Best thing to do while in port in Mykonos

[Millenia98]

We didn't want to overdo the history lessons with going to Delos. I hear it's not all that unless you're an extreme history buff. But if you all say we should, then we will.

I can't decide on Mykonos since we're in port from 8am until about 6pm. I didn't want to just sit on the beach all day. Some hours is nice, but not the whole day. I thought about renting atvs to super paradise beach and jet skiing once we get to the water. Is that even possible there?

Also, how far from port is the trip to see the windmills?

For such a beautiful island, my itinerary of Mykonos is so poor right now! Help is definitely appreciated!

[TLCOhio]

Originally Posted by Millenia98

We didn't want to overdo the history lessons with going to Delos. I hear it's not all that unless you're an extreme history buff. But if you all say we should, then we will. I can't decide on Mykonos since we're in port from 8am until about 6pm. I didn't want to just sit on the beach all day. Some hours is nice, but not the whole day. I thought about renting atvs to super paradise beach and jet skiing once we get to the water. Is that even possible there? Also, how far from port is the trip to see the windmills? For such a beautiful island, my itinerary of Mykonos is so poor right now! Help is definitely appreciated!

Overall, Mykonos is not that large, which makes it easier to see a decent variety of sights and sites in a limited amount of time. We kicked around in the village in the morning, then rented a car for the afternoon, seeing a variety of different beaches, scenic views, etc. Below are some of my pictures to reflect what we saw and did.

Reactions and added questions?

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

Did a June 7-19, 2011, Solstice cruise from Barcelona that had stops in Villefranche, ports near Pisa and Rome, Naples, Kotor, Venice and Dubrovnik. Enjoyed great weather and a wonderful trip. Dozens of wonderful visuals with key highlights, tips, comments, etc., on these postings. We are now at 85,485 views for this live/blog re-cap on our first sailing with Celebrity and much on wonderful Barcelona. Check these postings and added info at:
http://www.boards.cruisecritic.com/s....php?t=1426474


Here’s a sampling of the narrow, flowered street in Mykonos in the Greek Isles with its many shops. The streets were made so narrow in order to fend off pirate attackers. It is an island with lots of history and legend dating back thousands of years, including connections to ancient Greek mythology. Ionians settled on Mykonos in the early part of the 11th century BC. As Delos developed as a sacred center, Mykonos was under the influences of the different people, including Phoenicians, Macedonians and Athenians. With the rise of Alexander the Great, the fate of Mykonos became a commercial center for agriculture and maritime trade. Mykonos flourished with enormous wealth during Roman occupation during the reign of Augustus Caesar. During the Middle Ages, Mykonos fell under the Venetians and later were victimized by the Saracens and latter the Turks. Starting in the 1950’s, its unique architecture, seclusion and hospitality have made it a haven for the rich and famous.:




This harbor view in Mykonos shows one of the charming windmills. From as early as the 16th century, these are one of the most recognized landmarks of Mykonos. The island is 33 square miles in size and has a population of 9,300, mostly in its main village.:




Ladies departing a church service in main Mykonos on a Sunday:




At the fish docks in Mykonos near many outdoor dining places that overlook the harbor.:




On the opposite side of the Mykonos village on the island, here's a sampling of the beachside activities. This includes Agrari, Elia and the long sweeping Kalafatis beach that has become famous to wind surfers. The second picture is from Elia Beach.:

[zqvol]

Without a doubt the highlight of a stop at Myonos is a trip to Delos.

[Millenia98]

Originally Posted by zqvol

Without a doubt the highlight of a stop at Myonos is a trip to Delos.

Hey, thank you for your input! Can I ask what is special about it? For some reason, I remember Rick Steves describing it as a bunch of slightly worn out statues. One might not be able to determine why they are randomly there, etc. We don't intend to hire a tour guide for this or anything. Are we going to appreciate it if we don't know the history beforehand? Thanks so much!

[cruisemom42]

Originally Posted by Millenia98

Hey, thank you for your input! Can I ask what is special about it? For some reason, I remember Rick Steves describing it as a bunch of slightly worn out statues. One might not be able to determine why they are randomly there, etc. We don't intend to hire a tour guide for this or anything. Are we going to appreciate it if we don't know the history beforehand? Thanks so much!

