At first, walking through the cobble streets of Mykonos you may be lost. Small, mazy and snow white streets which can lead you each time to a place different from the others with its own special char-acteristics.Each “neighbourhood” has a surprise for every visitor. It doesn’t matter if everyone thinks that the beauty of the so famil-iar landscapes of Mykonos is printed on a cart postal.
The reality will surprise you and will fill your senses, as every “trade mark” of the island for which thousands of visitors arrive every summer, will reveal its unbelievable beauty in real dimensions.
Settlements
The local dialect of Mykonos is characterized by a peculiar char-acteristic. The word “chorio” (village) is not similar to the word “oikismos” (settlement) for the people of Mykonos. The definition of the word “chorio” for the locals is: “a traditional farm house in a natural basin where it can hold underground water and has land for cultivation”. So when the people of Mykonos refer to the word “chorio” (village) they are talking for separate units, different houses that are built in the rocky and with limited sources ground of the island. This island therefore has hundreds “choria” (villages) and only few “oikismous” (settlements). Chora is the only historic settlement of Mykonos.
Chora
At first, walking through the cobble streets of Mykonos you may be lost. Small, mazy and snow white streets which can lead you each time to a place different from the others with its own special char-acteristics. Each “neighbourhood” has a surprise for every visitor. It doesn’t matter if everyone thinks that the beauty of the so famil-iar landscapes of Mykonos is printed on a cart postal. The reality will surprise you and will fill your senses, as every “trade mark” of the island for which thousands of visitors arrive every summer, will reveal its unbelievable beauty in real dimensions. The picturesque windmills are well positioned in the east end of Chora and are imposingly raised over a small hill overlooking the Aegean Sea. Today, Kato Myloi, as the location is called, may be the most famous sightseeing of Mykonos but in the beginning of the 20th century people were using them for their jobs. With the north wind as their ally, the windmills were grinding the grains without stop and supplied the ships, which were travelling in the Aegean, with rusks.
Once you leave Kato Myloi, walk by the coast you will get to Alefkantra and you will be able to see the unique beauty of Mikri Ve-netia (Little Venice) exactly in the opposite side. The small square white houses which seem to pop up from the sea with their col-ored wooden balconies that nearly “lick” the wave offer a breath-taking view. There you can definitely enjoy one of the most mag-nificent sunsets of Greece.As you continue your tour by the coast you will arrive in the district of Castro where Panagia Paraportiani, the jewel of Mykonos but also the jewel of all the islands of the Aegean is. The church is built on the ruins of the medieval castle of Mykonos and is located in a privi-leged place of Chora overlooking the rocky coast and to the abso-lute blue of the sea. Not far from the church you will find the Folklore Museum of Mykonos and a bit further the region of Gialos.
Gialos is the picturesque small port of Chora where the fishermen moor the boats. It is also the departure point of the boats that or-ganize daily tours to Delos. Exactly to this point the city hall, a neoclassical two-floor building of the 1780, is located and next to it you will find the building of “Mavros” which was the first school of Mykonos and was built in King Othon time. After Gialos the road leads to the port of Mykonos. Above the port, in a dominant position, you will find the Archaeological Museum with Cycladic pottery exhibits of the Geometric Period.Even if you decide to leave the sea behind you and go deeper in Chora, the tour will definitely reward you. You may not be able to see the blue colour of the sea anymore, but the white of the houses takes the lead and gives the sense of harmony in the tra-ditional Cycladic architecture. The whitewashed yards with the blue windows, the hundreds small churches with the red domes and the paved streets are full of life.In Tria Pigadia you will find the Aegean Maritime Museum and the Lena’s House which is part of the Folklore Museum. The region was named like this because Tria Pigadia (three wells), which were there until 1957, were the only source of water in Chora.In Matogianni, perhaps the noisiest district of Mykonos, you can walk, look the shop windows and go shopping as the mar-ket is as good as the one in Athens. Most banks have branches in Chora where you will also find many ATMs, pharmacies, post office, drycleaner shops and internet cafe.
