The Best Beaches in Mykonos: From Party Bays to Quiet Coves

The south coast of Mykonos is a string of sandy bays, each with its own personality — some built for partying, some for posing, some for actually relaxing. Almost all are connected by bus from Chora and by the seabus that hops along the coast. Here's how to choose your beach day.

Paradise & Super Paradise — the party classics

These two bays are why Mykonos became a party island. Paradise is the big one: a long stretch of golden sand backed by pines, with water sports, sunbeds packed shoulder to shoulder in August and music drifting across the beach all afternoon. Super Paradise, one cove east, is the more spectacular of the pair — a deep turquoise bay framed by rocks, historically the island's most free-spirited beach and still the one people photograph most. Neither is where you go for silence, and that's exactly the point. Both are easy day trips: bus from Fabrika square or the seabus along the coast.

Paraga — small beach, big style

Paraga is compact — a curved bay you can walk end to end in a few minutes — but it packs in more style per metre than anywhere on the island. A rocky headland closes it off on one side, the water is clear and calm enough to swim out to it, and small tavernas sit right on the sand for a lunch that stretches into the afternoon. The people-watching is world-class, and at golden hour it's arguably the best place on Mykonos to watch the sun go down with a drink in hand. If you're staying nearby, the coastal path over to Paradise is a lovely twenty-minute walk.

Psarou & Ornos — glamour and calm water

Psarou is where the yachts anchor — a small, sheltered bay famous for celebrity sightings and some of the most exclusive sunbeds in Greece. Ornos, next door, is broader and easier: calm shallow water, plenty of restaurants and a good base for families or a recovery day after a big night.

Elia, Agios Sostis & the quieter side

Elia is the longest sandy beach on the island — organised at one end, quieter as you walk east. And if you want to see the Mykonos that existed before the beach clubs, head north to Agios Sostis: no sunbeds, no music, just sand, clear water and a legendary no-electricity taverna up the hill. Bring water and an umbrella — and enjoy the silence you won't find anywhere else on the island.

Beach by day, party by night — check what's on during your dates and build the perfect Mykonos week.