Mythical Flavors of Mykonos

Just before last Christmas, Swiss Air launched one of its recurring campaigns, which I happened to come across by chance. Since it was also the season for Christmas gift shopping, tickets to Mykonos felt like the perfect present for my spouse.

And as with airline tickets, there is usually at least a slightly selfish motive involved — because the second ticket is always for the companion, meaning for yourself.

And if there is one thing I truly enjoy doing, perhaps more than anything else, it is travelling around the world and discovering new places.

Greece itself is hardly unexplored territory. Besides Athens, I have visited Crete, Corfu, Rhodes and Santorini several times. Each of them has left behind wonderful — and certainly delicious — memories. But this time, discovering the much talked-about party island, often described as a smaller version of Ibiza and a celebrity beach paradise, felt like the perfect little escape from everyday life.

Getting there through Zurich involved a rather long layover, but luckily we managed to spend those hours pleasantly with a beautiful spring morning walk around Zurich and an excellent brunch hosted by a lovely cousin.

We landed a little after seven in the evening, and to my surprise the sun was still high in the sky. I had forgotten how bright Greek evenings can be.

This time we chose accommodation right in the middle of Mykonos Old Town. What that old town would actually be like, however, we had no idea. Mykonos Gem Suites kindly arranged a complimentary driver to pick us up. The drive from the airport to the old town takes only about 10–15 minutes, and that is when we discovered that the entire old town is completely car-free. The driver politely dropped us off with our suitcases at the edge of town.

The town itself is absolutely beautiful and, with its white sandstone houses, reminds one somewhat of Santorini. But the streets are much narrower — and those balconies! Turquoise blue, ruby red, coral-colored, pink and every other imaginable shade.

Nature has blessed Mykonos at every turn, including the old town itself. Every tree and bush blooms in countless colors, making decorative flowerpots almost unnecessary. Shrubs and trees twist naturally around the white houses like golden curls.

Why are all the houses white? According to local stories, the sandstone used for the houses was heated until it turned white. Later, of course, the buildings were painted white, partly to help keep the heat away from the interiors. One of the real reasons, however, dates back to the cholera epidemic that struck Mykonos in the early 19th century. To fight the disease, absolutely everything was cleaned and whitewashed with lime. Compared to many other parts of Southern Europe, Mykonos managed remarkably well to overcome the epidemic and became disease-free.

Walking into the winding streets of the old town, it immediately became clear why modern-day Mykonos has earned its reputation as a glamorous party island full of celebrities. I honestly cannot remember the last time I saw such a concentration of luxury brands, boutiques, jewelry shops and watch stores. It could easily rival the main shopping streets of many large cities.

Prices are at least double compared to most other parts of Greece, and the tourists themselves are an attraction worth observing. More than half look as though they have stepped straight off a fashion runway, and photographers or content creators would certainly never run out of subjects there. In any case, the window shopping was great fun.

Still, Mykonos is certainly not only about parties, designer clothing and famous DJs in beach clubs. Beyond the history and stunning scenery, the island also hides fascinating flavours that differ greatly from the cuisine found elsewhere in Greece.

Because life in Mykonos is genuinely expensive, it is worth doing some proper research beforehand and booking a good food experience — preferably outside the city itself. This time I managed to find an excellent one through Get Your Guide after carefully reading reviews and comparing options.

On Monday evening, a small, sun-tanned and extremely pleasant woman named Georgia picked us up from the Old Port together with a driver. Joining us was also a young married couple from Colorado.

After a short drive uphill outside town — Mykonos is so tiny that there are really no long drives there, only frighteningly narrow and winding mountain roads — we stepped onto a sunny terrace overlooking the entire town and harbour of Mykonos, where we were greeted by Miss Francesca.

Miss Francesca herself is already an attraction.

It is difficult to imagine a more authentic Greek grandmother figure carrying on traditional culinary traditions. Her authoritative presence, dark curly hair, serious expression, apron tied around her waist, hands on hips, staring at yet another group of clueless tourists — she immediately commanded respect.

Guessing her age felt impossible.

Miss Francesca herself did not speak English, but throughout the entire three-hour cooking session our guide Georgia translated everything with remarkable dedication. Standing beside Francesca’s imposing figure, she appeared even smaller and more helpless, yet did her job brilliantly.

