There is a reason why I flew from Thessaloniki to Mykonos instead of taking ferry. Most ferries depart from Pireus, Athens. Since I have visited Athens back in 2001, I thought of skipping it altogether and save time by flying straight to Mykonos. My mistake here was I should have flew to Santorini instead.
The first two days I was in Mykonos, the weather was terrible. It was very cold at 7-8 degree and the wind was ferocious. So bad the weather that my catamaran to Santorini on the next day was cancelled. Mykonos is asleep during winter months and there was no public bus service. Since there is virtually no night life during off season and the sea is too cold for comfort, there was nothing much for me to do here. I basically explored almost a quarter of the island on foot because I simply had too much time...(was stranded due to bad weather). The streets were empty and the main activities seen in Hora (town) were repainting of building, chairs and tables and renovation in preparation for the full summer swing. But it is during off season, one can truly appreciate the charming narrow alleys in the Hora.
The first two days I was in Mykonos, the weather was terrible. It was very cold at 7-8 degree and the wind was ferocious. So bad the weather that my catamaran to Santorini on the next day was cancelled. Mykonos is asleep during winter months and there was no public bus service. Since there is virtually no night life during off season and the sea is too cold for comfort, there was nothing much for me to do here. I basically explored almost a quarter of the island on foot because I simply had too much time...(was stranded due to bad weather). The streets were empty and the main activities seen in Hora (town) were repainting of building, chairs and tables and renovation in preparation for the full summer swing. But it is during off season, one can truly appreciate the charming narrow alleys in the Hora.
Mykonos is undeniably an attractive island with its white cube shaped houses contrasted with windows and doors painted in blue. I stayed in Vounitis Pension in Vrissi and of course, I was the only tenant. The guest house is located conveniently next to a grocery store and there is free pickup from airport and free transfer to the ferry port. During low season, a single room with ensuite bathroom costs euro25. It was 10-15 minutes walk to Hora but the sea view along the road made it worthwhile. It is very easy to get lost in Hora with it labyrinth of small alleys and after asking for direction from few locals, I found Likouris Travel agency and purchased catamaran ticket to Santorini and ferry ticket from Santorini to Crete. Next, I visited the row of old windmills (Kato Miloi) which is iconic of Mykonos. Nearby along the coastline is Little Venice. I struggled to take photos as the wind constantly blowing against me. Further north, I found the famous old church of Panagia Paraportiani. All these white washed buildings made me hungry because I was constantly reminded of icing covered cakes ...he he he. I returned to my guesthouse to have lunch break. At about 3pm, I started walking south towards Platys Gialos (Platis Yyalos) beach. This public beach is 2.6km walk from my guest house. Bought some crackers to eat on the beach :) I was quite disappointed with the condition of the beach. There were rubbish floating at the shore creating quite an eyesore. Nevertheless, I sauntered along the shore till the end of the sandy patch and climbed a low cliff to cross to Paradise beach ( as per direction by a local). Spring is here! Wild flowers are in full glory and cover both sides of the path on top of the cliff making the hike more gratifying. The Paradise and Super Paradise beaches are much smaller but definitely more secluded and cleaner. From Super Paradise beach, I tried using another road to return to Vrissi which was quite a mistake because it is a much longer way and uphill on most part of the journey. Not to mention, I passed by many animal farms with strong smell of animal excreta wafting in the air :( Unexpectedly, I saw a wild horse kept in captive in one of the ranch and it is a beautiful horse...that was probably the highlight of my walk back to the guest house. Reached Vrissi close to the sunset...early night rest.
Lovely church in Mykonos
Old windmills in Mykonos
Super paradise beach
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