You know you have landed your feet in Greece when greeted with a big smile by pretty ladies, and handsome gentlemen “Kalimera”, being called “my lady”, and your requests are fulfilled with “Sure lovely”!

Already in love with Greece, and the Greeks or what?!

This summer I was lucky enough to travel to one of Greece’s 6000 islands, of which only 227 are inhabited; Mykonos which I falsely thought was all about beaches, partying and music, only to be proved wrong..

I have got to discover Mykonos that nobody knows, Mykonos that is off-the-beaten-track, the part that makes all sense out of this glamorous picture perfect island.

4 SHADES OF MYKONOS

First thing you’d notice about the town of Chora -pronounced Hora- which is the busy heart of the island is its 2 storey buildings, painted in white; walls looking all fresh as if were just painted this morning, doors and windows that cannot be in other shades of blue, red, or green -however blue and red are the most used- thanks to the residents of Mykonos who asked their government to impose a law that would keep Mykonos at its original shape even if it was in their intentions to turn it a tourist hub.

EACH FAMILY OWNS A CHAPEL

Next thing you’d notice is the countless number of chapels that surround you, from what I read I understood there was something around 400 churches on an island that is only 105.2 square kilometres -that’s the size of Zamalek maybe?-, only to be informed by our tour guide they are a 1000+!!!

The thing is each family especially those who have fishermen family members build small chapels to pray for them to come back home safe and sound.

Most chapels are open for free to the public for visits and prayers. You’d tell how wealthy the owners of the chapel are from the selection of paintings displayed inside.

Which confirmed one of my favorite and most accurate quotes: “Don’t Listen To What They Say. Go See”

THE ISLAND REVOLVES AROUND TOURISM

Mykonos is an island that revolves around tourism, and is open to visitors every year from April till October; April till May, and September till October are the lowest seasons, which is South-Americans’ and Asians’ favorite time to visit the island, a hub for tourists from all over the world mainly seeking a partying atmosphere and the warmth of Greece’s sunshine.. Believe me no one would ever leave the island without great memories, and an epic tan!

During the peak season, people would work day and night, most shops open at 9:30 AM and do not close before 1 AM. During the low season from October till March most shops and restaurants are closed for renovation, as the competition is fierce and everyone has to get in their best shapes before getting into another thrilling high-season.

The island hosts only one outdoor movie theater, and is not short on cultural events, museums, and art galleries. The cinema mainly shows an animation movie at 9PM, and another movie for adults at 11PM, not only but also the place has a cafeteria where you can order food, some popcorn, get a drink, or just marvel at lovely drawings painted by a Mexican artist who left his homeland to live 53 years of his life on the island. Entry tickets to the movie are worth of 9 euros.

OFF-THE-BEATEN-PATH BEACHES

While in Mykonos you will be overwhelmed by a number of beaches all worth checking out, but I personally wanted to escape all the crowds, the music, and parties and found a beautiful public beach while walking the coast located between Platis Gialos -pronounced Platee Yalos- and Paranga beach, where you could just lay on your towel, get tanned, while listening to the sound of waves.

If you are seeking another secluded beach area Ano Mera is your best bet!

GETTING THERE & AROUND

Getting around the island is a bit of a challenge as it only has 32 taxis  -not exaggerating- and a 10 minutes ride would cost you a minimum of 10 euros per person, that’s why the most common mean of transport is rented cars, scooters, and buggies -don’t say I did not warn you; though I drive in Egypt driving in Mykonos is certainly not for the faint-hearted! Streets are extremely narrow, always two ways, and bus drivers are ruthless, so you’d better be prepared.

Your best deal would be public buses that run every day from around 7 AM till 4 AM with a frequency of 20, 30 to 60MIN depending on the time of day, the main station is called Fabrika and is usually the starting point to explore the town of Chora,  you can also get around on foot walking by the coast, otherwise the walk won’t be the best as the island is hilly, streets are narrow, and lacking sidewalks.

The weather is sunny and hot, but not humid, the wind usually blows -and that explains why they used to grind wheat in their famous windmills- making the scorching heat tolerable. The sun shines from early morning, so as mentioned before you will never get out of the island without a killer tan.

Insider tip to ladies out there; never walk Chora Town dressed in a short dress or skirt, as the wind blows in the most random way 🙂

GREEK CUISINE & FOOD IN MYKONOS

I cannot be talking about Greece, without mentioning their mouth-watering cuisine, well I have stayed 8 days and none of the places I tried was a disappointment in any way possible, you have to try;

• Saganaki -which is fried cheese- with caramelized onions and figs at Avli Tou Theodore
• Tortellaci with Crab at Pasta Fresca Barkia
• Steamed Mussels, Octopus Salad with Tomato Sauce, and Nikolas Salad at Nikolas Taverna Agia Anna Paranga that offers you complimentary dessert after finishing your meal
• Monstrous waffles from Trio Bambini -if you wonder where it is located, the smell of freshly made waffles will lead your way, their watermelon sorbet ice-cream is to die for

• Ice cream from I-Scream; especially their Mastic and Panna Cota Flavors
• Snapper fish at Niko’s Taverna
• Souvlaki at Sakis, and Gyros which is the Greek version of Shawerma that in my opinion needs a lot of seasoning

• Feta Cheese; eat lots of it
• Get your traditional delicacies from Matssouka where you will find out that the Greeks eat Ka7k -known as Koyrabiedes- just like us but in celebration of Christmas.

Have we got you excited to visit the island?!

Have you ever been there and want to share your experience? Or daydreaming of going there but need some trip-advice?

We would love to hear from you!

Book your ultimate summer escape to Athens & the Greek Islands, or your holiday to anywhere in the world.

*All photos are courtesy of: Passainte Assem

About the Author

Passainte Assem

A former lawyer, travel junkie and adventurer from head to toe. Whether broke or out of vacation time, always on the lookout for the next destination. Keen to share her travel stories, planning tips and photographs to give you a real sense of place.