Discovering the villages of Mykonos

The villages of Mykonos are lovely! Many tourists know this island mainly for the nightlife and the beautiful beaches, but there is more to see.

As I have already said in other articles, I think that a holiday is not really complete if you do not explore the place where you are, going outside the most popular tourist places for reaching those apparently less glamorous.

In the villages of Mykonos you can take a walk, eat in a typical tavern, get in touch with the inhabitants and discover the most authentic side of this island.

Mykonos Town

Obviously, the first village to visit is Mykonos Town, the island’s capital which the locals call Chora.

This town is enchanting especially because it is still quite authentic despite mass tourism.

The center is a pedestrian area with the typical maze of streets and white houses that you see in postcards. The Chora is perfect for daytime walks, taking pictures, shoppings but also for spending great evenings in restaurants and nightclubs.

Mykonos Town is particularly famous for the windmills and for Little Venice. This neighborhood is built on a sort of small peninsula and it resembles the Italian city of Venice, with colorful houses overlooking the sea. It’s a great place for taking pictures, especially on sunset.

Glastros

Glastros is one of the villages of Mykonos to visit.

It is located near the airport and can be reached on foot from the Chora.

Thanks to its position, Glastros is a lively village, with hotels and clubs, and it is close to some of the most beautiful beaches in the south of the island, such as Paradise Beach, Super Paradise Beach, Agios Ioannis Beach, Elia Beach, Paraga Beach, Ornos.

Ano Mera

Ano Mera is located almost in the center of Mykonos at a few km from the Chora.

Although small, Ano Mera is the second largest village on the island and one of the oldest.

Unlike Mykonos Town, Ano Mera is a quiet, very authentic place. Always touristy, but less hectic. It is the ideal place to visit if you want to discover the real daily life of the inhabitants.
Since it overlooks the water, it offers perfect scenarios for souvenir photos.

Ano Mera village is particularly famous for the monastery Panagia Tourliani.

The monastery was built in 1542 and restored in 1767. The whitewashed exterior, the colored dome, the marble fountain in the yard make the monastery look simple, quiet but impressive. Inside, take a look at the hanging incense holders decorated with silver dragons with red eggs in their mouth.

Drafaki

Drafaki is not exactly a villages of Mykonos, since it is considered part of Mykonos Town. Yet, it has its uniqueness and for this reason I talk about it as a separate place.

Visiting Drafaki means getting out of the most tourist areas of the Chora, without having to leave the city.

You can sit at a cafe, have dinner in a tavern, enjoy the view, the typical white buildings and take pictures without the crowds.

Tourlos

Tourlos is located about 2km north of Mykonos town.

Among all the villages of Mykonos, Tourlos is one of the most picturesque thanks to its port, the white houses, the flowers everywhere, the VIPs and its very well organized beach.

It is a sandy beach where you can swim and practice water sports. Once it was considered one of the quietest and least popular beaches on the island, but since the new port was built, things have changed a little.

However, the port, with the area dedicated to yachts, makes Tourlos the perfect base in Mykonos if you are planning a boating holiday.

One thing to do in Tourlos is visiting the Chapel of Saint George Spilianos, north of the port, built in the hollow of a rock.