Mykonos 7am - 5pm

We will be in Mykonos for the day and don't have any tours booked. We were thinking of doing this port on our own. What are the must do/see items here? How would you recommend we spend our day.

I m also interested in this port. The only thing I know about it is that there are windmills. Is a tour recommended to maximize our time on the island, or is it a DIY port? We will be there in mid-October, so probably not a beach day.

we also had an early docking time at Mykonos.

we queued early for our tender boat tickets and arrived at Mykonos very early.

this was good as we like taking photographs of the scenery and architecture without too many people in the foreground.

this was also bad as the retail shops do not open until around 9.30 am.

we wandered around the winding street by ourselves.

walked up to and around the windmills to take our photographs.

We did Mykonos on our own. Here are some pictures.

https://markandkareneurope2013.shutterfly.com/pictures/8

We did Mykonos on our own. Here are some pictures.

 

https://markandkareneurope2013.shutterfly.com/pictures/8

Lovely pictures! Were the pictures of the ruins up high on a hill overlooking town also on Mykonos? If so, how did you get there?

We will be in Mykonos on October 10 next year. Will it be beach weather at that time of year or will it be too cold?

Sorry, Looks like some Athens pictures got mixed up in the Mykonos folder. Also, sorry but I do not know the October weather. We were there in July and the weather was hot.

Sorry, Looks like some Athens pictures got mixed up in the Mykonos folder. Also, sorry but I do not know the October weather. We were there in July and the weather was hot.

After I posted I realized that those last pictures were probably Athens. Hopefully it won't be hot in October. We get plenty of heat here at home in Arizona. We don't need to travel overseas to experience that!:p

YES!! Lots to love, see and do in and around Mykonos just by "walking around". But, there are other options nearby, too!! Below are a few items of "photo evidence" as proof! Need more?

We did the walking around in the morning and enjoyed that. BUT, we also rented a car and did some driving around, sampling several scenic beach areas, etc. Much will depend as to how much other cruise ships are in port for your day there. Both number of the other ships and the quantity of passengers that will be visiting during that day. We were fortunate on our day there that those numbers were not large.

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

ForAthens and nearby, look at this earlier posting for many options and visual samples from this city that is so great for seeing its great history, style and architecture. This posting is now at 14,611 views.

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1101008

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 and generations from a family are departing a church service in main Mykonos on a Sunday morning. It was nice to see the people who live there and not have things too busy from the tourism masses!!:

At the fish docks in Mykonos near many outdoor dining places that overlook the harbor, there are discussions about some of the recent catches being offered to a local resident.:

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. We got an inexpensive rental car to visit these beaches areas and explore the other parts far away from the main village.:

I would love to visit this place:

http://www.mykonosvioma.gr/mykonos-vioma.html

I know the ship's excursion includes a stop here, but I would prefer to DIY. I am looking into transportation.

we took a taxi to Ornos beach in the morning. If you do go to the beach go early to get a chair. Of course in October it might be too chilly. I don't know. There really are only 30 some taxi's on the island. Our taxi driver told us. We ended up taking a bus back from the beach. When trying to get back to the cruise ship we thought we would end up taking a bus but we lucked out and a taxi showed up at the taxi stand after 20 minutes. The people in front of us had waited over an hr! The taxi driver did inform us that July and August are the busy season. (We were there in July) Mykonos is very easy to walk around the main town. It's an adorable city.

I'll be going to Elia beach during my upcoming sailing. Looking at that picture has me excited :)

For something a bit different, you could consider taking the ferry to the nearby small island of Delos. Delos was extremely important in ancient times to both the Greeks (for religious reasons) and to the Romans (for business reasons -- it was a huge slave market). There are wonderful ruins to see there, as well as a small museum.

The ferry tickets can be purchased from the dock right in the center of town. Ferries depart several times in the morning and return several times in the afternoon. It's best to do this when it's not too hot as there is very little shade on Delos.

Good information on what to see here: http://www.sacred-destinations.com/greece/delos

I'll be going to Elia beach during my upcoming sailing. Looking at that picture has me excited

Glad that the Elia Beach picture got you excited. Below are some more Mykonos beach visuals. Lots of fun opportunities there on that island.

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

Did a June 7-19, 2011, cruise from Barcelona that had stops in Villefranche, ports near Pisa and Rome, Naples, Kotor, Venice and Dubrovnik. Dozens of nice visuals with key highlights, tips, comments, etc. We are now at 217,120 views for this live/blog re-cap, including much on wonderful Barcelona. Check these postings and added info at:

http://www.boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1426474

Here are some additional visual samples on the opposite side from the Mykonos village for various beachside activities:

On the opposite side of the Mykonos village on the island, here's a longer shot of an overall beachside setting.: