Mykonos is a beautiful island, but we stayed up the hills.
That allowed us to try almost desert beaches (where my kids saw nudists for the first time) and observe the hard conditions of life for the people not connected to tourism.
The distances are short and the hotel’s shuttle provided transport to beach and town.
”Little Venice” – The most promoted
Ninety per cent of the movies showing the Greek islands have a scene in this bay.
It becomes a familiar place, but its beauty is undeniable. Don’t miss it, because it has much more than the pictured coast to see.
Windmills
The Mykonos windmills are a group of iconic windmills located on a hill above the main town. They were built in the 16th century by the Venetians, and they were used to grind wheat and barley into flour.
Today, the windmills are no longer operational, but they remain an important symbol of the island’s heritage and culture, being one of the most recognizable landmarks of Mykonos.
Parapontiani church
One of… five
This small and discreet church is a very uncommon construction: built from the 15Th to the 17Th, it is only the visible part of an ensemble of five chapels, four of them underground.
Security reasons? Escaping from heat?
Maybe! the thickness of the walls, and its pure white may confirm that idea.
Address: Hora, Mykonos
Website: Museum
Kalu Livadi
Almost Desert
Kalu Livadi, a good sandy beach, far from everything, and with only a few people, offered me, maybe due to the surprise, the most appreciated lunch of my life (I write about it in another tip), but it allowed also the best swim in Greece (nudist for some of our neighbors).
Address: South Eastern part of Mykonos.
Solymar – Heaven
Solymar – Heaven 
A funny story:
The hotel’s shuttle dropped us in Kalu Livadi, a quite empty beach close to the hotel (a few nudists at ease). By lunchtime we looked around and saw… nothing!
There was a small and discreet house, hundred meters from the beach, and Jose and me decided to go there. IT WAS a restaurant. We entered to check if it would be suitable for our western tastes, and… good Lord!
Facing us, too long counters, one displaying a dozen of salads, the other one a dozen of hot dishes, and, from left to right, I wanted to taste… everything.
For the first and last time in my life, everything looked perfect.
We called our families, and had the greatest meal in Greece. Six different salads, six different dishes, we all tasted everything and, maybe because of our previous fears, maybe because of their good looking, maybe because they were great, they all tasted delicious. With the perfect company of a white wine from Kefalonia After 23 years I think that I finally identified the restaurant – Solymar
Price Comparison: about average
Price: US$21-30
Ano Mera – In the Middle of Nowhere
Ano Mera – In the Middle of Nowhere
A reasonable hotel, but in the middle of nowhere. They have a shuttle that took us to town and to an almost desert beach, but it was not enough.
We arrived there about 10PM, and there was no chance to eat. It was a real adventure, that I will describe in personal memories.
The only positive thing was, next day, the lunch in the “desert” beach ( nothing linked to the hotel).
Address: Ano Mera, 846 00, Greece
Phone: +30 2289 071230
Perseverance
Perseverance
I cannot forget the great experience that was our lunch in Kalu Livadi beach. Passing the film from VHS to digital I reviewed some more images, and from them I tried again to identify the restaurant.
No doubt – It is Solymar rather spanish name for a rather good greek lunch.
Address: Kalu Livadi beach
Running for food
We arrived to the hotel there about 10PM, and there was no chance to eat.
We were advised to look in the nearby village, but “they should be closing” . We literally ran out the hotel, kept running uphill with the children by hand, in a dark, strange (and ugly as we confirmed by morning) to, by chance, find a small popular bar that could only delay closing a few more minutes to serve us souflaki.
A few small wraps with souflaky served to feed the children and to disguise the hunger of the adults.
Next day lunch would compensate…
Whitewashed streets
The white walls and blue doors and shutters are a distinctive feature of Cycladic architecture, which is common throughout the Greek islands.
The use of white paint helps to reflect the hot Mediterranean sun, while the blue accents provide a cool and refreshing contrast. In some narrow streets, even the pavement has white paintings here and there.
