MYKONOS

Mykonos, GREECE – just a 2 hour ferry ride from Santorini, you’ll find this windy island in the center of the Aegean Sea. Known for it’s vibrant nightlight and gay-friendly atmosphere, Mykonos is the ultimate destination for sun, sailing, and party. Ironically, we used our visit to to unwind and relax from our previous adventures in Athens.

Our stay – 4 days/4 nights

EAT

Pasta Fresca Barkia – Fresh, light, homemade pasta. What else do I need to say? This Italian restaurant is the perfect spot to dine for a date night. The options are endless – you pick the type of pasta (hence the presentation below) and seafood or meat filling. We split the Barkia Pizza and Lobster Tortellini – best thing was we didn’t leave feeling like we overate nor was it expensive.

Trust us, you’ll want to eat here.

 

Pepper – Located across the street from Pasta Fresca Barkia, Pepper is a casual lunch option with impressive Greek flavors at an affordable cost. We stopped here while shopping in Mykonos Town . It’s a small place, about 10 tables, so the food is high quality. They specialize in souvlaki (grilled meat skewers), but their “greek” sausage and pepper salad were delicious too!

Elia Beach Restaurant – Don’t feel like heading into town for lunch? Head to this beach side restaurant just 2 minutes from Myconian Imperial Hotel.  We ordered the deconstructed pork souvlaki and concluded it was one of the best we tasted while in Greece.

180 Degrees Sunset Bar  Sunset, sunset, sunset views.

DO

Mykonos Sailing – HIGHLY recommend! Opt for the morning half day of private sailing tour (€550) and the crew will prepare a fresh <delicious> meal on the boat. Our absolute favorite experience from our trip! Not to mention, they sail to the islands of Rhenia and Delos in the center of the Aegean Sea, which is only accessible by boat – incredible!

 

Elia Beach – if you’re looking for a local vibe to relax on the cabanas, this is the beach for you!

Lia Beach– we didn’t have a chance to visit, but this beach was recommended by our driver for more of a local and relaxed environment. Recommended to explore if you’ve rented a car during your stay in Mykonos.

Super Paradise- if you’re looking to party, this beach heats up around 5pm. We couldn’t pull ourselves away from Eliah Beach, but if we return we want to check it out. Expect to pay €20 per person for the cabana rental and €10-€14 for drinks. Also check out Tropicana located at Paradise Beach.

STAY

Myconian Imperial Hotel – quiet, colorful, boutique hotel, located on Elia Beach with incredible views and countless amenities. Escape the tourists and experience Mykonos like a local.

Guest bonuses include:

• Complimentary shuttle service into Mykonos Town (~20 min). There are only 30 taxis on the island which poses certain limitations on transportation. The last shuttle leaves at 1am from Mykonos Town so we decided to rent a car for the following days to be able to stay out later and explore on our own.
• Reserved Cabanas : don’t stress about getting a great spot on the beach. The hotel has designated cabanas for their guests and includes food/drink service so you never have to leave paradise.
• Infinity Ledge Poolside Cabanas: overhanging the cliff, you’ll feel as if you are laying on top of the ocean. Mykonos can get extremely windy, so it’s nice to seek shelter by the pool and take in the same beautiful views.

• Breakfast Bonus: a complimentary breakfast buffet is served from 7:30am to 10:00am. They offer a various spread of fruit, Greek yogurt with homemade jams, cheese, bread, and hot selections (eggs, sausage, bacon, grilled vegetables). Look out for the daily fresh detox juice – yum! Even, the coffee (espresso freddo & cappucino freddo) and orange juice is free of charge.
• Valet Service: Parking is limited and quite tricky on the island (think manual vehicles and steep hills) so the hotel provides valet assistance 24/7 free of charge.

SHOP:

FOS Mykonos – my favorite boutique in Mykonos full of locally made bags, purses, hats, and towels! I picked up two of the donkey bags below. They read “It’s all Greek to me!” in Greek – get it? 🙂

Triciclo Art Shop – ceramics shop – great for gifts! Check out their hand painted espresso glasses.

Salt – boutique full of colorful purses, scarves, and jewelry.

 

NIGHTLIGHT:

Scorpios – get ready to hike up the hill to this “hippie chic” lounge. Recommended to go during the weekday as it is popular among locals and Europeans visiting for the weekend.

Scandinavian Bar – located in Little Venice where DJs play new EDM that hasn’t arrived stateside yet. One of our favorites to dance.

Also check out Sun Set Cocktail Bar, Jackie O’ Bar, Kastro Bar Mykonos, and Cavo Paradiso.

 

We would definitely return to sail around this Grecian island again!

“Sabes que tu corazón conmigo te hace bom, bom” – D.Y.