We visited Mykonos, Greece in April — their slow season — and had a picturesque vacation exploring the little island. We rented a car and I personally had an obsession with trying to visit every beach possible. With roads covered in potholes, and too many beaches to discover in three days, we didn’t see them all, but we did see a lot of the other sights! Most of our little adventures were free. Here’s what we recommend!

Get lost in the passageways at the Old Port

Mykonos Town or the Old Port is full of narrow passageways with whitewashed houses and colorful doors and balconies. In the charming little town, you can find living quarters, shops, restaurants, and even cats! (See the cat photos at the end of this blog!) It was rainy our first day there, which made the colors more bold and the streets less crowded.

Snap a postcard photo at Little Venice

Little Venice used to be a fishing section of the town, but is now full of restaurants and tourist shops. You can walk over and snap a postcard shot like this one.

Wander around the old windmills

Just up the road a bit from Little Venice are the old windmills! These were used to process wheat. Nowadays, one of them serves as a museum. If you trek below the windmills to the shore, you’ll have another distant view of Little Venice, and some fun dark rocks to play on.

Drive to Agios Sostis Beach

This was a secluded beach across the island from Mykonos Town. There were only a handful of tourists (given that it was April and too cold to swim). The green mountains contrasted with the sparkling blue/green water made for a tremendous view.

Visit a gorgeous pebble beach at Houlakia

Houlakia Beach is a ten minute drive away from Mykonos Town. There’s a dirt road that takes you fairly close to the shore. We were the only people in sight. There’s a couple of deserted construction projects and private houses nearby, but once you get past the seemingly abandoned road, you’ll find a spa-like beach.

Take a boat ride to Delos

Delos is an uninhabited archaeological island. You can purchase a boat ride there from the new port.

Explore Mykonos Port and take photos of the colorful boats

A five minute drive away from Mykonos Town, the port is full of colorful boats. It very obviously used to be the main form of entry onto the island with empty waiting areas, and closed-off customs.

Visit the monastery and Gyzi Castle ruins in Ano Mera

Ano Mera has a cute, little town square and a few monasteries. Walk or drive up a nearby hill a bit and you’ll find the Gyzi Castle ruins, spotted with cacti.

Hike to the Armenistis Lighthouse

The views from the Armenistis Lighthouse were amazing! As spring visitors, we found ourselves surrounded by orange butterflies and wildflowers. It was breathtaking. There are cliffs behind the lighthouse with views of the neighboring island. We even spotted sailboats below the cliffs. And you don’t actually have to hike! You can just drive right up the bumpy road.

Go for a swim at Platis Gialos

Platis Gialos is a gorgeous beach with teal, clear water and soft sand.

Order a gyro at Oregano or any other shop

The best food we ate were the gyros by far. Cheap and delicious, there’s no better way to go! Oregano was our favorite restaurant!

Satisfy your sweet tooth at Crepaland

Crepes? Yes please. This place had high reviews, and we agree — it’s great!

See how many cats (& dogs) you can spot

Mykonos is full of street cats, and the occasional pet dog.

Recommendations

• Embrace the crowds and go during the busy season.
  We went to Mykonos in April just before their busy season. It was disappointingly not quite warm enough to swim, but we could explore the island without ever being swarmed by tourists. On our last day there, the old town was filled with tourists trying to capture the perfect photo (or hundred photos) within the streets. I was grateful that we had already taken our one hundred photos a few days prior when it was rainy. If we went again, we would go in the busy season. We struggled to find open beach resorts and restaurants. The streets and houses were even being painted as they prepared for the tourist season! Warm weather and plenty of places to choose from would be ideal. But if you’re opposed to crowds and would rather explore the island in solitude, go for it!
• Rent a car if you’re not staying in Mykonos Town.
  With a car rental, it made it easy to visit all of the beaches and sights we wanted to. Plus, we could drive ourselves to and from the airport. It was especially critical because we didn’t stay in the main part of town.
• Eat at the bakeries for breakfast.
  It’s cheaper and still yummy!