That feeling of the alarm going off at 2am before your holiday is one of the biggest juxtapositions you will ever feel. The reactive urge to roll over and turn it off so you can get back to sleep: and then the realisation that no, you have to heave yourself out of bed because, yes, you need to be at the airport in 2 hours time, boarding in 4 hours time at 6.
That was my thought process anyway, rubbing my eyes and trying to stay awake, crawling to the bathroom to get myself ready for the drive to Gatwick so we can make it on the plane to my October travel destination. Isn’t life so difficult? Welcome to evine.travel, where today I’m going to talk to you about my trip to Mykonos.
Arrivals
Located in the Aegean sea, just over 100 miles South-East of mainland Greece and its capital, Athens, Mykonos is an island part of the Cyclades group, only 105 km^2 in size.
Now- I knew that the airport here was going to be small, but when I saw that the plane had literally pulled straight up to the airport entrance after landing on the tiny island runway I was very confused. Despite my self-proclaimed travel expertise I’ve never ventured outside of more built up areas, certainly within Europe (unless you count 7 year old Ethan’s trip to Florida)- and Orlando International airport is slightly different to the one here in Mykonos. We stepped off the plane, and joined the passport control queue immediately- amazing! We’ll be swimming in the warm October sea in no time. How wrong we were, still waiting an hour later, one member of staff serving 150 different people and sweating like pigs.
Photograph- Flying over the Cyclades, October 2022
Making the first day
Nevertheless we made it through, and we were absolutely NOT prepared for what driving would be like on the island. In the UK I think we have become so adjusted to (relatively) well paved streets, regulated signage and roads wide enough for two cars that driving in Mykonos puts even the dodgiest country lanes in rural England to shame. We stayed in the North-East of the island, the opposite side to the main Mykonos Town, and so driving consisted of gravelled mountainside paths, giving way to the bigger cars that came in our direction and squeezing past the smaller ones. To paraphrase our waiter at a bar in Mykonos Town- in Greece you drive better when you are drunk; the curved roads become straight.
Needless to say I was a bit hesitant as to the welcome to my first time in Greece- but arriving at our home for the week completely shifted my perspective. Mykonos’ true natural beauty lies in its coastlines- and this certainly didn’t disappoint. Our villa was everything I had imagined and more; overlooking the sea, whitewashed walls, and a softly rippling, clear blue pool. All we wanted to do was unpack the cases, get into shorts and swimming costumes and b-line straight for the sun loungers. What amazed me was the sheer quietness all around- being in a more remote area of the island, you never really heard cars driving by; no bustling streets, just the distant breaking waves and occasional meowing of a stray cat.
One thing to note about the island- LOTS of cats wandering the streets, either clamouring for your food at the local restaurant or acting as an extra obstacle on those already tricky roads.
We spent the afternoon soaking up the rest of the sun, attempting to brave the admittedly freezing cold pool before retreating to our towels and then inside to shower and prepare for the evening meal. Being on the Northern side of the island we actually missed the sunset most nights, unless we ventured out to a beach towards the Mykonos Town- which, to be fair, is only around a 30 minute drive. Night fell and, dressed up and showered, we headed out to find somewhere to eat. We found the central town on the island, Ano Mera, was the best place for food near us, and decided on a restaurant called Kalammmakia, where we had a really lovely meal at an actually very reasonable price. Impressive, considering one thing we learned on this trip was that the price of food and drink, whether in supermarkets or restaurants, is usually quite steep in Mykonos. We took a walk after dinner, heading to Coffee Island, which we later returned to, and which I would definitely recommend if you plan on venturing outside of the main Mykonos Town (or, like us, are staying more rurally).
Then, the challenge of driving in the dark- or so we thought, but it was actually, surprisingly, somewhat easier than in the daytime. You could spot oncoming vehicles much easier with their headlights on; and there were so many less cars to share the roads with down those tight winding gravel paths. Making it home, settling down for the night after being up nearly 18 hours, we were ready for bed- but we were not that lucky, struck by a complete power cut. As you can imagine, at 10pm in a foreign country, where nobody speaks your language, no phone signal or lights on anywhere across the whole island, we were pretty worried. When would it come back? Would it come back? But then, amidst all the panic, we stepped outside and saw possibly one of the most beautiful things I’ve been lucky enough to experience so far in my travels.
