Mykonos travel diary
Mykonos has long been a destination on my bucket list, and last week, I finally made visiting the island a reality. Touted as Greece’s party island, Mykonos is equally as well known for its beautifully whitewashed villages, sandy beaches, and thriving restaurant scene. The end of September was the perfect time of year for us to visit on our girls’ trip, given that the weather is still delightfully sunny, and there are significantly fewer crowds than at peak season. Read on below for more details on where we stayed, ate, and visited during our trip - along with first-timer tips if you’re planning on visiting in the future.
Where we stayed:
Rather than booking a hotel, we decided to rent a villa for our five nights on the island to ensure plenty of room for us to sprawl out and cook some of our own meals. If you’re visiting the island with a large group of friends for an extended period of time, I can’t recommend renting a villa enough, as this guarantees all of the privacy and space you might need to unwind.
We found our villa through Oliver’s Travels, who have a curated selection of beautiful villas across Mykonos (and Europe) on their website. In the lead up to our stay, we communicated directly with the villa owner and our dedicated Oliver’s Travels consultant, who both made sure that we had all of the necessary information we needed ahead of our stay, and even booked a complimentary transfer to pick us up from the airport when we arrived on the island.
The property that we chose had four bedrooms (meaning that we had one each between the four of us), a large private pool, a terrace to sunbathe on (that included an outdoor dining area), and a generous open-plan living/kitchen space for us to cook our own meals, and enjoy movie nights. The upper floor had a huge wraparound terrace (perfect for sunrise yoga and slow mornings spent reading), and we loved being able to spend lazy days lounging by our pool, and dining outside. In the evenings, there were generous projector screens connected to Apple TV in both the living room and the primary bedroom for us to enjoy movie nights. In addition to this, there was even a small gym for us to use on the ground floor of the property.
The villa was cleaned every day at lunchtime, and towels and linen were refreshed several times throughout the week - we also had direct contact with the villa manager throughout our stay, who was available on Whatsapp at all times. Overall, the villa felt safe, clean, and spacious, which was exactly what we were looking for.
The only downside was the fact that the three upstairs bedrooms share a relatively small bathroom between them (the downstairs bedroom has a private ensuite bathroom), and that some of the cutlery in the kitchen hadn’t been cleaned properly (other than this, the villa was spotless). The location was also relatively remote on the north coast of the island, meaning that there aren’t any restaurants, bars, or even supermarkets located within walking distance. I’d definitely recommend hiring a car if you stay at this particular villa - we didn’t, meaning that we had to pay for private transfers to get around the island (taxis are extremely limited on Mykonos), and the cost of these transfers quickly racked up over the duration of our stay.
Where to eat and visit:
Scorpios
A Mykonos classic, Scorpios is definitely a must-visit if it’s your first time on the island. A chic beachfront bar, restaurant, and club that attracts a flashy crowd, be prepared to dress up and book a table well in advance. Opt for a table in the restaurant for dinner, or loungers on the beach for drinks and light nibbles before segwaying over to the dancefloor (Sundays are when they have the best DJ sets). The food may be on the overpriced side, but it’s definitely a fun night out, and worth a visit for the experience.
Kiki’s Tavern
An authentic Greek taverna perched above Agios Sostis beach, Kiki’s serves some of the tastiest and most authentic Greek food you’ll find on the island. There’s no website or telephone for reservations, so get here early before opening to ensure your table. It’s worth the wait: dine on freshly grilled octopus, delicious salads, and tzatziki with homemade bread. The service is excellent, and it’s easy to see why Kiki’s has an adoring fan base among tourists and locals alike.
Saki’s
There are countless souvlaki stalls peppered across Mykonos Town, but Saki’s serves some of the tastiest you’ll find. The no-frills exterior May not give much away, but expect extremely generous and reasonably priced portions.
Soho Roc House
If you have Soho House membership, I highly recommend carving out a day to spend at Soho Roc House. We arrived here before lunch one day, and stayed all day, leaving after dinner - it was probably our favourite and most relaxed day on the island. Not only is there an infinity pool perched on the cliffside to dip into (which is conveniently located right next to the al-fresco restaurant), but there are also plenty of loungers to sprawl across, along with steps down to the sea.
Noema
We didn’t actually get to try Noema on our visit (it was the only restaurant that we tried to book that had already closed for the season), but I’ve heard excellent reviews from friends who have visited. This contemporary Greek restaurant is located in the heart of Mykonos Town, and serves sharing dishes in an incredibly chic environment.
Feel Good Cafe
If you’re a specialty coffee nerd like me, this is one of the best places to grab coffee before wandering into town. The coffee shop also has a terrace with sweeping views over the town and sea, where you can enjoy a tasty brunch menu.
Mykonos Town
Make sure to spend an afternoon wandering around Mykonos Town. There are plenty of stylish designer boutiques to peruse, and the photogenic streets around Little Venice are perfect Instagram fodder.
Ornos Beach
We didn’t actually get to visit Ornos Beach during our stay - incredibly, we didn’t actually visit any beaches while we were on the island, but mainly enjoyed pool days throughout our stay. However, Ornos is best known as one of the most famous and beautiful beaches on Mykonos, and you’ll find many beach bars and clubs that you can visit here - next time I visit the island, I’ll definitely head here for the day.
Mykonos travel tips:
Hire a car if you plan on doing lots of exploring! We considered doing this and later decided against it, which we found ourselves regretting during our stay. There are very few taxis across Mykonos, meaning that you’ll need to book private cars or transfers to get around the island - all of which you need to book in advance. Given that we were staying in a remote location, the cost of these trips added up to be quite expensive across our stay, and we weren’t able to be as spontaneous as we could have been if we’d hired a car.
Visit in off season! For the best accommodation rates, visit in June or September, avoiding peak season in July and August. The weather is still incredibly sunny, and there are fewer crowds - meaning that restaurants and bars are less busy!
Lastly, Mykonos is expensive: don’t visit if you are hoping for an authentic Cyclades experience, as you aren’t likely to find it here. Mykonos is best known for its buzzy nightlife scene, and celebrity crowd - meaning that a lot of the restaurants you’ll find are established global franchises, and prices across the island are generally very expensive. For a more authentic experience, you’ll be best off visiting one of the lesser-known islands - that said, if you’re looking for a fun time, Mykonos is a great destination, and for us, it was perfect for our girls’ trip.
Have you been to Mykonos before? I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments below.
