Mykonos
 

Hi, I will be in Mykonos mid November on a cruise and we have about 5 hours(6pm-11pm) to kill. There are no set up excursions, so I was just wondering what anyone suggests that we do or have to see while we are there. Any info would be greatly appreciated.

A perfect day on Mykonos includes a stroll to the Little Venice area, photos in front of the windmills, a lunch at Paraportiani restaurant: try the Greek salad and huge calamari and have your camera ready for the pelicans: they will be seen eating fish, straddling over to the tables for a tidbit much like cats in other restaurants. . There are some magnificent jewelry shops : Mykoinos Gold of Artemis Michailidis in Mykonos Town. If your lucky you'll find the bakery shop on lower level (follow the perfume of biscuits baking).

I believe the above poster does not realize the date and time of your visit.

In November - the tourist season is over in Mykonos. - it weill be getting dark quickly -no excursions as not much to see.

The only alternative is to walk along the streets and alley ways of Mykonos Town- some shops and restaurants may be open but certainly not like summer.

Assume you eat an evening meal on the shio during the hours you are in mykonos - does not leave much time for any exploring.

If those five hours are in the morning, you may be able to take an excursion boat to the island of Delos, one of the best archaeological sites in Greece. Otherwise, have a stroll around Mykonos Town. There will still be some shops and restaurants open, because Mykonos has a year-round population. The town will be just as beautiful as ever, and you won't have to share it with the summer crowds. :-)

Sorry, I missed the part that you will be there from 6pm to 11pm. No Delos then, but some shops should still be open, and you will have time for dinner in a Mykonos restaurant.

Hi Jake

In mid November on Mykonos the sun sets a little after 5pm.

Some areas of town are floodlit such as the windmills and town hall but, sadly, you won't find too many other photo opportunities.

I'm not sure what days you will be there but the town does get busier at weekends when folks from Athens visit.

On the main street (Matogianni) there will be a few restaurants open such as La Casa and the Lotus plus O Giavroutas restaurant (on Mitropoleos).

Unfortunately, I cannot think of one cafe on the harbour front that will be open in mid-November. It could be windy and chilly so it may be better if you stick to the small streets just behind those. That said, if it is known a cruise ship will be coming in then there's a good chance some of the local cafe owners will make sure their place is open!

One bar advertises itself as being open every day of the year and it is called Passo, also on Matogianni Street. Again, I cannot think of any bar or club that may be open in the Little Venice area.

I hope regular contributor Gaspard joins the thread as he has a superb knowledge of the island and may be able to give you some more advice and recommendations.

As folks have already mentioned, it is worth spending some time walking around the maze of small streets even on an early-winter evening.

bill

Hi Jake,
as billbarr said, it´s getting dark around 5pm. Just get lost in the narrow street of Mykonos town. When cruiseships are coming, some owners open the shops, but not many in November. Have a look at the windmills, Little Venecia. Maybe the museums are open. You nerve know. billbarr geve you some addresses for restaurants. I confirm Giavroutas, La Case. Then there is the Phos Café Bar and Appaloosa and To Maereio (Kalogera street). Maybe Rouvera (seafront) will be open (owner belongs to an old Mykonian family), but Madoupas (seafront) will certainly be open. It´s the most traditonal bar/café/taverna/restaurant in Mykonos town. Madoupas is an institution. Extremely fair prices. Next to the St. Nikolas church.
When I arrived for the first time in Mykonos (1974) it was dark and cold. But the town had character and was mysterious. I decided to go back one day. In 1975 I stayed a month and since then ...
G.

>Madoupas (seafront) will certainly be open. It´s the most traditonal bar/café/taverna/restaurant in Mykonos town.<

How could I forget? Thanks J.

Bill

Gaspard

My husband and I are planning a trip to Greece this November (I was there 16 yrs ago- my husband has never been). We picked November because that's our anniversary and we do a trip every year to celebrate - also that's when Delta is kind enough to let you use your miles! :)

We definitely want to spend time in Athens and Nafplio but we also wanted to spend time on a couple of the islands. I was depressed to read the threads that they islands "close down" at that time of year - the weather sights didn't make the weather look that extreme.

Are there any islands that would still be okay to visit? By the way we have 11 days total.

Appreciate any help,

Merri

What's October like? I am planning to go then. I used to live in Mykonos (Jamuary to Septemeber 1972) The day I left was a beautiful warm day. Does the weather hold til October and do things stay open? I find it interesting that street names are used now. I don't think I ever used a street name the whole time I was there. I am almost afraid to go back It may break my heart.

Has it been 36 years since you've been there? You're right, your heart will be broken.........

There's a piece in the NYT Travel section today about 36 hrs. in Mykonos. www.nyt.com

Merrisr
November is not the best month to visit the islands if you like warm and sunny weather, but some like this moment, when the islands show more character. It can be cold, windy, rainy, the days a short. As you want to visit Naflio, why don´t you stay on the Peloponessos and visit Corinth, Epidaurus, Mistra, Olympia, Bassae, Monemvassia etc. ?
And maybe visit Hydra.
G.

ahotpoet,
Mykonos changed especially the last 15 years. What you surely will feel: the greed for money is all around.
But you will certainly meet old friends, sitting in Madoupas. Spiros is nomore, but his daughter has a restaurant near the new harbour: Mathios, who is a Xydakis from Ornos. Maybe you remember the Konstantis taverna in Ornos, run by Kostas and Dimitra Zouganeli. This family is still everywhere in Mykonos. Makis sold his Remezzo. An other family is still omnipresent: Koussathanas. And Andreas Koutsoucos sold his Pieros and lives now in Agios Ioannis. But I´m sure you will find your way in Mykonos. The windmills (Sutton) are still there. Near the windmills the Xenos hotel has a new name: Theoxenia. But the Leto is still the Leto. If the hotel Delos is open, I don´t know. It was closed this May.
Gaspard

So sad to read this post, I had the most magical time in Mykonos, about 23 years about this September/October. The weather was lovely , till we left , first week in October..
It was a busy island then( a party island of course) , but not too busy( and cheap, we managed to get rooms for less then 10 dollars a head) ,, I have always wanted to return, but perhaps memories are best left unscathed..

