It’s summer in Europe and during this time of the year the social media is full of images from heavenly travel destinations, the top of the list being occupaied by the Greek islands.

Undeniably Greece has it’s own, unbeatable charm; might be for its people, the food, the music, the blue waters or just for the vibe of all those combined, I do not know but I do know with certainty that noone can resist its spell.

After more than 3 hours journey by ferry from the capital city of Athens, in the resteless waters of Aegean sea, suferring of sea sickness (or maybe champagne sickness, I am not sure) we finally anchored in the port of Mykonos together with few hundreds other tourists eager to discover the white pearl of Cyclades.

The wind

Mykonos is well known for its windmills and it must be a reason for that, (thought no tourist ever) and as August it’s considered the peak of the windy season, colorful hats are flying all around the harbour. Wind it’s an important factor in the island life and not taking it into consideration might affect your holiday and totally ruin your travel pictures.

When it comes to WIND, the residents of Mykonos can use countless words to describe it, depending on its cardinal direction or intensity and they know that it’s just a matter of time for a light breeze to turn into a real holiday breaker.

After a short taxi ride from the port we finally reached our hotel, located in a beautiful area of the island and with a breathtaking view over the sea and the town itself. It’s high season in Greece and the prices are just mind blowing, paying 500 euro per night for a hotel that could hardly meet 3 stars expectations. The good thing about the whole situation is that we are trying to spend less time possible in the room, ignoring the fake Picasso painting that is about to fall from the wall straight in our head and the funny bed side lamps improvised from some old car headlights and relax instead by the pool or on the hotel’s terrace.

White & blue

Holding hands and holding hats we are ready to explore the magical town painted in white and blue. The aesthetic whitewashed walls and the blue cupoles of churches are not only the reflection of the sky or the symbol of the national flag , but also the most photographed spots of the island.

Wandering the tiny streets of Myknons I come across colorful doors and shutters which seams to disrespect the order set for the island, using predominant shades of green or red and I cant stop wondering why would someone commit such blasphemy. The answer immediately comes from one of the restaurants owner who shares with me an old tradition which allows the islanders to paint their doors according to their proffesion: blue for sailors, green for farmers etc.

Food in Mykonos

If you have read any of my previous travel stories then you know that I am a big foodie and wherever I go I like to try not only the local food but also that page in the menu less popular for the tourists. Greek food is not foreign for me as I can consider Greece as being “almost” my neighbor country and we share so many similarities when it comes to food. However, asking around I discovered that beside traditional dishes and regular sea food, the islanders eat something less common: sea urchins.

After the “weird” starter, follwed by the traditional greek salad and moussaka, the owner of the taverna is greeting us (as per the local costum when it comes to hospitality, a client being a special guest of the house) with a tasty gift to accompany our coffee: fresh figs from the back garden…a truly delicious touch to end our lunch.

If it’s Mykonos…then it’s party time

My holiday to Mykonos caught me completely offguard as I was about to discover that the island is a world renowned party destination and there is no time for sleep. Another thing that surprised me was the fact that Mykonos is a predominantly gay island and August it’s the peak of it all. Don’t understand me wrong…I have nothing against different sexual orientation but being perceived as “weird” for holding my boyfriend hand it’s not a cool thing.

Note to myself: avoid Mykonos during the month of August.

Scorpio

By evening, we are heading to one of the most famous lounge of the island to watch the sunset and enjoy few cocktails on the terrace located above the beach. The view is stunning, stunning are the prices as well and even more “stunning” are the gay couples kissing behind us whenever we want to take a picture. Trying to ruin our travel memories or just showing us what we are missing…I might never know but we are here to enjoy, not to judge and this being said we continue sipping a cocktail after another.

SantAnna

We decided to pay our bill and spend the rest of the evening somewhere else, trying to experience more of the night life that make Mykonos so notorious. We ended up in a beach club located near by, Santanna, seating by the bar and continuing our cocktail maraton. One of the waiters approaches us offering a table in echange of 1000 euro bill, without counting the 500 euro that we have spend so far. We agree to that and soon we are moved to one of the VIP tables, surronded by plenty of staff and the owner itself, as we were the only couple having our own private party.

Later on, few Brazilian girls joined us and the evening was a blast: dancing, drinking, laughing…we are caught by the spell of the island.

Windmills

Our short holiday in Mykonos it’s about to end, heading up soon to a more romantic island, Santorini, but not before exploring the magic land of the windmills.

There are curently 16 windmills around the island, 7 of them standing together on the rocky hill of Chora, overlooking the Alefkandra harbour.

Back in time, Mykonos was famous not for its night life but for the grain productions and those ancient mills are a living proof of the rich history of the island.

The best time to visit the windmills is during the sunset when the sun is coloring the sky in different shades of orange, a landscape to be remembered.

Getting lost in the white and blue alleys, enjoying a sea flavored lunch by the beach, sipping a cocktail in one of the famous bars of the island or visiting the 16th century old windmills, Mykonos has so much to offer.

Have you been to Mykonos or would you like to visit it any time soon? What was your favorite activity on the island or what else would you like to know about the place? Share your thoughts with me.