Exploring Mykonos Island : A Perfect One-Day Itinerary

Mykonos Island was never on our to do list but during our September 2025 trip we had one day of exploring what the island has to offer. What brought us to the Island was our bucket list item of visiting the uninhabited Sacred Island of Delos. The best way to access Delos Island was via Mykonos, so Mykonos it was so we booked an extra day here to check out some of the Island.

Mykonos Island is quite charming and after exploring quite a bit of the island, it is more rural than we expected. Of course you have the famous Mykonos Chora, which although charming, became more crowded than we like by noon. You also have the famous clubs and beaches which we gave a pass to. Instead, after exploring the Chora, we spent the rest of our day on Mykonos Island enjoying a couple of places off the beaten path.

Mykonos Old Port

We headed for Mykonos Old Port directly after breakfast. We were advised this was the best place to park if we wanted to see Mykonos Town. It worked very well. We had no problem finding a parking spot, although it was early, and the walk along the port to the town was lovely.

Mykonos Town

Mykonos Town was fantastic and of the prettiest Greek Island towns I enjoyed exploring. We arrived there early and enjoyed roaming through the charming blue and white town. The narrow streets alone were lovely with the cobblestones outlined with white paint throughout the town. We did a bit more shopping than we had planned but it was so much fun. The town was filled with unique stores of all kinds and we were able to find some very unique pieces to take home with us.

Anapolo

We found this shop a bit of fun as we shopped for coffee mugs and a Christmas ornament. Lots of unique and interesting items here!

Sokaki

This store really caught our attention to the local art. We purchased a unique wall art piece by a local artist and enjoyed chatting with the shopkeeper. It looks great in our home! If you are in Mykonos, give this shop a visit!

Little Venice

Ah, Little Venice, the perfect spot for a photo or two of the quaint Venetian buildings painted white with colorful trim and balconies. Watching and hearing the waves lap up on the shore, almost touching the doorways, was mesmerizing.

Little Venice was also the perfect spot for some mid morning coffees. We enjoyed slowly sipping our Greek Coffees while being enchanted by this amazing place. There were not many people around at this time, other than a few other coffee drinkers, so we could just sit by the sea, watch the waves, and take it all in. Truly a coffee break I will never forget.

The Windmills

The iconic Mykonos Windmills make for a picturesque site. These seven white stone windmills with wooden and thatched roof, situated on a hill and overlooking Little Venice, contrast perfectly with the blue Aegean Sea. The windmills face north to capture the strongest wind. Known as the Kato Mili (High Mills), most of these windmills were built in the 16th century to grind wheat and barley. They produced flour both for island use and also for trade. At one time at least 16 windmills graced this area.

Beach Time

As the Chora became more crowded, the day became much hotter and so we left shortly after noon to check out a couple of beaches. We prefer exploring undeveloped, less crowded beaches so we headed north on Mykonos Island to Merichias Beach. This practically deserted beach was just what we were looking for, unfortunately, it was too rough and windy for us to swim. Nevertheless, we cooled off wading along the shore as the waves slapped up upon us. Swimming would have to wait until another day.

Ano Mera

Our next stop was the quiet village of Ano Mera. Although not as much of a tourist attraction as Mykonos Town, Ano Mera had its own charm and vibe.

Armenistis Lighthouse

It is a bit of a nail biter drive to the Mykonos Light House. The road is very narrow and steep. When another car approaches, you have to determine if you can move over or if the other car can to pass each other. Some times, the only option is for one car to back down the road or one car back up the road until there is a safe spot to pull over and someone can pass. Luckily, there were not that many cars on the road.

Located on Cape Armenistis, this lighthouse sits strategically high above the sea. Built in 1891 it is 19 meters tall (62.3 feet) and is still fully operational. The views from around the lighthouse are fantastic. It was very windy when we were here so we didn’t stay long but still enjoyed the scenery. You can not go in the lighthouse, but you can walk around the lighthouse base.

Dinner Time

After returning to our hotel and swimming a bit at the pool, we headed out for dinner. We were not very adventurous in Mykonos as we dined at the same taverna each night we were here. After eating at Mortissa Taverna our first night we didn’t think we could find anything better so we ate here all three nights. They say to go where the locals eat, well, we felt we were the only non-Greeks here so I guess we did well! The food and service was absolutely fantastic. If we ever return to Mykonos, I would go here again!

Where We Stayed

We stayed at Sunset Hills Suites. This location is north of the airport but we had good views of the island and sea. Surprisingly we did not hear the airplanes, we occasionally would see them but we did not hear them. This boutique hotel was quiet and serene. The infinity pool was a nice size and there were plenty of lounge chairs around it. Our room was comfortable. Mina and her staff were very friendly and Mina made sure we had everything we needed. Plus she had many great tips and ideas for the Island. Breakfast was very good.

Conclusion

All in all, we only had one full day exploring Mykonos Island as the first afternoon our flight from Athens was running quite late, and our last day we visited Delos Island. Personally, I felt one full day was enough, and we explored every place we had wanted to. We did not see the Pelican though!

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You can check out my other posts from our 2025 trip to Greece and also previous years Itineraries by following these links!

Great Places to Eat in Plaka, Athens and Nearby. Updated Sept 2025

Self Guided Tour to Acropolis Sept 2025

Tower of the Wind, Athens Sept 2025

The Roman Forum in Athens, Sept 2025

National Archaeology Museum Athens, Sept 2025

8 Days in Greece, Athens, Milos,Santorini. Oct 2018

10 Days in Greece Athens ,Crete, Santorini Sept 2019

14 Days in Greece Crete, Naxos, Santorini, Athens Sept 2021

2 Weeks in Greece, Delphi, Meteora, Corfu, Santorini Sept 2023

10 Days in the Peloponnese Sept 2024

The Gen-X Travels recommendations for hotels, restaurants, activities or tour companies are based on our own experiences unless noted. We are not sponsored by any business or company and all trips are at our expense. All photos are by myself or my husband unless otherwise noted. We are affiliates of some companies such as Amazon,Viator, and others which we do receive a small commission from, at no cost to you if you buy or book through one of our links.