endless small streets, shops, brandname stores , churches , terraces and  sugar cubed ,whitewashed houses.

A place to wonder around for days and every time find something unexpected. Because of the street layout (intended to confuse pirates) it”s also the perfect place to lose your way.

It has two harbours where you can just sit and have a drink or something to eat, while enjoying the views and the people that walk by, and another harbour where the ferries depart. Some ferries however dock at Tourlos, which is a half an hour walk away from Mykonos town itself.

Behind the harbour front you will find endless (and very clean!) shopping streets with high end boutiques ,  souvenirs ,  jewellery stores and numerous art galleries.

I never skip to visit Linea Piu, the small Chanel  kingdom of the island…, where there is a big variety of beloved pieces.

Iris Villa at Fanari

iris-villa-at-fanari-mykonos

Town  hotels and guesthouses,  and many, many  restaurants. Most ticket offices for the ferries are on the main boulevard.

Mykonos Chora is quite large for a Cycladic town. All the houses are painted white and have brightly coloured shutters in front of the windows, mostly blue, green and red. The village goes steeply up the hill with roads and also with stairs on some places.

Book a villa in Mykonos via : iokasti75@gmail.com

We highly recommend:

1. VILLA PHOEBE, THE DEBONAIR HIDEAWAY IN MYKONOS

villa-phoebe-the-debonair-retreat-in-mykonos

2.

Aegean Blue Wedding & more…The fairytale scenery of Mykonos

3. IRIS VILLA AT FANARI MYKONOS, AEGEAN’S WELL-KEPT SECRET

iris-villa-at-fanari-mykonos

4.

MEET THE ABSOLUTE MYKONIAN STYLE WITH PREMIUM LUXURY AT THE PASIPHAE VILLA

meet-the-absolute-mykonian-style-with-premium-luxury-at-the-pasiphae-villa

The narrow streets close to the harbour buzz with activity. They are filled with attractive small shops, Bougainville trees in purple bloom, small cafes and chapels and that usually end up at a square with a terraced restaurant and a church, or at the harbour front with its colourful fishing boats, the row of windmills and a pelican or two.

Dressed up people mingle with the ones that don”t care so much  and if there is not too much wind (because the “meltemi” can blow from day to day) they all end up in the harbour where the majority of the big restaurants are.

Saint George’s Chapel in the center of Matogianni, is one my favorite points of  the island. Although at night time is too crowded, a visit during the day is simply gorgeous…! I adore the place…!

Some of the nice, pleasant and cheaper restaurants can be found in the small streets behind the harbour front though.

The island was quiet and peaceful until it was discovered by shipping magnate Aristotle Onassis, who brought Jackie Kennedy to the island. Since then, owning a house on the island has been considered a status symbol by wealthy Athenians.

Mykonos is also the place that Shirley Valentine came to and “found herself”. It is also home for Petros the pelican. He was one of a flock which flew to Mykonos from the mainland in the 1950″s.

Unlike most island ports, the main town is built not on a hillside but spread out over a flat plain. The harbour area is split between the fishing quay, with its small boats beached on the sand, and the main port where the ferries pull in and tarmac and concrete make up the view.

Most traffic is banned from the waterfront and new building is confined to the outskirts so the only way to explore is on foot, getting lost in the maze of streets.

On a once-fortified spit of land stands Panagia Paraportiani,

probably the most photographed church in Greece. It is, in fact a cluster of chapels fused into what was once described as “an organic masterpiece of accidental architecture” and there are also the trademark quartet of windmills on the hillside above.

Actually this is my favorite church in Greece  and I never skip to pass by , despite the fact that I have never managed to get  inside , because it is always locked…

Take a (possibly choppy) boat ride to the fascinating archaeological site on Delos islet, the ancient Aegean’s main religious centre. Back in Mýkonos Town, the Archaeological Museum’s ancient pottery collection may not sound wildly exciting at first, but this one really grows on you.

I like Ornos Beach with Kuzina Restaurant and the latest Pasaji,

but don’t just flop on the beach afterwards – take the plunge off of the island’s more sheltered south coast at Paradise or Kalafáti coves’ legal scuba-dive sites. If you would like something alternative,  Agios Sostis Beach in the north of Mykonos is  one of the nicest and most relaxed beaches of the island. The beach is named after a nearby church which stands above it. The place there  is pretty uncultivated, that’s why  it’s mostly quiet.

