Our first trip to Greece six years ago took us to Athens, Mykonos, Naxos, and Santorini. I have thought about that trip many times since, and I always knew I wanted to come back to Greece someday. I’m excited to say that day finally arrived! We just came back from a long weekend in Mykonos, courtesy of living just a few hours away in Amsterdam. To wake up at home and be in Mykonos by lunch is a little surreal but I’ll take it. One of the best things about moving to Europe is being able to take trips like this one. Rather than having to coordinate a two-week itinerary, we can take advantage of a long weekend. We had such an amazing time in Mykonos, finding some wonderful new spots, that I felt compelled to write a little travel guide. This is my long weekend guide to Mykonos, Greece!
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Getting to Mykonos
Luckily for us, there is a direct flight from Amsterdam to Mykonos. However, if you’re traveling from mainland Greece you can also arrive by ferry like we did on our first trip. I recommend arranging transportation from the airport to your hotel ahead of arriving in Mykonos. Most of the hotels offer shuttle pick up and drop off.
Our Hotel in Mykonos
We stayed at Vencia Boutique Hotel again. We really enjoyed our stay here the first time and pressed the easy button on it again this year. I love boutique hotels because they tend to have only a handful of rooms and the service can feel more personalized. Vencia Boutique Hotel checks both of these boxes and many more. Several rooms have ocean views and private terraces or balconies. We opted for the Kynthia Suite for a little extra room and a large terrace. The views from the room were outstanding and we enjoyed several drinks out there before and after dinner. The pièce de résistance at Vencia is the stunning infinity pool with a view over Mykonos Town (Chora) and the Aegean Sea. The food is also quite good and we couldn’t have asked for better service. They have a footpath that navigates you directly into town, too, so it’s quick and easy to reach restaurants, bars, and shops without needing transportation.
Eating in Mykonos
There are a lot of dining options in Mykonos, ranging from super casual to high-end. It’s easy to research the highest rated restaurants on TripAdvisor. These are the spots we enjoyed this time:
Sakis Grill House – This was the first place we grabbed a bite, pretty much as soon as we arrived. We landed before check-in so we dropped our bags and walked into town. We were craving a gyro and Sakis delivered! This place is not fancy (you can walk up in your bathing suit coverup) but the food is exceptionally good. They have several outdoor tables or you can grab a spot on the steps out front. Just thinking about it again is making me hungry! Don’t miss this place for a quick, easy, and delicious lunch.
Bakaló – We had dinner here on our first trip to Mykonos and loved it so much, we wanted to go back. We were not disappointed, as the food and service remain as enjoyable now as it did then. Sadly, their beautiful tree that used to provide such lovely shade on the terrace died. But the ambience is still quite nice. I loved the marinated octopus, grilled stuffed squid, and pork filet rolls. For dessert we tried the crispy pastry fyllo roll which was one of the best desserts I’ve ever had. It’s filled with vanilla cream and drizzled with butterscotch. So good!
Katerina’s – This restaurant and cocktail bar is a long-time favorite in an area called Little Venice. Book a balcony table here for a gorgeous sunset dinner. You’ll have views of the water, the windmills, and Mykonos Town as the sun lights it up before disappearing over the horizon. The food here is also good, but you’re probably mostly coming for the views and drinks. Although we did have a delicious meal of baked feta, shrimp and orzo, and lamb souvlaki.
Karavaki Restaurant – This is the in-house restaurant for Vencia Boutique Hotel and is known for being one of the best restaurants on the island. You can book their sunset dinner which gives you a private table away from other diners with a view of the sea as the sun sets. The evening we dined here, unfortunately, was a bit cloudy. But the food is very good and the service is outstanding. The grilled octopus, Greek salad (with huge chunks of feta), sea bass filet, and “Manestra ” which is orzo pasta with veal cheeks.
Restaurant d’Angelo – We had a very nice (even chic) lunch here under their shaded terrace. The food was some of the best Italian food we’ve had outside of Italy, so that tells you pretty much everything you need to know. We started with the caprese salad which comes with a large ball of fresh burrata – amazing. I loved the ravioli parmigiano which had this velvety dill and parmesan cream sauce. Paul loved the spaghetti carbonara. They also have a lot of pizzas and everything is very well priced. The restaurant is located right by the windmills so you can explore those after lunch and walk off some of those oh-so-worth-it calories. 😉
Baboulas Ouzeri – I may have saved the best for last with this one. Baboulas was our favorite dining experience ever on the island. It’s equal parts fun atmosphere and delicious food, plus the seaside location is the epitome of what you’re looking for when it comes to outdoor dining in Greece. You’ll want to come here for a long lunch or a sunset dinner. I recommend ordering “meze” so you can try a lot of different traditional Greek dishes. We started with the dips trilogy and pita bread and then proceeded to order enough food for an army! We tried the watermelon with feta salad, rafioli pies, shrimp pies, zucchini fritters, cheese saganaki, grilled vegetables, and a really great rosé. At the end of the meal they brought us a digestif of white wine with honey and an orange cake that was one of the best desserts I’ve ever had. Ask for Christos – he’s the best!
What to do in Mykonos
Mykonos is the perfect long weekend destination. It’s a party town. Let’s just get that out there. It’s one of THE locations for top DJs similar to Ibiza. Some people come to Mykonos to really party. There are almost an unlimited number of clubs, so if that is your scene you are in the right place. You can also come to Mykonos and completely chill. I bet you can guess which camp we fall into. LOL
We did lots of pool lounging at Vencia Boutique Hotel. It was spritz o’clock pretty much all day. But there are additional ways to spend your time. I recommend checking out Mykonos Town and just getting lost in its labyrinth of streets. There are many shops and boutiques from souvenirs to high-end fashion. Almost all of them stay open late, too, so you can always do a little after dinner shopping. I recommend Salachas for Greek linen and cotton clothing that has been a family business since 1935. Its founder was once known as the “Dior of Mykonos.” The store is full of linen shirts, dresses, pants, and matching sets as well as beautiful embroidered pieces. I brought home a linen dress I can’t wait to wear in France this summer.
You can’t miss the windmills, most of which were built by the Venetians in the 16th century. There are seven windmills on the hill overlooking the harbor by the Little Venice neighborhood. They were once primarily used to mill wheat but are no longer functional. They are quite impressive in person and something that you must see when in Mykonos (although they’re kind of hard to miss)!
Little Venice is a fun area to explore as well. All along the waterfront are bars, cafes, and restaurants so just grab a seat and let yourself be on “Greek time.” Relax, unwind, and people watch. We enjoyed a drink at Veranda which is down the curve a bit so you get a nice view looking back at the coastline and the windmills. We also grabbed a drink (twice, actually) at Parthenis Cafe before dinner.
If Lola hadn’t been waiting for us at home, I wouldn’t have wanted to leave. Mykonos is a special place that we have so enjoyed visiting. Our next Greek adventure may take us to some different islands, but Mykonos will forever be in our hearts. I hope you’ve enjoyed this long weekend guide to Mykonos, Greece. Be sure to check out my other travel guides here!
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xo – Erin
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