Things to Do in Mykonos Beyond the Party: Windmills, Delos & Chora

You'll party at night — but Mykonos days deserve just as much planning. The island packs postcard sights, real history and some of the best light in the Aegean into a few square kilometres. These are the essentials.

The windmills of Kato Mili

The row of sixteenth-century windmills standing above the harbour is the symbol of the island — and the reason half the photos of Mykonos you've ever seen exist. Come at blue hour, just after sunset, when the sky goes deep blue behind the white sails and the town lights come on below. It's a two-minute walk from Little Venice, so combine the two.

Lose yourself in Chora

The labyrinth of Mykonos Town was designed to confuse pirates, and it still works on tourists. Let it: wander without a map through whitewashed lanes dripping with bougainvillea, past tiny churches like the famous Panagia Paraportiani near the old port, boutique windows and marble squares. Early morning is magic — you'll have the alleys to yourself while the island sleeps off the night before.

Day trip to ancient Delos

Thirty minutes by boat from the old port lies Delos, the mythological birthplace of Apollo and one of the most important archaeological sites in Greece — an entire ancient city open to the sky, with mosaics, temples and the famous terrace of the lions. Boats leave in the morning and return early afternoon, so you can be back in time for the sunset and everything that follows it.

Eat like you mean it

Between the beach and the club, Mykonos feeds you well: fresh seafood by the water in Little Venice, souvlaki and gyros joints hidden in Chora's alleys for the post-club hours, and local specialities worth hunting down — kopanisti spicy cheese, louza cured pork and almond amygdalota. A proper long Greek lunch is a Mykonos ritual in itself.

Days sorted, nights next — see everything happening in Mykonos while you're on the island.