Principote at Panormos is also very famous , nice location , protected from the winds , in a delightfully relaxed and elegant environment.

Don’t anyone miss Scorpios  , it is surely  the best place to Be on the island …!

Nested between the bays of Kavos and Paraga, the  organic stretch of coastline is a welcoming place where horizons of blue mix with yellows, golds and pinks born of the generous Cycladic sun.

It is an amazing place,  really atmospheric in bohemian style. Gorgeous food & Cocktails are served .The venue is  ideal for sunset time & night parties. Don’t skip a Sunday afternoon party..! A super must of Mykonos! I highly recommend it..!

Book a villa in Mykonos via : iokasti75@gmail.com

We highly recommend:

1. VILLA PHOEBE, THE DEBONAIR HIDEAWAY IN MYKONOS

villa-phoebe-the-debonair-retreat-in-mykonos

2.

Aegean Blue Wedding & more…The fairytale scenery of Mykonos

3. IRIS VILLA AT FANARI MYKONOS, AEGEAN’S WELL-KEPT SECRET

iris-villa-at-fanari-mykonos

4.

MEET THE ABSOLUTE MYKONIAN STYLE WITH PREMIUM LUXURY AT THE PASIPHAE VILLA

meet-the-absolute-mykonian-style-with-premium-luxury-at-the-pasiphae-villa

My Mykonian look :

Jumpsuit : Zara

Bag: Chloe’ 

Watch : Rolex

Sunglasses : Rayban

Shoes : Jessica Simson

Kaftan : Handmade , Unique piece  by Local  Boutique in Mykonos

photos:  Themis Iakovakis  Mykonos

Bohème

Mykonos Town

The lemonade served on arrival is homemade from fruit grown in the hotel’s walled herb garden, a delightful little enclave where candles twinkle in jam jars at night and the scent of rosemary hangs in the air.

Look closely and you’ll spot a bamboo treatment hut for massages and a deck for yoga in among the olive trees. Up a level from this wholesome spot is the more decadent pool bar, a hill-top sun-trap and the real hub of Bohème.

Here guests laze around the kidney-shaped pool on grand super-loungers and bean bags; at night, bearded bartenders turn out flawless Negronis at the chic Bilo Bar, just the place for a sharpener before taking advantage of the hotel’s superb location, a two-minute walk from Mykonos Town and its many lively restaurants.

Polished concrete floors give the bedrooms a modernist quality, but knitted rope light fittings and splashes of colour stop it all becoming too sombre. Breakfast is served on private balconies, for when you want to lie low the morning after sampling the mixologist’s magic.
Address: Bohème, Mykonos Town, Greece
Price: Doubles from about £255

Online Booking for Boheme here

Bill & Coo Coast

Agios Ioannis

Back in 2014, Mykonian hotelier Theodosis Kakoutis worked with hip Athenian architects K-Studio to begin a radical overhaul of the original Bill & Coo, upping the ante from unassuming honeymoon hideaway to super-slick hangout with a buzzy vibe.

Last year, after an impossible-to-turn-down piece of land became available on the Agios Ioannis peninsula, he opened Bill & Coo Coast, a gorgeous, suites-only hotel overlooking a perfect crescent of sand. Built in rugged stone, bleached wood and cast iron, it feels a lot more private and peaceful than its sibling; a place for A-listers to unspool rather than party.

Each of the 15 lovely bedrooms has secluded terraces and is done out in a cool, calm colour palette of light grey and powdery whites with the occasional jet-black vase thrown in for contrast.

For lunch, old-school taverna staples have been given a light, modern makeover, with standouts such as humble but delicious sardines on bread, and slow-cooked rooster pasticada served with pasta and truffles.

For dinner, guests can catch the five-minute transfer to the original Bill & Coo, whose chef Athinagoras Kostakos creates serious tasting menus with a strong Greek accent. Back by the pool at Coast, there are a couple of gazebos (one of which doubles as a therapy tent for outdoor massages), with views of the charming Greek Orthodox church of Agios Ioannis, where black-clad widows mourn on the steps and village lads scoot past on mopeds.
Address: Bill & Coo Coast, Agios Ioannis, Mykonos, Greece
Price: Doubles from about £420

Online Booking for Bill & Coo here 

Lyo

Super Paradise Beach

Just when you thought Mykonos didn’t need another Japanese restaurant, up pops chef Nam Truong at this out-of-the-way new hotel.

