Traveling to Greece - Part 1- Mykonos

Athens- Mykonos- Santorini. A complete 9 DAY ITINERARY and guide for the trip of a lifetime through the beauty, charm, culture, Greek and Mediterranean culinary cuisine and majestic blues and whites that encompassed our bucket list trip to Greece through Athens and the dreamy islands of Mykonos and Santorini.

For as long as I can remember, my number one travel destination on the top of any bucket list was Greece. #greecevacation That dream came true on our 10 year anniversary. We loved it so much that we are planning another trip back for next summer, this time to share the magic with our children and we can't wait! #travelgreece

If you are thinking of taking this vacation, splurging, and traveling to the Aegean, you will not be disappointed! #greecetrip From the history, the culture, the colors, the food, the beautiful sparkling blue waters, to the accommodations everywhere we stayed, we wouldn't change a thing about the trip, other than staying longer! #lovegreece #tripofalifetime

Know Before You Go

When to Travel -

• When traveling to Greece, #greecetravel the early season begins in late April and ends in mid September. #greece_uncovered We opted to travel the first week of September when the rates had slightly gone down and it put us there just in time to experience the end of the summer season before tourism sleeps on the islands for its off season.

Language-

• Most tourist places speak English on the islands and in Athens, so the language barrier should not be an issue.

Helpful App-

• WhatsApp seems to be the preferred app there for payments and everyone uses it for one thing or another (transport, meet with hosts, etc.) so it's worth a download before you go. #travelgreece

Cash-

• I'm not sure if you are like me, but I avoid carrying cash when possible. However, certain places across Greece including taxis would not take cards, so make sure you have some to avoid any problems.

Transportation-

• If you are traveling between the islands, ferries are the easiest and most convenient mode of transportation. #greekisles I would recommend opting for a high speed ferry when possible to get to your destination even faster. We booked travel on SeaJets from Athens-Mykonos and then on our second leg from Mykonos-Santorini and it was an easy comfortable, efficient way to travel. The Jets had a waiting area on board like you are boarding a plane and there was even enough time to snag a delicious coffee and pastry on board while we traveled and admired the Aegean spread out before us!

ATV Rentals v. Car Rentals -

• If renting an ATV on the island, be careful as drivers can be erratic.

• It's definitely worth it and the experience is so much fun! You'll need a international drivers permit from AAA. We rode ATVs in Mykonos and it was a great way to explore the entire island and beaches with a limited time. You can also find these rentals on any island.

• We rented from Quality Rentals outside of Mykonos Town and I would highly recommend them. They'll pick you up from your hotel and drop you off when your rental is done. It couldn't be easier.

• I would not recommend renting a car on Mykonos or any of the islands as the roads are narrow and local drivers can make for an intimidating experience to a non-native.

Restaurant Reservations -

• Dining in Greece is an experience that can take hours and it's such a wonderful way to absorb the culture and delicious fresh Greek cuisine while checking out from the hustle and bustle of typical life back home. Expect to dine for awhile. Don't rush it as it will offend the staff, and you won't want to! #greekculture #greekcuisine

• Last, when making dinner reservations, opt for a time after 10 pm. Yes, you read that right! We did not make a reservation for dinner before 10 pm any night of our trip as we learned beforehand it's customary to dine well into the night before moving onto any additional nightly festivities like dancing.

"We wouldn't change a thing about our trip, other than staying longer... It was the trip of a lifetime!"

9 DAY ITINERARY - Including Travel

Athens - 1 Night upon Arrival

Travel -

• We flew from Atlanta to Athens connecting in Istanbul on Turkish Air, which has amazing on board services, even for coach. Though next time I'll likely opt for the comfort of some extra leg space as it is a very long flight from the States (11 hours)! We spent our first night and a full day in Athens at the end of our trip. #athensgreece

• This is definitely one place I wish we had more time but we were on borrowed grandparent babysitting time, which meant we had to pack in as much as we could with the time we were given and Mykonos and Santorini were higher on our bucket list. So we spent the bulk of our time on those islands and they certainly did not disappoint. #bucketlistadventures

Hotel -

• ARRIVAL: We stayed by the Port Rafina where the Sea Jets launch in Athens at the Avra Hotel Rafina on the front end. It was easier to do this upon our late arrival into the city so we did not have far to go in the morning to catch our ferry to Mykonos. We literally walked 5 minutes onto the SeaJet to board.

• The hotel had an excellent breakfast bar with fresh fruit and the typical Mediterranean charcuterie spread, perfect for any palate. #mediterraneandiet It was very satisfying to get us going after what felt like a quick catnap from our long intercontinental travel the day before.

Mykonos - 2.5 Days

Travel –

• We traveled by sea for 2 hours via SeaJets from Athens to Mykonos. See my section above on arriving into Athens. It was a 5 minute walk from the Avra Hotel at Port Rafina.

