Little Venice – Mykonos Old Town Harbor
Port of Call: Mykonos had been in our dreams as a place we wanted to visit badly. Well really it was one of the reasons we had booked the cruise extension in Barcelona. We know that Mykonos is a destination island for sun vacations, so booking a a shore excursion was out of the question. We were going to stretch our legs and explore the town bi-pedal.
Greece has between 1,200 and 6,000 total islands and islets, depending on the minimum size counted, with the Hellenic Military Geographical Service citing up to 29,372. Of these, only about 166 to 227 are inhabited, scattered across the Aegean and Ionian seas. With a population of a little over 10,000 people and a surface of 33 sq.miles, Mykonos takes place 33 in the line up of Greek Islands. Can’t help but compare Mykonos to our Beaver Island numbers and realize that Mykonos is only 3/5 of Beaver Island which houses about 600 people.
There are many islands surrounding Mykonos, like the famous Santorini, the islands of Andros, Tinos, Milos, Ios, Syros, Paros and Naxos. These islands have daily connections to Mykonos, so if you combine boats you can visit even more islands and add more destinations to your greek island hopping experience. Tinos, which is less developed but larger in size, is immediately located to the north and worth a visit by ferry.
The new cruise ship port in Mykonos, also nicknamed “Island of the Winds” is situated about 2 km north of the charming, vibrant old town known locally as Chora or Mykonos Town. Yes, it is possible to walk and do Mykonos on your own from the cruise ship, but expect a 30-40 minute walk. It is more pleasant to hop on the sea bus and take in the views of the bay while it takes you into the Old Town. The Mykonos SeaBus operates a regular service from the New Port in Tourlos to the old port of Mykonos Town (Chora).
The SeaBus takes around 8 minutes, costs €2 per person each way and the services operates continually around the bay. Thus the wait is not usually very long, I think we waited 15 minutes for our return trip. they only accept cash, make sure you have Euro with you. The SeaBus has two drop off points, one on one side of the bay and one in the old port Mykonos right near little Venice. Old Town’s pedestrian-only area is a maze of narrow streets, whitewashed houses, and colorful balconies located on the west coast. It features iconic 16th-century windmills, Little Venice, and the Old Port.
Chora is a, highly walkable, Cycladic village filled with bougainvilleas, boutiques, cafes, and churches. Famous areas include the Matogianni Street for shopping, Little Venice for sunset cocktails, and the Kato Mili windmills.
In the heart of the Old Port, where cobblestones meet café tables and souvenir bags swing from every other wrist, you’ll find Manto Mavrogenous Square-a lively patch of Mykonos with a serious backstory. This bustling square is named after one of Greece’s boldest heroines: Manto Mavrogenous. Born into wealth and aristocracy, she could have lived a life of comfort and parties. Instead, she emptied her fortune funding Greece’s War of Independence in 1821-and then rolled up her sleeves and joined the fight. That’s right: she wasn’t just writing checks; she was leading troops and helping drive Ottoman forces off the island.
While walking or wandering through Old Town, you will eventually end up at the shoreline and if you continue on your left until you reach the end, you will see the famous “windmill” view! A short, perhaps 15-20 min. walk, depending if you stop to look at shops and attractions along the way. The windmills used to be an important part of the Islands economy and used for many centuries to grind wheat and barley into flour. Now there are six mills remaining on the hill overlooking Little Venice and an important part of local tourism.
There are an estimated 600-800 churches on the Island, many private churches for families who want to worship alone. The definition of what is a church is broad as historically many families, buried their dead in a small enshrined location.
Agios Nikolaos off the harbor in the old port of Mykonos is known by locals as “Agios Nikolakis,” denoting its small size. It is located in the old port of Mykonos Town along the sea and was built in the 4th century to honor Saint Nikolaos, the patron saint of fisherman.
Mykonos Cats sleep on anything including scooters
Walking is the only way to see Mykonos. Good to just slow down and enjoy the local culture and people. We stopped at a local café for lunch.
It’s worth venturing out behind the obvious, meaning Old Town is fascinating in the obvious panoramic beauty, but go beyond what is visible and find the places and sites where the islanders live and it becomes mesmerizing. Color schemes, architectural details, entrance doors and windows, they all uncover a language and lifestyle, we don’t know anymore or probably never did. The art of living in relaxation and pureness.
We gladly passed up the offered ship’s excursions to do this Port of Call destination on our own and learned something important: live in a place where watches are as useless as speed bumps to live a long and happy life!
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