Without any artificial light on the entire island, the sky was completely clear, free of light pollution, and the stars shone more brightly than I have ever seen before. Reality was suspended for a moment- the sheer magnitude, endless miles of deep space, stars an unimaginable distance away, all laid out in front of my eyes. Truly an unforgettable moment.
More to Mykonos
We became familiar with these sorts of power cuts, temperamental WiFi and lack of signal over the week. In a way, it made us appreciate the moment a bit more, and over the coming days we learned to love the rolling hills and meandering roads, realising this was a chance to experience something different than a city break or a tourist town. Once we learned to immerse ourselves in the reality of Greek lifestyle and culture, we fell in love. It became easier to appreciate spending hours just doing nothing, soaking in the sun, listening to the waves a couple of feet away rolling onto the sand. We spent the following days doing this, driving to beaches in the morning, exploring the island during the daytime, then returning to the villa in the evening to get ready and go out for food. Waking up at 6.45 in the morning to see the sunrise from the hilltop overlooking the sea; walking through the homely town of Ano Mera; coastal strolls in the late afternoon- these became some of the most formative memories of my trip. For this reason I’d implore- if you’re planning to go to Mykonos, make an effort to see more than what the main town offers: this island is so much more than tourism, and it's real culture, the connection with nature you can feel when you leave the noise behind, is invaluable.
Photograph- Ano Mera town, October 2022
Mykn' My Way West
With two full days left of our time in Mykonos, yet to visit the town, we decided to make the 25 minute drive and see the famous windmills, explore its own Little Venice, and, with any luck, watch the sunset over the port. Once again, we were not let down. Make use of the free parking at City Parking Mykonos, it’s only a 3 minute walk out of the town, and the views are simply gorgeous. It was a very windy day when we arrived- the conditions would have been good for flying a kite- but once we began wandering the stone paths of the inner town, it didn’t matter. For me it was here that it sank in that the videos I had been watching for months weren’t over-saturated, edited or fake- Mykonos is a very real, very beautiful place. There was some sort of childhood glee ignited in me, leading the way through the Greek labyrinth, not knowing what new, gorgeous view I’d find around the corner. We walked back to a restaurant we’d liked the look of earlier in the day when walking along the seafront- a picturesque, accommodating place situated right on the rocks called Baboulas Ouzeri. Understandably, food in the tourist-y areas was more expensive, but I’d be lying if I said it wasn’t worth it. The restaurant offers an amazing range of seafood, as well as a particularly nice meat platter. I settled for the sardines, and they were incredible- so much more flavour than any I had ever had here in the UK.
But by far the highlight of the meal was the view when the sun began to set over the harbour. The sky above us coated in orange, the water softly swaying literally less than a metre from our seats, and two boats framing the sun itself between them. An unbeatable end to the day.
Photographs- Little Venice and Mykonos Harbour, October 2022
Heading Home
Our last complete day consisted of exploring some of the last beaches we hadn’t yet visited, but it was just too windy to make a morning out of sunbathing on them. This was the only downside to coming in October- whilst many of the restaurants were still open, and it was much less busy (and most likely, cheaper), the wind became very intense towards the end of our trip. The sun shone on regardless, so for us it wasn’t a major issue. We headed back to the villa for lunch, and in the evening, based on recommendations online, drove to Kapari Beach.
Two things became immediately apparent upon arrival- one, the road to this beach is not suited for cars, and two, this would be the most stunning view of the entire week. I think the photo speaks for itself.
Having been home from Greece about a month now, it's safe to say I'm missing the cobbled paths, friendly locals and coastlines straight out of a painting. Mykonos was an incredible experience, and I'd implore you to head out there and see what Greece has to offer for yourself, even if that means exploring outside your typical holiday comfort zones. I can't wait to return to Greece next summer.
As always, it's good to be back, and cheers for the read,
EV
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