Rick Steves gives scant attention to a lot of historical sites, IMO. I can't recall exactly, but when I looked at his guide on Naples, I believe he recommended spending around 30 minutes in Herculaneum. 30 minutes!!!

Most people instinctively know whether they are "ruins" people or not; history buffs or not. Delos is lovely, but if you are not particularly interested in either ruins or history, perhaps you'd be better off giving it a miss.

Without either a guide or some sort of written information (I pulled a self-guided tour off the Internet), you probably won't get as much from a visit to Delos, although some of the ruins are very picturesque.

[zqvol]

Instead of telling you about it here, I am just going to give you two links to days we spent on Mykonos in 2010, the first includes Delos

http://www.pvavalides.com/cruises/greece/mykonos1.html

http://www.pvavalides.com/cruises/greece/mykonos2.html

Hope those help.

[Travel Writing Mary]

Originally Posted by Millenia98

We didn't want to overdo the history lessons with going to Delos. I hear it's not all that unless you're an extreme history buff. But if you all say we should, then we will.

I can't decide on Mykonos since we're in port from 8am until about 6pm. I didn't want to just sit on the beach all day. Some hours is nice, but not the whole day. I thought about renting atvs to super paradise beach and jet skiing once we get to the water. Is that even possible there?

Also, how far from port is the trip to see the windmills?

For such a beautiful island, my itinerary of Mykonos is so poor right now! Help is definitely appreciated!

We took the ship tour to Delos and had a good guide and we loved it. The boat ride to get there was pretty exciting because a recent storm made pretty big waves. Delos is haunting and still very interesting with a guide. Plus then you are dropped off right in town and don't have to pay for a shuttle (which is silly anyway; it's not far from where the ships dock to town). We loved just wandering afterwards through all the crooked streets; we keep going uphill until we were at a windmill and it was so neat. We found a great deli 'back in' the hilly area and had wonderful sandwiches at outdoor tables. There is an internet cafe near where the ship was docked so I was able to 'teach' my online classes and catch up with emails waaaay cheaper than using the ship internet.

[zsoverseas]

Wife and I were in Mykonos last week while on Celebrity.

My suggestion is to take the shuttle bus to the main bus area or if you are being tendered you will arrive there then go to Easy Rent rent a car Mykonos which is visible from the bus area.

Easy Rent requires a credit card and valid drivers license to rent. They have cars, jeeps and ATV's for rent.

Wife and I rented an ATV for 30 Euros per day ($37 USD), and got a map from the agency and explored the Island stopping at 3 different beaches as well as the downtown area on the way back. The ATV is automatic and easy to operate and I don't think I ever exceeded 40 kph. When going up hills just drive to the right and vehicles will pass you, no problem.

It was a great way to explore the Island at our leisure and easy to park in the crowded beach areas. Good Luck.
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[Matcodixon]

Originally Posted by zsoverseas

Wife and I were in Mykonos last week while on Celebrity.

My suggestion is to take the shuttle bus to the main bus area or if you are being tendered you will arrive there then go to Easy Rent rent a car Mykonos which is visible from the bus area.

Easy Rent requires a credit card and valid drivers license to rent. They have cars, jeeps and ATV's for rent.

Wife and I rented an ATV for 30 Euros per day ($37 USD), and got a map from the agency and explored the Island stopping at 3 different beaches as well as the downtown area on the way back. The ATV is automatic and easy to operate and I don't think I ever exceeded 40 kph. When going up hills just drive to the right and vehicles will pass you, no problem.

It was a great way to explore the Island at our leisure and easy to park in the crowded beach areas. Good Luck.
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This is something I was also considering for our stop there. I did look at a couple of websites for ATV rentals on Mykonos. Did you need to reserve in advance or were there plenty available?

[zsoverseas]

Originally Posted by Matcodixon

This is something I was also considering for our stop there. I did look at a couple of websites for ATV rentals on Mykonos. Did you need to reserve in advance or were there plenty available?

Plenty available however when we returned it later in the afternoon all were rented.

[ShrinkinTexas]

Renting an ATV and looking for a quiet beach in Mykonos. Nothing huge with large crowds. Quiet, beautiful, with chairs for rent.