Originally just a ferry stop on the way to the archaeological sites at Delos, Mykonos has grown into one of the most popular and expensive of Greek islands. Direct air links have boosted visitor numbers and this small island handles more than 800,000 tourists in a good year. Domestic and UK charter flights to Mykonos are plentiful in the summer as are the daily domestic flights from Athens. Mykonos is also on the major ferry routes and a regular staging post for summer cruises in the Mediterranean.
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Mykonos International Airport (JMK) is located 4km from Mykonos Town and takes charter flights from major European cities throughout the summer.
The charter flights to Mykonos mainly provide transport for package holidays with excess seats are sold off on a cheap flight-only basis. easyJet now also offers summer flights from London.
Aegean Airlines and Olympic Airlines also operate regular flights to Mykonos from Athens. Flights take about 45min.
There are also flights to Crete (Heraklion), Rhodes, Santorini and Thessaloniki. Olympic Airways has offices at both airport and port.
The transfer time to the town centre is about 10 mins and there is now a regular bus service operating from the airport to the main port town.
There is also a taxi rank opposite the terminal building but taxis can be in very short supply when flights arrive and many are snapped up by the earliest arrivals so visitors are advised to book in advance. Many hotels also provide a transfer to the airport by private mini-buses.
There are no restaurants at Mykonos airport but there is a cafe selling drinks, snacks and light meals. There is also a duty-free shop in the terminal building. A lost and found office is located in the terminal building but there are no left luggage facilities.
Outside Mykonos airport is a large car park with short and long-term parking spaces and the Commercial Bank of Greece has a handy cash machine.
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Mykonos is well served by ferries with regular sailing to mainland Greece and to other islands. Ferries arrive daily from Piraeus (Athens) and from mainland Rafina, both regular car ferries and high speed catamarans. It takes 3-5hrs from Piraeus depending on the type of ferry. The route from Rafina is shorter and take 2.5 - 4hrs and calls in at the islands of Andros, Tinos and Syros.
The main ferry companies operating to Mykonos are Blue Star, Hellenic Seaways and Alpha Ferries as well as Agoudimos Lines and Aegean Speed Lines. There are regular daily hydrofoil and/or catamaran sailings to other island in the Cyclades, most notably Paros, Naxos and Santorini.
Heraklion in Crete, Santorini, Folegandros, Amorgos, Koufonisi and Naxos have connections with high-speed ferries operated by Sea Jets. Mykonos is also connected with Ikaria and Samos by Kallisti Ferries and with Chios and Mytilene by Nel Lines.
Most ferries arrive at the New Port, which is 2km north of Mykonos Town in the Tourlos area. There are buses and taxis from the port into the main Mykonos Town. Other ferries arrive in the Old Port which is on the outskirts of Mykonos. Boats leave from the Old Port for Delos (daily except Monday) and for other round island cruises.
Taxi boats leave daily from Platis Gialos beach to other south coast Mykonos island beaches at Paraga, Paradise, Super Paradise, Elia and Agrari. Daily boats also leave from Ornos beach to Paraga, Paradise, Super Paradise, Elia and Agrari.
Summer ferry schedules may not be confirmed until April or May, and not published until then.
The information is as accurate as I can make it but note that ferry schedules can change at any time.
Mykonos has a huge range of accommodation. from five-star luxury hotels to backpacker rooms and, with an excellent bus service, there is no particular need to stay in Mykonos Town either. There is plenty of accommodation at all the main south coast beach resorts such as Platys Gialos, Ornos, Paradise Beach, Super Paradise or Agios Ioannis.
Those arriving on Mykonos by ferry will be greeted at the port with plenty of local people offering rooms and apartments but they can be a bit pushy so you may prefer to dodge the crowds and check out the offices of the travel and property agents about 100m from the port entrance or check out the Mykonos Accommodation Centre, near Tria Pigadia.
If it is the Mykonos nightlife you are after, it is probably best to stay in the town but note that prices rocket in the high season. Those on a budget should head for the camping sites at Paranga and Paradise beaches but don't expect much sleep there, especially Paradise where 24-hr bars can belt out music all night.
Mykonos roads are reasonably good between the resorts, especially in the south which is where the main tourist beaches are found. Roads in the north tend to be less good. There are plenty of car and bike rental shops, most of them can be found just south of the Fabrika Square bus station. If you must park in Mykonos Town don't do so in a no-parking area - the police remove the number plates and demand a hefty fine before handing it back.
The bus service on Mykonos is provided by KTEL which has a fleet of 26 buses and is considered one of the best in the Greek islands. Buses run frequently and are usually on schedule. There are two bus stations on Mykonos island. The North bus station is located near the Archaeological Museum and provides regular services to Ano Mera, Elia, and Kalafatis beaches. The south bus station is found next to the Olympic Airways office. in Fabrika Square. and has regular daily services to beaches at Platis Yialos, Psarou, Ornos, Paradise and to Paraga. A bus leaves Pail Limani for the north-west coast resorts of Neo Limani and Agios Stefanos. You can find more English language details on the Mykonos KTEL site here KTEL Mykonos or telephone 023360 or 026797
There were 25 taxis in Mykonos at the last count. It sounds a lot but there can be 70,000 plus tourists on Mykonos in the summer so finding a taxi can sometimes be a problem. The main taxi rank is in Mavros Square, near the statue of Manto Mavrogenenous,,and taxis are in great demand at busy times when the queues can be very long. Mykonos taxis do not have meters but a notice board displays fares to all the popular beaches. There are also radio taxis available on 022400. As well as the normal car taxis there are cart-towing scooters, usually found around the port, that will take you and your luggage to your hotel - not a bad option as many of the streets are much too narrow to take a car, the streets have no names and the buildings have no numbers. Finding a hotel on your own can be a challenge.
