Although my travel group only spent one night on the bustling island of Mykonos, we certainly did experience the highlights it has to offer. Mykonos truly lives up to its reputation as a party island with the standard nightlife continuing on until the early morning and hefty prices for drinks seemingly a normal occurrence across all the bars or clubs. At one bar we went to, a Long Island Iced Tea cost 25 Euros! However, there are also some really great aspects to the island that I enjoyed and would even recommend for travelers to experience at least once:
Food
Mykonos had some really great food that, although was slightly more expensive than other islands, was very tasty. We had one of my favorite meals there on the south-side beach of Mykonos Town at a seafood restaurant called Promenade. This fantastic restaurant had a delicious assortment of appetizers like their hummus and pita bread and calamari that our table tried, as well as amazing seafood and pasta. Even slightly hungover, this restaurant was a hit. Additionally, for breakfast we tried out Hibiscus and Jimmy's Gyros which were both reasonably priced for such a touristy place, and really hit the spot. Finally, before our night out we got two pizzas from Sinners Pizza which were just as delicious as we could have hoped for.
2. The Skandinavian Bar
By far, my favorite club/bar in Mykonos was The Skandinavian Bar, a bi-level building with two ground-floor bars and a nightclub on the second level. The bars were very fun, with lively music and people dancing. We also got reasonably priced shots like their "Buttery-Nipple" ones for 5 Euros. The club upstairs did have a long line, and you had to pay for a drink upon entry (~15 euros for a beer was the cheapest item, per person), which wasn't ideal, and wading through the tight crowd to get to the club bar was a bit of a hassle, but it's a club so what do you expect. Overall, it was a great experience with lots of fun people to talk and dance with, and reasonably priced drinks -- for the most part.
3. Aesthetic AF
No matter what people say about Mykonos, they can't say it's not pretty. As someone who has never experienced the Greek Island aesthetic before, this was truly amazing and on Mykonos it was turned up 1000%. I loved the maze of cobblestone streets between narrow buildings that open up to bustling store-front areas. Even at night, the streets are brightly lit and reflected off the white, close-knit building; thus, making you feel like it was daytime -- especially when the shops in Mykonos don't close until around midnight.
So, after all this, was it worth it? For first-time travelers to Greece, I think a quick stop is definitely worth it. However, the other islands far and away surpassed Mykonos in terms of activities, prices, people, and even food. Therefore, I would agree with the several locals who told us Mykonos is for party animals and rich people, and say it was most definitely a tourist trap. But hey, if you're up for it, it's also a fun experience that I don't think you'll regret -- hopefully.
Best,
Hailey
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