Char_319

Hi,
Mother (58) daughter (30) trip to Greece next month and after touring the mainland and Athens we are flying to Mykonos Thurs 8 Sep 11 staying at the Semeli in Mykonos then ferrying to Santorini afternoon of Sat 10 Sep and staying at Tzekos Villas in Fira before flying back to Athens 7 pm Mon, 12 Sep then home the next day. I know that doesn't give us much time in the islands so would appreciate any ideas for sightseeing and food to make the most of our short time. Was thinking of visiting Delos.

billbarr

Hi Char_319

Four days on Mykonos at the time you are visiting will be very pleasant. The madness of mid-summer will have ended and the island will be warm and welcoming.

The Semeli is in a terrific location in the quiet Rochari district of town. Over the small bridge close to the hotel and a few minutes walk down a pretty lane you will come to some restaurants and shops. Continue walking and it is only about 3 or 4 more minutes to the harbour-front.

Without doubt, Delos is a 'must-see' and the regular ferry boats will be operating each day you are there. They usually depart hourly from the small jetty at the old port hourly between 9am and 11am with the 'official' return times being 12.15pm, 1.30pm and 3pm. It is best to check those return times which will be on display just where you depart for Delos. Cost is approx 15e for the ferry and 5e for admission to the site. (Heimdall, a regular here, has visited much more recently that me therefore I hope he comes along and gives you perhaps more accurate information regarding times and costs). If the sea looks rough and you are troubled by motion sickness I recommend you use the vessel called Orca – it’s an ex-Greek navy boat which seems to be a little more stable than the others.

I'd also use one of your days just to explore the town itself. Relax, get lost in the maze of narrow streets and enjoy some people-watching. Lunch in the Little Venice area with views of the windmills is very pleasant (but expensive) or you can snack at one of the cafes on the harbour front.

Perhaps you could use the remaining day to explore one or two of the southern or western beaches. From the Semeli it is about a 7 minute walk to Fabrika, where the small island buses operate from. The Agios Ioannis service is my favourite (hourly) which allows you to visit both Ornos and its beach and Agios Ioannis beach. Journey time is only 10 minutes or so, and the cost a few euro. (Agios Ioannis is where much of the movie Shirley Valentine was filmed).

If you feel a little more adventurous you could use the same small buses (but from the terminal down close to the old harbour) to visit Ano Mera the island’s second town. Journey time is close to 20 minutes. Ano Mera has some of the best traditional Mykonian restaurants on the island. There is also the famous 18th century monastery of Panagia Tourliani (there is a small entrance fee), or if you feel like a gentle half mile stroll, you can check out the ruins of the 12th-century monastery of Paleokastro. Be aware though that buses to and from Ano Mero are a little less frequent than most others - usually its a two hour service in September.

Bill

Char_319

Thank you Bill for all your great suggestions!

tejana

I agree with everything that Bill said. We spent 3 nights in Mykonos and it was perfect - one day to just explore town, one day for Delos (take the 9 AM boat and you can be back in town by 2 and can spent the rest of the afternoon in town), and one "beach day" for visiting Agios Ioannis and Ornos. You will love Hotel Semeli! The best part of staying there (besides the staff and the lovely pool and the relaxing atmosphere) is that you are only a few minutes walk from the heart of town, and it is very easy for wandering around at night. All of the shops stay open until about midnight (and then the clubs open) and you will find the streets pleasantly crowded and lively until all hours (much more so than we found in Santorini, but then we were staying in Oia which was a bit sleepier than Fira). From your post it looks like you are arriving Thursday morning and departing Saturday (probably on the 2:30 ferry to Santorini, which would put you in port in Santorini late Saturday). In Santorini you probably will want to spend all of your time on island, since you only have a couple of days, which probably means one day exploring Fira and one day exploring Oia. Unfortunately that means that you probably won't have the time to take a catamaran sail through the caldera (with a stop to swim in the warm springs of the volcano) and around the point to Red Beach, but if you have any chance at all, you should. It was our favorite day on Santorini. Otherwise, make sure to get up to Oia, and after exploring and shopping in the main town it is really nice to walk down the steps from Oia to Ammoudi Bay, and you can have a terrific lunch on the water at one of the tavernas (and you can easily get a cab back up to the bus stop in town or to wherever you want to go).

Heimdall

Mykonos is almost Bill's second home, and I can't really add much to what he wrote. Regarding Delos, I like to take the 9:00 boat, which gets you there before the tours, and for a short time you have the island almost to yourself. Strike out in the opposite direction of the map, and you will arrive at the area with the mosaics (House with the Dolphins, etc.) before anyone else, and get some good photos. If you want to guide yourself around, it would help to read up beforehand. There is an optional tour in conjunction with the 10:00 boat.

I've only been to Santorini a couple of times, but what I enjoyed most (apart from the views) was Ancient Thera, and the museum in Fira containing artefacts from the Akrotiri site. Unfortunately Akrotiri itself will be closed through 2011.