The Best Things to Do in Mykonos

Walk Matogiannia - But Go in the Evening

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⏱️ 7 min read

Matogiannia is the narrow whitewashed lane that winds through the heart of Mykonos Town, and it is the single best place to understand what this island actually is. During the day, it is busy and photogenic. In the early evening, when the day-trippers have gone back to their cruise ships and the light turns gold over the Aegean, it becomes something else entirely — the tavernas fill with people who live here, the cats come out, and the whole lane slows down to a pace that has nothing to do with the Mykonos of the travel supplements.

Planning your Mykonos itinerary? Start with our complete Mykonos destination guide for an overview of the island's neighbourhoods, beaches, and logistics.

Our private Mykonos Town and villages guided tour is built around this version of the island — the one most visitors miss because they arrived at noon and left by sunset.

Go to Delos - Almost Nobody Does, Which Is Exactly Why You Should

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Directly opposite Mykonos, a 20-minute boat ride away, sits Delos — one of the most significant ancient sites in the entire Mediterranean. This small uninhabited island was the birthplace of Apollo and Artemis according to Greek mythology, and for centuries it was the religious and commercial centre of the Aegean world. The remains are extraordinary: a mosaic of lions, a theatre, temples, and an entire ancient city preserved under the Cycladic sun.

Most visitors to Mykonos never go. The boat schedule puts them off, or they run out of time, or nobody told them it was worth it. It is worth it — easily one of the best half-days in the Greek islands. Our sailing cruise to Delos and Rhenia island combines the ancient site with a swim stop at Rhenia, the completely unspoilt island next door where the only sounds are the wind and the water. For more options, see all our Mykonos boat tours.

The Beaches - Which One, When, and Why It Matters

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Mykonos has around 30 beaches. Most travel guides list them all. We will not — because the honest answer is that the right beach depends entirely on what kind of day you want to have.

Agios Sostis is the one to go to if you want to swim somewhere beautiful without a sunbed in sight. No bars, no music, no facilities — just a north-facing bay with remarkable water and a taverna at the top of the hill that has been serving the same grilled fish for decades. Go in the morning.

Elia is the longest beach on the island and the one that manages to be both organised and relatively calm. Good for families, good for a full day, good if you want a proper lunch by the water without paying Mykonos Town prices.

Super Paradise is exactly what it sounds like. If that is what you came for, it delivers. Go in the afternoon.

Fokos is on the northeast coast, accessible only by a dirt road, and almost completely unknown to non-Greek visitors. Raw, windy, and worth the drive. Our drivers know how to get there without losing a tyre.

Eat Well - and Away From the Port

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Mykonos has a deserved reputation for expensive, mediocre food in tourist areas — and an undeserved reputation for nothing else. The further you get from the waterfront, the better the cooking gets. The inland villages — Ano Mera in particular — have tavernas that serve proper Greek food at prices that will surprise you.

Mykonos also produces its own olive oil and locally aged cheeses — kopanisti, the sharp fermented cheese that locals eat with everything, is almost impossible to find outside the island.

See the Windmills - But Keep Walking Past Them

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The Kato Mili windmills above Little Venice are on every Mykonos itinerary, and they should be — the view across the bay at sunset is genuinely one of the best in the Cyclades. But most visitors stop there and turn back. Keep walking along the ridge and you reach a series of viewpoints that look down over the whole of Mykonos Town, the port, and the islands in the distance, with almost no one else around. It takes ten minutes and it is a completely different photograph.

The Inland Villages — Ano Mera and the Other Mykonos

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Most visitors to Mykonos never leave the coastline. The island's interior — quiet roads, stone walls, the monastery of Panagia Tourliani at the centre of Ano Mera village — is a completely different experience from the port. This is the Mykonos that existed before the airports and the beach clubs, and it is still there, largely unchanged, twenty minutes from the chaos of Mykonos Town.

Our Mykonos Town and villages guided tour covers both — the famous and the overlooked — in a single private half-day.

How to See Mykonos Privately - Without Wasting Half Your Day

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The logistics of Mykonos catch people out every season. Taxis are scarce and expensive. Rental ATVs are fine for two people on a calm day and genuinely dangerous on the island's mountain roads in peak season wind. Public buses run to the main beaches and nowhere else.

A private vehicle and driver solves all of this — and on an island this size, it costs less than most people expect. You arrive at Agios Sostis before anyone else, you reach Fokos without the dirt road drama, and you get back to the port or your hotel when you want to, not when the last bus leaves.

Arriving by cruise ship? Our private Mykonos shore excursions are timed around your ship's schedule — we know the port, we know the traffic, and we have never missed a departure.

Frequently Asked Questions - Things to Do in Mykonos

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How many days do you need in Mykonos?

Two full days is enough to cover the essentials — Mykonos Town, one or two beaches, and Delos. Three days gives you room to slow down, explore the inland villages, and take a boat tour without feeling rushed. More than four days and you will start to run out of island — which is when most people take the ferry to Naxos or Paros.

Is Mykonos worth visiting if you don't like nightlife?

Yes — and this surprises most first-time visitors. The nightlife exists and it is easy to avoid entirely. The beaches, the old town, Delos, and the food culture are all completely independent of the party scene. September is the month we recommend for travellers who want the island without the noise — warm, quieter, and still fully open.

What is the best time to visit Mykonos?

May, June, and September. Warm enough for the sea, calm enough to walk comfortably, and significantly less crowded than July and August. The meltemi wind picks up in July and August — it is refreshing but it closes some of the north-facing beaches and makes boat tours uncomfortable on bad days.

Can you visit Delos from Mykonos in half a day?

Yes — the boat from the old port takes about 20 minutes each way, and a proper visit to the archaeological site takes 1.5 to 2 hours. Combined with a swim stop at Rhenia, it fills a comfortable morning or afternoon. The site closes at 3 PM, so morning departures are better.

Is Mykonos good for families?

More than its reputation suggests. Elia beach is calm and family-friendly. The old town is walkable and interesting for children. Delos is genuinely engaging for older kids. The challenge is logistics — a private vehicle makes family travel on the island significantly easier than relying on taxis or buses.

This guide is for you if:

• You have been to Mykonos before and want to see it differently this time
• You want more than a beach and a cocktail — though both are also on the list
• You are travelling with family and need someone to handle the logistics
• You arrived by cruise ship and have one day to make it count
• You want to go to Delos and actually understand what you are looking at
• You prefer to eat where locals eat, not where the menu has photos

If any of these sound familiar, you are in the right place.