Back in March, my partner and I began researching where to go for our Summer holiday. After weeks and weeks of research (seriously), we finally decided on Mykonos. It was the amazing deal we found on ebookers for Mykonos Bliss hotel in Kalo Livadi which swayed our decision.
As it’s a new hotel, there weren’t that many reviews and the few they did have were all fantastic. I knew when booking that it was a little far out from the town, but I was willing to sacrifice this and pay extra for taxis for the amazing views😍 It truly was bliss.
Nevertheless, once we landed and made our way to our hotel, my views on the location of the hotel and Mykonos in fact, started to change and here’s why:
1. The roads are scary
From the second our airport transfer driver left the airport car park and drove out to what the Myconians call a road, I instantly felt uneasy and couldn’t wait to get to our hotel. The roads are so narrow and only look wide enough to fit one car going in one direction let alone fit two cars going both directions!
To add to the stress of wondering whether your car will fit if another car comes along from the opposite direction, you’re also trying not to run someone over as people walk along these roads too! It was complete madness and actually quite dangerous. Some of the roads didn’t even have walls either side of them and as the island is quite hilly, there’s also the fear that you could fall off road lol.
After what felt like a lifetime, we then saw the hill or should I say cliff that our car had to climb to get to our hotel. All we could smell was burning clutches.
It was at that point that I realised how glad I was that we didn’t hire a car so we didn’t have to do this ourselves. But, those thoughts soon changed…
Tip: Stay close to the town where it is safe to walk
2. It’s virtually impossible to get a taxi
As stated, I knew that our hotel was a 20 minute taxi journey away from the main town of Mykonos (Chora), but I didn’t know that it would be so hard to get one! The reviews I read about Mykonos Bliss Hotel in Kalo Livadi said that taxis into town cost about €30. This was true, but in reality, there are around 200 hotels in Mykonos and only 32 taxis. You can do the math lol.
We were lucky on the first day as we were able to get taxis easily and straight away however by the second day, we were basically left stranded on a beach as there were no taxis in the area and our hotel was about an hour walk away. This just isn’t doable in the heat and as explained, actually unsafe.
As a result, our hotel said that we would have better luck getting around if we used the transfer company who picked us up from the airport to take us to the hotel. However, as they are a private transfer company, we ended up paying €50 euros each way which resulted in us spending about €250 in 2 days! That’s when we decided to brave our fears of the Myconian landscape and hire a car.
Tip: Either book a hotel that offers a shuttle service into the town or hire a car
3. It’s ridiculously windy
As soon as we landed in Mykonos at around 8:30pm, I was a little alarmed with how windy it was as we left the airport. It was so windy in fact that I felt quite chilly and started to regret not bringing a little cardigan.
Having your hair down is not an option in Mykonos unless you want to get flicked in the eye with your own hair every two seconds. The wind was so strong in the day also; it kept blowing my hat off my head and the sand up onto our skin which actually hurt a bit😂. Our towels kept flying off our beds too. We had 44mph winds on one day!
This made it really unpleasant to eat outside sometimes too. We were given a glass of ice with our drinks one night and the wind was so strong that the glass fell off the table and smashed. I now know why it is known as the “Island of the Winds” and why there are windmills in the town.
On the plus side, it made sunbathing bearable!
Tip: Go from the second week of July when the winds aren’t as strong
4. The beaches aren’t that great and sunbeds are absurdly expensive
From the pictures I’d seen prior, the beaches all looked quite nice with clear blue water and white sand. The beach near our hotel, Kalo Livadi (which is where Lindsay Lohan’s infamous club Lohan’s used to be), was rated one of the best in Mykonos so we thought we would try here first.
The sand was beautifully soft and the water was crystal clear; good start. It wasn’t until we sat down on the sunbeds and were told that they would cost us €40 euros each, that our ideas started to change. Because we were impressed with the beach itself and it was our first day, we thought we’d just stay.
We saw the staff bringing cold towels and fruit platters out to people so we started to feel a bit happier with our choice. We then realised however that they only brought these out to people in the front two rows and questioned why, only to find out that they paid €10 euros more than we did to sit on those rows. Have you ever heard of such a thing? The closer to the sea you get, the more it is for a sunbed! There’s a particular beach (Nammos) where people pay up to €2000 euros in August to sit at the front row!!!
I mean it would be pretty cool to basically have your bed in the sea, but look how close you are to other people. Is it really worth that much?!
Kalo Livadi & Psarou beach (where Nammos is) were the only two beaches we visited that we liked. Don’t worry, there’s a section along Psarou beach where you can get reasonably priced sunbeds. This was actually the cheapest beach we found (€15 euros each for a sunbed no matter which row you sit).
All the other beaches we visited like Elia, Alemagou and Scorpios had pebbles for sand and rocks in the sea which to us, isn’t very pleasant or enjoyable.
Tip: Go to Cavo Psarou beach for cheaper sunbeds
5. You’ll need to take out a small loan to eat, but the food is AMAZING
I’d always heard that Mykonos was expensive but I don’t think you understand the severity of it until you get there. On the first night we went to a little taverna in the area of Platis Gialos called Avli Tou Thodori which was actually quite cheap. We had three starters, 2 mains and 2 glasses of red wine for around €100 euros. We also got a free dessert!
However, that was the only reasonably priced meal we had. Dinner from thereafter was costing us anything between €150 – €350 euros a night. Even our lunch was costing about €150 euros every day!
Once you come to terms with the fact that you are in probably one of the most expensive places on earth, you really begin to appreciate the beautiful island. Every single meal we had was truly spectacular and also an experience. It was all so fresh and they don’t do things by halves; you receive generous portions. Admittedly we probably over ordered on numerous occasions, but we regret nothing.
Even the food in our hotel Mykonos Bliss was superb. I’d recommend going there for breakfast or dinner even if you don’t stay there.
Tip: Nusr-et Steakhouse, Buddha Bar and Kiki’s Tavern are must eats whilst in Mykonos
6. The town is like a maze
You can’t go to Mykonos and not visit the town. It is the epitome of Greece; cobbled streets, clean, white buildings, splashes of blue, and ots inundated with little chapels.
In addition to it being a sight to behold, it is where all the action is. Full of bustling bars, restaurants, shops and much more.
Beware though, it is like a maze. Once in, you think you are going to a part of it you haven’t seen before but will end up going round in circles a few times.
Oh and girls, do not bother wearing your heels to explore here; it feels like it is located at the lowest point of the island because no matter what way you get to it, you have to go downhill at some point and climb loads of stairs to escape it.
You also psychically cannot drive in the town so it’s best to park up about 5 or 10 minutes and walk down.
Tip: Park about 5/10 minutes away from the town and walk in
Overall, I can honestly say that I have never been anywhere quite like Mykonos. It’s an island that can make you feel in love with it one minute and dislike it for its pretentious the next. It’s a trip I will never forget not only because I was proposed to there, but for it’s beauty. It’s somewhere I’m glad I visited but would only go again for a few days simply due to the amount you spend whilst you are there.
I hope this blog post has given you an insight into what Mykonos is like and provided some realistic expectations before you visit! Please feel free to ask any questions in the comments box below.
To see everywhere I visited, follow me on Instagram and watch my “Mykonos Story”.
Discovering Difference 
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