And guess what? He’s turning out some of the best sushi on the island.

The German banker-turned-chef trained in Japan, and his black cod with miso-yuzu buttercream and sensational tuna-belly nigiri are reason enough to brave the winding road to Lyo, which sits high on a slope above Super Paradise Beach.

Being removed from the intensely developed parts of the coast has allowed the owner, Tasos Zouganelis, to create a more sprawling hotel than is usual in the Cyclades; the 18 bedrooms are spread beneath a series of low-rise buildings, giving the feel of an intimate hill-top hamlet.

Its pristine spaces have a kind of upscaled Nineties look, which makes a refreshing change from the boho-mania that dominates current hotel design, with unabashedly smart and contemporary wire furniture, and bright-white, sky-blue and geometric colour schemes: the opposite, basically, of the murky modern palette.

In high summer, Super Paradise’s beautiful sandy bay, a five-minute stroll down the hill, transforms into a heaving, hedonistic party zone with crowds drawn to beach clubs such as the magnificently razzly Jackie O.

Those who prefer to sip rather than spray their Champagne will probably plump for Lyo’s super-quiet, open-air bar with sublime sea views.

Address: Lyo Boutique Hotel, Super Paradise Beach, Mykonos, Greece
Price: Doubles from about £210

Online Booking for Lyo here

Waves

Korfos Beach

Above the beach in Korfos Bay, on a narrow isthmus in the south-west of the island, brightly coloured kites fly through the air like brilliant birds of prey hitching on a thermal.

The beach below may not be the prettiest on Mykonos, but its horseshoe shape and exposure to the northern winds make it one of Europe’s best spots for kite-surfing. How clever, then, for born-and-bred Mykonian George Syrianos to turn the land where he once grazed his goats into the first hotel on the island aimed squarely at wave-riders.

It’s a laid-back, hands-off, DIY kind of place where all eight suites are accessible straight from the beachside pool area, meaning there’s no lobby to drag your board through, no carpets to drench with your kit. Unsurprisingly, this chilled approach goes down well with young families, and the interiors are fittingly pared-back and solid; whitewashed rooms are made homely with chunky wooden furniture and gauzy curtains.

There is no restaurant, but simple breakfast baskets are delivered every morning, and each suite has a fridge and hob to prepare meals using ingredients from the cluster of shops at the other end of the beach, which include a couple of good bakeries, an independent butcher and a surprisingly chic fishmonger.

For more sheltered sunbathing, the bars and day-beds at Ornos beach are a 10-minute walk away on the other side of the isthmus, and Mykonos town is just a 10-minute drive.
Address: Waves, Korfos Beach, Mykonos, Greece
Price: Doubles from about £190

Kenshō

Ornos Beach

With its snug, tucked-away bars and secret swimming pools, hot-tub grottoes and multi-storey sun terraces, Kenshō feels like one of Escher’s impossible fantasies lavishly realised as a boutique hotel, each surprise staircase leading to another unexpected delight.

Simple lines , purity and relaxing atmosphere… are some of the components of a magic scene.

It is owner George Nikitidis’s first hotel and he’s picked a great spot up the hill from Ornos beach: close enough to walk to, but far away enough not to hear the bass from its beach clubs.

The design is slick and contemporary, with lots of sliding glass doors, white walls and adult-sized wicker bassinets by the pool.

Each room is subtly individual; some have freestanding baths, others plunge pools on the terrace, and all have a different signature piece by first-rank Italian furniture-makers such as Riva 1920, Baxter and Mogg.

Undoubtfully a place that is a lifetime experience to stay…

The open-sided restaurant is heavy on attention-grabbing touches – vast metal light shades, plate-glass tables – which keep pace with chef George Stylianoudakis’s high-concept food, including dishes such as red mullet with artichoke.

The body-beautiful crowd lounge decorously around the pool, or in the spa, with its low-lit treatment rooms where therapists practise reiki.

Address: Kenshō, Ornos Beach, Mykonos, Greece
Price: Doubles from about £525

Online Booking for Kenshō here

source:  Condé Nast Traveller April 2017

Big Thanks !