Bozama,
don´t be sad and live in your memories. Make an update. You will feel younger after that.
G.

My heart wasn't broken when I first visited Mykonos four years ago. I found it to be a fantastic island, wonderful light and amazing colors. Possibly the prettiest little port town I've ever had the very good fortune to visit.

Of course, I cannot compare it with how the island was 20 or 30 years ago but what I found I simply loved. So much so, I re-visited a few years later.

milley

Gaspard, Brotherleelove
Do you live in Mykonos? I have a zillion questions. I should probably find a map of the island and the town. Anybody got a link?Some memories are quite clear and others fuzzy (probably filtered through too much yaourti me meli):-)
It was a very "small town" in the off season.
Is the Spiro you are referring to the one who had a restaurant not far from Alefkandra? He has a few daughters. I only remember Voula since she was getting married to a soldier who was posted on the island and would soon be taking her away. Oh, the drama! I eventually moved to a farmhouse outside of town in THE COUNTRY. It was either a 5 minute run up the donkey path or a 15 minute walk on the road. Spiros farm was further up the donkey path and he was always kind to me and brought me fresh vegetables from his farm when he was on the way to town. He grew what he needed for his restaurant. I also ate free at his restaurant. I, in turn, used to go meet the ferry boats when they arrived at the port and get people to stay in the rooms he had behind the restaurant.
There was a shop on the main drag run by Alex Kontarinis. He used to make tea and serve macaroons made by his brother and sold at the cafe which was on the harbor. He was my guardian angel. Between his pidgen English and my stilted Greek with smatterings of German and French we managed to develop a great friendship.I can't imagine he is still alive but I would love to hear any news of the family. His nephew Costas would still be around, I am sure.
Is the 9 Muses still there? I cannot tell you how many nights I danced away there and then as the sun was coming up, made my way home to the sound of roosters crowing. I was there during part of the Piero era and was actually there opening night.
There are alot of other stories to tell but I am not that great a typist so they will have to wait.

Ahotpoet, here is an interactive map you may find helpful:
http://www.skymap.gr/?ElementId=36198

Thanks. These names mean nothing to me. It cracks me up. When I was there, in restaurants we never ordered from a menu. We went into the kitchen to see what was cooking. I may have to go back just to get over the place.... or stay another year.

Bring a LOT of money. Have you checked current room prices and compared them to 36 years ago? How does a 1000% strike you?

Maybe my old farmhouse digs are still available. When I moved in there was no electricity and the water for the shower was heated by the sun in a barrel on the roof. If they haven't improved the property too much I bet I can swing a good deal.

Unrealistic optimism will only bring disappointment. What makes you think the owner of the "farmhouse digs" would preserve a 36-year-old status quo when there's 10 times (or more) the money to be made by upgrading? This is Mykonos you're talking about, not some sheepherder's hut on a remote mountaintop in Central Greece. Chances are that farmhouse now has a swimming pool, internet access, jacuzzi tub and satellite TV!

All the better! Actually, I was just kidding. It's my idea of irony. Sometimes it just doesn't communicate.

And I'm a bit thick.........8}

I have been reading your back posts and find you quite savvy and helpful.

Hotpoet NOTHING is what it was 36 years ago including you. It will break your heart to look in your photo album from 1972 and then look in the mirror today.

If you go back and are distressed that Mykonos has changed, think about it -- So have you. You make more money now, but you don't look the same either.

In 1972, Mykonos people lived very simply because that is all they could afford. Then people with more money came there and were willing to pay more. Now the local people can put in bathrooms and a/c and have menus in their tavernas and charge more. They can send their kids to college in Athens. Things change. that's life.

Hi travelerjan
I have no illusions about that. I have changed in so many ways beyond the physical sometimes I am amazed. I do not begrudge anyone anything. I think everyone deserves a prosperous lifestyle especially if one is as smart and hardworking as the Mykonians. Mykonos will always have a special place in my heart and mind. I have friends from high school who I feel the same way about but sometimes in present time when you meet again all you have in common is the past.
I have no expectations of present day Mykonos other than to be a fun comfortable vacation destination that appeals to my sense of aesthetics. I also have more $ now than I did then. I am more demanding than I was then. I am not going there because I want an American experience or I insist on having my Starbucks in the morning. Ohmigod! I just remember how I used to mix packets of Nescafe and sugar and mix mix mix so that when we slowly poured in the water you would get a froth. I am a small pleasures kind of gal. I enjoyed going into the kitchen. There was a family feel to it all. I liked that.
FYI I look fantastic for a woman my age. It is only when I look at the scale, not in the mirror, that I want to cry. :-(

Kalimera,
I prefer to answer your more personal questions (involving other people) when you use this address:
harvey at internet dot lu

G.

Endaksi Se ligo