We cooked five courses, and to my surprise I discovered that I had never properly known how to make either souvlaki or even Greek salad. In addition, I received a wonderful introduction to Greek mezze dishes and learned how to prepare Mykonian kremidopita — an onion and cheese pie — along with several local specialties, including portokalopita and finally those incredible Mykonian doughnuts, loukoumades.

Watching the sunset from the hillside while enjoying one of the best dinners and Greek food experiences of my life easily places this evening among my top three memories from Greece.

An evening walk through town clearly showed what kind of party paradise Mykonos becomes after dark. So if someone wishes to party until complete exhaustion, there is certainly no shortage of opportunities. But on this trip we were searching for a different side of Mykonos — and we found it.

When it came to breakfast spots, we definitely found two favourites that I warmly recommend.

The first is a tiny place called LaLaLa, whose owner rather indignantly emphasized that it is “LaLaLa,” not “Lala,” after my spouse accidentally pronounced it incorrectly. Their breakfasts and omelettes are excellent. There are both local and international options, and the local yoghurt with honey is an especially wonderful way to begin the day.

The second excellent brunch spot is Mykonos Brunch Club, where the halloumi with chili and honey is absolutely worth trying.

One very enjoyable activity here is taking a boat trip to nearby islands — after all, Greece has around 3,500 islands. Mykonos is also extremely conveniently located; even Athens can be reached by ferry in only about 2.5 hours.

There are many operators to choose from, and at some point you simply have to trust your instincts. This time we again booked through Get Your Guide rather than locally, and the experience turned out to be somewhat mixed.

The trip was advertised as a cruise to the neighbouring islands of Rhenia and Delos, including a swimming stop at Rhenia’s white sandy beach and a BBQ lunch.

If you book one of these cruises, make absolutely sure you investigate what kind of boat it is, exactly where it goes and where the swimming stop actually takes place.

Our boat was apparently too large to dock at Rhenia and remained anchored roughly 100 metres offshore. So anyone wanting to swim or reach the island had to jump into the deep blue sea and swim there. If, however, you prefer calmly walking into the water from the shore rather than leaping into deep water, then unfortunately your island visit ended before it even began.

The promised BBQ lunch was also rather far from an actual barbecue, though the chicken skewer with rice was still perfectly edible. Much of the time was spent observing just how much free wine tourists who had flown across the ocean are capable of consuming.

The visit to Delos, however, was fascinating and truly worthwhile.

This was once one of the most cosmopolitan trading centres of the ancient Greek world, where money and goods were exchanged between Romans, Egyptians, Byzantines and many others. The entire island is essentially one enormous museum, and the amount of excavated history there easily rivals even the Acropolis in Athens.

Theatres, shops, banks, spas, Cleopatra’s villa, entertainment venues, markets — not to mention sophisticated water supply and sewage systems.

It really makes you wonder what happened in between and where the Middle Ages managed to bury such advanced civilisation. In any case, I highly recommend visiting.

A few restaurant recommendations that are definitely worth trying and far less touristy than many others:

M-Eating — especially the local onion pie, Mykonian-style lamb shank and crispy pork belly with local honey.

Directly opposite is probably the best gyros place in town. Gyros is also one of the best value meals on the island — around €8 gets you a chicken pita gyros. Do not forget to ask for extra onions and spicy tomato sauce.

La Petite Maison — specifically the smaller, less touristy version rather than the more tourist-oriented seaside location. Cozy atmosphere, excellent Greek salad, sea bass fillet, lamb shank with lemon and spinach-feta pie.

Philomena, the family restaurant run by Miss Francesca’s brother. It is located on top of a hill and requires climbing about 890 metres uphill, but then your workout is done and your appetite perfectly prepared for authentic homemade Mykonian food. Mostly locals eat there, and the prices are completely different from central Mykonos. Highly recommended — and walking back downhill is much easier.

And finally, our absolute favourite: To Maereio.

A tiny family restaurant that opens every evening at 7 PM. They do not take reservations, and by 7 PM there is already a line outside, so arrive about 15 minutes early.

