Mykonos tourist information.
Mykonos is beautiful island in the Cyclades island group in the Aegean Sea. According to mythology, Mykonos was formed from the petrified bodies of giants killed by Hercules. And the island is named after Apollo’s grandson, “Mykonos”.
Mykonos is one of the most popular and glamorous Greek isles, known for its nonstop party atmosphere. Beaches such as Paradise and Super Paradise welcome a diverse crowd, fine restaurants, beautiful hotels, amazing bars and clubs and the widest assortment of people that you will find anywhere. Massive dance clubs attract world-renowned DJs and typically stay open well past dawn. It has been visited by just about every celebrity, sports figure, political leader, archaeologist, professor, college student, house-wife, fashion model, writer, musician, famous chef, architect and designer in the world and it is not an exaggeration to say there is something on Mykonos for everybody.
Mykonos capital town Chora
Mykonos Town (Chora) is a stunningly picturesque Cycladic town with a maze of tiny streets and whitewashed steps lanes, houses and churches, gathered around its harbour in the middle of a wide bay. It is one of the most cosmopolitan and crowded towns of the Aegean. Although the streets are lined with little shops, boutiques, art galleries, cafes, stylish bars and restaurants, Mykonos Town has not completely lost its identity. Despite the island’s rapid growth and development, it’s traditional Cycladic architectural style and character has remained firmly intact, thanks to the island’s strict building regulations. Expect to find shops by Chanel, Burberry, Louis Vuitton and other well known, high-end brands. It would appear that these shops cater more for the tourists that arrive on many of cruise ships that dock nearby.
Outside of the capital Chora there are very few densely populated areas. Villages and hamlets scatter the hillsides. In some areas there is fairly intensive development of holiday complexes, although it must be said, in a very low-key and sympathetic way. Being an island that receives the four winds head on, there are very few trees in the landscape. This, together with the rocks and boulders strewn across the terrain, give a strange and desolate feeling to the island that contrasts starkly to the sophisticated busyness of its main town.
Alefkántra or “Little Venice”
One of the most scenic corners of the island is Alefkántra or “Little Venice”, an 18th century district, dominated by grand captains’ mansions with colourful balconies and stylish windows. With balconies perched over the sea, pictures of the famous Italian city spring to mind. Relax at a waterfront café and admire the view of the quaint windmills standing imposingly on the hillside above, set against a luminous blue backdrop.