Mykonos is a grand example of unique Cycladic architecture set around a picturesque fishing-village bay. Totally whitewashed organic cube-like buildings fit closely together to form a kind of haphazard maze of narrow alleyways and streets. Its many well-preserved windmills and hundreds of tiny red-roofed churches add a flavor of culture and custom to the scene, enhanced even further by many museums and the historical ancient site of nearby Delos. Together with being friendly and open people, the locals have a healthy understanding of Greek Hospitality. Put this together with all the island’s other qualities and it is no wonder Mykonos has been often called “the jewel” of the Aegean Sea.
Mykonos owes its name to the son of the King of Delos. According to the mythology, Hercules, in one of his twelve tasks, killed the Giants and threw them into the sea where they petrified and turned into huge rocks, forming the island of Mykonos. During ancient times, Mykonos, due to its proximity to Delos, which was then highly populated, became very important as a supply island. The short 2-kilometer distance between the islands was frequently travelled, since religious rules specified that no one should be born or die on Delos. Around the time of Alexander the Great the island became a commercial centre for agriculture and maritime trade. In 1207, like the rest of the Cyclades, Mykonos came under Venetian rule which lasted until 1537, when the Turks dominated the islands along with the rest of Greece. The inhabitants were great sailors, so they provided important help to the Greek Revolution against the Turkish yoke, in 1821, offering 22 ships, crew and ammunition. After the country’s independence in 1830, the island’s economy and commercial power were slowly but steadily re-established.
In the period between World War I and II, visitors were attracted here mainly by the archaeological site of Delos. During the ’50s, modern-day tourism started to grow, along with the island’s population, but it was in the following two decades of the ’60s and the ’70s that, thanks to the likes of Jackie O and numerous other jetsetters, the island was turned into one of the most cosmopolitan holiday resorts in the world.
Nowadays Mykonos is the hip holiday queen of the Mediterranean. From its chic restaurants and elite boutiques to its vibrant beach bars and mega-clubs -Scorpios, Nammos, Solymar, Principοte, Alemagou, Jacκie O and Cavo Paradiso, to name but a few. Mykonos’ glamorous venues are world-famous and the same goes for its indulgent, carefree days and nights.
Accessibility
Airline Service
- Non-stop flights from USA to Athens from JFK, Newark, Philadelphia,
Chicago and from Toronto Canada with connections to Mykonos via
the Athens International Airport. Direct flights from London, Brussels, Frankfurt, Munich, Paris, Nice, Barcelona, Milan, Rome, Geneva, Zurich, Vienna to Mykonos - Domestic flight from Athens Intl Airport (ATH) to Mykonos Intl Airport
(JMK) is approximately 30minutes (more than 10 flights daily during
high season).
Highspeed Boat service
- High-speed service from Piraeus port to Mykonos during high season
approximately 2 times daily (duration 3hrs). - High-speed service from Rafina port to Mykonos during high season
approximately 2 times daily (duration 2,5hrs). - High-speed connections also available from Mykonos to islands
such as: Santorini, Paros, Naxos, Crete, Milos
