Ornos & Agios Ioannis
A village bay 3 km south of Chora, and the sunset-facing bay next to it. Calm water, frequent buses, resort hotels on the hills.
Stay here
השכונות של מיקונוס
עיירה אחת, כפר אחד וחוף שלם של מפרצים: למה מתאים כל חלק באי ואיך הם מתחברים.
- Chora: 4 quarters
- South coast: beaches
- Ano Mera: the village
- North: wild & windy
Orientation
Mykonos in five parts
The island is about 85 km², with one town, one village and a coastline of bays. Chora is on the west coast; everything else is within about 25 minutes by road.
Chora
The town: sights, shops, bars, both bus stations and the Old Port.
South coast
Sheltered beaches from Ornos to Elia, hotels and beach clubs.
Ano Mera
The inland village, the monastery and the east-coast beaches.
North coast
Wild bays, few buildings, full force of the wind.
Town
Chora and its quarters
Chora (also called Mykonos Town) is a maze of whitewashed lanes between two harbours. You will hear four names:
- Little Venice (Alefkandra): the waterfront of captains' houses on the west side — sunset bars.
- Kastro: the old castle quarter around Paraportiani, on the rocks above the sea.
- Matoyianni and the centre: the shopping lanes, Tria Pigadia square and most restaurants.
- Old Port and Fabrika: the harbour front with Taxi Square and the north bus station, and Fabrika by the windmills with the south bus station.
Coast
The south and west: where most visitors stay
Platis Gialos & Psarou
A long hotel beach and a polished cove, with water taxis to the party beaches further east.
Beaches
Paraga, Paradise & Super Paradise
The beach-club coast: Scorpios, SantAnna, Paradise and JackieO', plus hostels and camping-style stays.
Beach clubs
North of town
Tourlos and Agios Stefanos
North of Chora, the New Port at Tourlos handles ferries and cruise ships, with marinas and hotels on the hill above. Just beyond, Agios Stefanos has a calm, sandy family beach with tavernas. It is a practical base if you arrive or leave by ferry, linked to town by the Sea Bus and KTEL buses from the Old Port. Not the place for nightlife — but 10 minutes from it.
Inland
Ano Mera: the island's village
Ano Mera is Mykonos's second settlement and its farming heart, in the centre of the island. Its focal point is the monastery of Panagia Tourliani, founded according to tradition in 1542 and rebuilt in the 18th century, with a carved and gilded wooden iconostasis made by Florentine craftsmen in 1775.
Around the square, tavernas serve local meat, cheese and wine at prices that feel a world away from Chora. On 15 August the village celebrates the monastery's feast day with a traditional panigyri.
- Getting there: KTEL bus from the Old Port, or 15 minutes by car.
- Nearby: the east-coast beaches of Kalo Livadi, Elia and Kalafatis; Ftelia to the north.
Beyond
The east and the wild north
Kalafatis, Kalo Livadi & Lia
Long bays, watersports at Kalafatis, quiet villas on the hills and the remote beach of Lia at the end of the road.
East-coast beaches
Ftelia, Panormos & Agios Sostis
Open to the north wind, mostly undeveloped: windsurfing at Ftelia, a beach club at Panormos and Kiki's above Agios Sostis.
North-coast beaches
Common questions
Area questions
What are the main areas of Mykonos?
Chora, the town on the west coast; the south-coast beach villages from Ornos and Platis Gialos to Paradise and Elia; Tourlos and Agios Stefanos around the New Port; Ano Mera, the inland village; and the wild, windy north coast. Everything is within about 25 minutes by road.
Is Ano Mera worth visiting?
Yes, for a half day. The Panagia Tourliani monastery, founded in 1542, has a remarkable gilded wooden iconostasis from 1775, and the tavernas on the square are some of the most authentic on the island. Combine it with Kalo Livadi or Elia beach. Buses run from the Old Port station.
Where is Little Venice in Mykonos?
On the west waterfront of Chora, between the Kastro and the Kato Mili windmills. Its 18th-century houses rise straight from the sea, with balconies over the water. It is a two-minute walk from the windmills and five minutes from the Old Port.