Make Mykonos…Yourkonos! The #1 Tip the Cruise Ships Don’t Tell You July 5, 2012 – Posted in: Uncategorized

Whether you’re searching for a party boat or a tranquil cobblestone galavant, Mykonos can offer you both. This happy little post will give you the #1 money saving tip on this little paradise in the Aegean that will surely save you at least $180 (which happens to be another thing the cruise ships don’t tell you!)

Our floating hotel sailed into port and immediately we spotted a town on the edge of the sea. The seaspray crashed against the rocks. Venice of course, Little Venice! Deemed a “must see” by every guide book and sea captain, we had it on our list as a spot to perch at the end of the day.

Little Venice

Little Venice

After reading about the different beaches, most notably “Super Paradise”, “Paradise”, and “Platys Gialos”, we were interested in keeping our swimwear on and opted for the “Platys Gialos” adventure. There are a variety of beaches in Mykonos and it really just depends on what you’re interested in doing and how much time you have to spend there.

A slice of heaven – Platys Gialos

Once again, we decided to explore like locals (see Sapphire on the Aegean: A {Red-i} Review of the Greek Isle of Santorini) and not opt for the extremely overpriced cattle herd (I mean, organized ship excursion). We knew that the island wasn’t so big that we wouldn’t be able to find our way around…with a few hiccups along the way as there are in any great adventure.

Mykonos hidden treasures

Floating bougainvilleas everywhere!

A sunbathed dream

There wasn’t a bad angle in any direction. After winding around the maze of roads (and a few busier roads in between) we reached our destination…the bus stop. While it was a bit (or completely) unattended, we eventually realized we could purchase a ticket on the bus.

1 non-Greek-speaking American + 100% Greek Kiosk = ?

Mopeds buzzed around and soon enough, more travelers arrived. We were off to Platys Gialos! Oh, and did I mention the #1 tip? Take the bus here. It was €3.20/person, roundtrip ($3.96) as opposed to the $90+ per person (€72+ per person) for the “scenic” tours that also brought you to the exact same beach. Fast forward to a comment heard on the tender boat back to the ship at the end of the day:

“What a waste! I cannot believe we spent €100 per person to walk around the town. We hardly saw anything!” ~Disgruntled Traveler, UK

We made it to the beach, soaked up the sun and dined on snapper. Not bad for a day wandering into the unknown! After a few hours we headed back to town, visited the amazing windmills and made it to Little Venice.  Cocktails on the water and a humungous pelican (the trademark of the island) made for the perfect ending to our taste of Mykonos! When will you make it Yourkonos? 🙂

Platys Gialos

We made it!

Beach-goers stopped in their tracks on the beach to check out the {Red-i} Barefoot Sandals

Our afternoon location

Famous windmills heading towards Little Venice

A GIANT pelican in Little Venice…and Eric creeping in!

Can a pelican get a table around here?

A perfect ending in Mykonos Town

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