Where to stay in Mykonos
You sleep either in town or in one of the south-coast bays, and the choice depends on what you do in the evening.
- For the town
- Hora
- For families
- Ornos and Platis Gialos
- For the party
- Paradise and Super Paradise
Five zones cover almost everything people look for: Hora for nightlife and walking, Ornos and Platis Gialos for a calmer beach and families, Psarou for the expensive bay, Paradise for the party. The south coast is sheltered from the northerly meltemi, which makes the wind an easy call.
Liveliest, and most crowded
Hora is the liveliest place on the island, with the most bars, restaurants and shops, which also means the most people. Matoyianni is busiest 10:00–14:00, while cruise ships are in port. The windmills, Paraportiani and Little Venice are all on foot, and both bus stations are in town. It suits anyone without a car who wants to get back in the evening without a taxi; it does not suit anyone looking for quiet in season.
The first bay south of town
Ornos is a family bay with calm water and boutique hotels; the bus goes from Fabrika. The water taxi also starts here (10.00 from Ornos, last return 5.45 pm from Elia). A good choice for the sea outside the door and the town a short ride away.
The middle ground
The beach is fully organised: hotels, tavernas, cafes and sunbeds along the shore. This is the main water-taxi station, linking almost all the south-coast beaches, and there is a bus from Fabrika. It is lively enough to feel the island and calm enough to hear the sea. From here you reach Psarou on foot in 15–20 min.
Expensive and sheltered
A small sheltered bay, the most exclusive on the island; sunbeds at the best-known clubs start from €250. You sleep here if that bay is the whole point; otherwise a day visit is enough.
When the night is the reason to come
Paradise and Super Paradise are the centre of the beach party and not a place for quiet or for families. In summer the bus from Fabrika runs every 30 minutes, until after midnight. Whoever sleeps here sleeps close to the music.
The north of the island
The northern beaches, such as Agios Sostis, take the meltemi, a strong northerly wind that peaks in August. No bus goes there, so without a car or a taxi you do not get there at all. For a first visit the south side is the simpler choice.
Before you go
Short answers to what people ask most before setting out.
Where is the best place to stay on Mykonos?
In Hora if you have no car and go out in the evening, in Platis Gialos or Ornos if the sea comes first, in Paradise if the party is the reason.
Is the south coast a better choice than the north?
For a first visit, yes: the southern beaches are sheltered from the meltemi and have buses and the water taxi.
Ready for Mykonos?
Where to next
Getting around Mykonos
→The airport, two bus stations and the water taxi: how you get from one end of the island to the other.
Santorini · 116 km
→An island that is the rim of a drowned volcanic crater
How well does Mykonos suit you?
→Six questions: a score for this place and others like it.
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