There you absolutely must order:

• Spicy Mykonian sausage with feta

• Mykonian mostra — local spicy cheese served on bread with incredible tomato and oregano

• Taramosalata

• Zucchini balls that are simply unforgettable

And probably many other dishes as well.

Prices are surprisingly reasonable, but keep in mind that portions everywhere are huge, so it is best to share several dishes between two people. Three or four dishes are more than enough to leave you completely full — but very happy.

And finally. If you simply want a beach, head to the small city beach and enjoy the sun and sea right in the middle of the urban atmosphere. If you want luxury, service and music, head to Paradise Beach. The most sensible way to get around is by bus.

In the middle of town there is probably the world’s smallest and most unique bus station, from which buses leave every half hour to every corner of the island — and even to the airport — for just a couple of euros.

Watching how the buses actually arrive and somehow manage to park there is an attraction in itself.

The entire station is roughly a 1,000-square-metre square filled with buses, cars, bicycles, tourists dragging suitcases, random tourists, locals, cats — there are many of them — and every imaginable character.

In the middle of this chaos stands a thin old man wearing a yellow reflective vest, cigarette hanging from one corner of his mouth and whistle in the other. Somehow, with sharp whistle blasts, he manages to direct buses in and out without anyone getting flattened.

And do not expect buses to leave on time. The driver is probably completely exhausted after finally managing to park and understandably wants a calming cigarette and a little chat with the other drivers before departure. But eventually he returns. He turns aggressive house music up to full volume, packs the bus as full as humanly possible — yes, in large buses everyone stands and there is barely anything to hold onto — and off you go. And if you think you have survived at this point, think again.

Now the driver needs to make up for lost time and accelerates like a rally driver. Looking out the window is pointless because the roads are so narrow it feels physically impossible for the bus to fit, yet somehow it still manages to squeeze past speeding oncoming cars, goats and pedestrians — and once again, everyone survives.

Honestly, there is very little reason to spend money on amusement parks when one Mykonos bus ride delivers more excitement than most roller coasters.

So where was I?

Yes — this is how you can easily plan yourself a wonderful beach day or beach party. Still, during even a short holiday, it is definitely worth renting a car for one day and exploring the entire island. The island is so small that unless you plan to stay somewhere overnight, one day is completely enough.

Since cars cannot enter the old town, all rental agencies are located outside town along the main road uphill from the centre. It requires a bit of climbing, and if you are carrying luggage, it takes longer than Google Maps suggests.

Renting a car is incredibly easy. If you arrive from highly regulated Estonia and begin asking about insurance packages and additional coverage, people look at you rather strangely. Basically, they hand you a paper to sign, you pay €45 in cash, and the car is yours until late evening.

We got a Citroën C1 with one bar of fuel left — and honestly, there is absolutely no reason to rent a larger car on this island. They simply asked us to return it with the same amount of fuel.

In practice, we added two bars just in case, but after driving around the entire island, not even one bar had disappeared. Fuel is more expensive than in Estonia — around €2.25 per litre for 95 octane petrol.

The local road conditions and driving culture were already described in the earlier bus section. A few valerian tablets in your pocket might not be the worst idea, and extra attention on those mountain curves is definitely recommended.

But what should you actually visit? Definitely Vioma Organic Farm and Winery. Have lunch there and share the four-wine tasting menu. You will receive a fascinating introduction to local farming and winemaking traditions.

The place itself is incredibly charming. Everything served there is produced on the farm, and there is also a small animal area with a relaxed donkey, a curious goat eager to eat your shirt, turkeys, geese and various other farm animals.

Next, stop in the small town of Ano Mera, which is much less touristy than Mykonos Old Town. If you want souvenirs, prices there are significantly lower. There is also a lovely little monastery worth visiting, filled with the gold and grandeur of Orthodox tradition.

If you want a peaceful swimming stop with an almost empty beach, Agrari Beach is stunning with its turquoise water and beautiful scenery.

Finally, drive to the northern tip of the island to the lighthouse, where breathtaking views open across the sea, neighbouring islands and endless blooming landscapes.

And then it is over. Five days passed in the blink of an eye, leaving behind only memories and flavours.

At least some of those flavours, however, we will soon be bringing to Salt with a proper Greek evening this June.