• TIP: Be careful to pay attention to the stops announced on the ferry jet because we accidentally got off at the wrong island since some of these jets stop at more than 1 place before arriving in Mykonos and with the many people bustling on board it can be slightly difficult to hear when they announce the port stops. If you make this same mistake, fear not. Just stay by the port for the next ferry. My husband ran into town to buy us new tickets for the next ferry and it was a quick fix to hop on the next boat that came to port. It did cost us some of that day though, which was a shame with a tight itinerary, so hopefully this helps you to avoid that same rookie mistake.

Where to Stay-

• We stayed in Platis Gialos beach and would do it again. It is easy to get into Mykonos Town by bus or taxi (roughly 15 minutes away). And you'll definitely be spending time winding through the beautiful cobblestone streets of Mykonos Town to dine and shop throughout your stay on the island. #platisgialos #mykonosgreece #mykonosisland #mykonosbeach

Platis Gialos Beach

Hotel -

• We chose to stay at Petinos Beach Hotel, a boutique hotel with a pool overlooking the sea. The rooms were charming and very spacious and ours had an amazing shuttered window that opened up to a pool and sea view. We would stay there again but there are also some other great hotels on other beaches as well. We still preferred to stay near this lesser populated beach and explore others during the day. For us, this was the perfect middle ground that gave us the best of both worlds in our short time on the island.

• The hotel has a breakfast service with a restaurant across the street and it was nothing short of amazing! I still close my eyes and imagine this view. Heaven on earth! #mykonoshotel

Petinos Beach Hotel - Mykonos

View from the pool at Petinos Beach Hotel

Petinos Beach Hotel Pool

Breakfast with a view - part of the delicious amenities of Petinos Beach Hotel

Breakfast with a view

Things to do –

Plenty of shopping options in Mykonos Town

• We had 2.5 days here on the island but we definitely wish we had included an additional 1 or 2 days at least to not feel rushed. Mykonos is more of a party island with plenty of day and night clubs to keep you hopping but there are plentiful wonderful beaches around every corner as well if your style is more laid back.

• Explore Mykonos Town and Little Venice - I recommend spending at least 1/2 a day or more exploring Mykonos Town and Little Venice near the infamous windmills. It's a very walkable area to stroll - eat- and shop. We went into Mykonos Town both days and got lost wandering the streets, shopping and dining. #mykonostown #mykonoslife #littlevenice #littlevenicemykonos

Little Venice

• Spend time in a Day Club - If you’d like to party, Scorpios is a fun day club where reservations are required. It has a very chill vibe during the day and then it heats up as the night goes on. Think Chill EDM music (like Sirius XM channel 53 – Chill) where everything and everyone is very boho chic. #scorpiosmykonos

• Check out a Nightclub – We opted for Cavo Paradiso which had a very cool Vegas type scene and was any easy bus ride from Mykonos Town, where we ate dinner beforehand. The club opens up from the inside and overlooks the sea in the cove it’s set on. #cavoparadiso

• TIP: Some clubs and bars on Mykonos require email in advance to get on list. This one included so be sure to make proper reservations to avoid any unfortunate situation. We also stopped by Tropicana Club Mykonos while waiting for Cavo to open. It was frequented by a younger crowd but the DJ still played fun music to get us excited for the main event at the next club. It was nice that at this late point in the season when we visited, they were not requiring reservations at Tropicana.

Dining -

• We mostly ate our meals in Mykonos Town where the best restaurants on the island are located.

• Lunch: Jimmy's Gyros was a great local spot for a world famous gyro lunch while we walked the streets one day.

• Dinner: M-Eating and Kastros in Little Venice were two of the best dinners we had on our entire trip with great local fare and set in the perfect ambience within the cobblestone magic of Mykonos Town! #kastrosmykonos

• We also did a late dinner at Sea Satin one evening. Sea Satin, is located on the water at the base of the historic windmills at the entrance to Mykonos Town. It is pricey but definitely worth it. It offers a spread of delicious fresh fish and has a wonderful ambiance that makes you feel like you're part of a Greek wedding party.

• TIP: Get a late reservation around 10:30 pm because around 11:30 pm, they turn up the music and it turns into a Greek dance party with everyone stomping, throwing napkins, and dancing on the tables like we're all one big happy family. We had a blast there and it was our favorite night in Mykonos!

Late Night Dancing Scene at Sea Satin

Mykonos, you are truly Happiness!

If you are looking to experience the beauty of the islands mixed with upbeat active nightlife like a weekend in Las Vegas, than Mykonos is calling you too!

For the rest of the 9 day Greek Islands and Athens Guide read PART 2 - Santorini and Athens