Ano Mera
Ano Mera is a big concentration of “choria” (villages) in the east-ern side of the island. Ano Mera is a settlement with peculiar characteristics which was developed in a big extent and is a crossroad for many of the northern and the southern beaches of the island. The monastery of Panagia Tourliani, right under the square, is the connection point. After your visit to the Monastery make your next stop at one of the traditional taverns in the square where you can taste the local cuisine but also fine meat. The visi-tors who are not fans of the lively night life can find recreation moments in the traditional cafes, restaurants but also in the mod-ern hotel infrastructure of the region. Not far from the centre of the settlement in the north is the Monastery of Palaiokastro which is built on visible ruins of an ancient fortification.In Ano Mera you may find pharmacy, super market, stores with traditional products and taxi station. The settlement is 8 km away from Chora and it is connected with frequent transportation.
Ornos
It is only 4 km away from Chora and has been developed in such a way that today is characterized as a tourist settlement. In order to get there you will have to pass first through the bay of Korfos. Once you arrive in Ornos you will be impressed from the many big hotel facilities but also by the smaller lodgings with a good sense of taste. The small leeward port where you will see fishermen boats and yachts to be moored is the attraction of the settlement. It is one of the most popular tourist resorts of Mykonos with many restaurants, cafe but also many choices for night life. The beach of Ornos is one of the most popular beaches of the island and is highly recommended for those who wish to combine relaxation, excellent services and luxury without the need to go far away.
Platis Gialos
It is 4,5 km away from Chora and was gradually developed around the beach which shares the same name and offers all the amenities for a pleasant stay. For many visitors it is not by chance a favourite place to stay in Mykonos as proved by the very well organized hotel units, the good restaurants and a beautiful and organized beach with sea sports. It can be easily accessed both from the land and the sea as the boats that go to the rest of the southern beaches of the island depart from there. The combination of the services indi-cates that Platis Gialos follows the modern tourist development of the island. However, the old rural houses, the reeds and the scaled cultivating slopes keep still the rural character of the greater region alive. On the left of the central road to the settle-ment it is worth noticing the ruins of the ancient tower at “Portes”.
Aghios Stefanos
It is 3 km away from Chora and is located very close to the port of Tourlos. It owes its name to the small church that is built in the edge of the bay where in the top of it you will see the settlement. Due to the regular summer visits of the island’s frequenters, Aghios Stefanos is one of the first regions that were developed outside Chora. The accommodation, the food and the entertainment amenities that Aghios Stefanos offers, along with the beautiful view to Tinos and Rhenia, satisfy the demands of all visitors. An important detail that makes Aghios Stefanos so special is the fact that it raises over the very beau-tiful bay which shares the same name and is well-protected from the winds. As a result the bay never has waves.
Folklore Museum
The Folklore Museum is located in Castro, in Chora and is housed in “Captain Malouhos” which is an old house with classic Cycladic architecture. Old furniture, Byzantine icons, folk pot-ters, token dishes, embroideries, keys and many more are ex-hibited in its six halls. The museum is open daily except on Sundays from April to October, 17:30-20:30. Tel.: 2289022591
“Bonis Windmill” is part of the Folklore Museum which is an out-door agricultural museum in Ano Myloi and presents the facili-ties that the people in Mykonos were using for the production and the manufacturing of the agricultural products. Τhe tradi-tional Bonis Windmill is the central core of the museum. The museum is open daily from April to October, 16:00-19:00. Tel.: 2289026246The “Lena’s House” is the third part of the Folklore Museum and is an urban house of the 19th century that preserves the furniture of that time undamaged. It is located in the centre of Mykonos in Tria Pigadia. The museum is open daily except on Sundays from April to October, 18:30-21:30. Τel.: 2289028764
Aegean Maritime Museum
The Aegean Nautical Museum is located in a traditional Cycladic building in Tria Pigadia. Models of ships and rowers from the prehistoric times until the beginning of the 20th century, a rich collection of nautical charts, engravings, nautical instruments and coins are among the exhibits of the Museum. The purpose of the Museum is the preservation and study of the Greek nauti-cal tradition. The museum is open daily from April to October, 10:30-13:00 and 18:30-21:00. Tel.: 2289022700
