-Europe.Greece.Mykonos-
We have a Mykonos stop on our Greek Island round and get this- the ship is anchored overnight! There was already a buzz on the ship where an excited chatter from people planning to party hard later in the evening. This came from the passengers and crew alike.
What got me excited was the prospect of being able to get there early in the morning to see Mykonos in its calm state and having very few people around. I checked the cruise schedule and was glad to see that in the early mornings before 7am , there were no other ships except us.
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Table of Contents
Seeing Mykonos
This was a leisurely stop for us and we planned to get to Mykonos later in the day. This was because we have already visited Mykonos years ago spending a few nights in one of the luxury hotels with a private beach.
Exploring Mykonos on a luxury stay
This time round we decided to exclude other further parts of Mykonos and focus on the old town. If you want to make full use of your time in Mykonos – you can check out some private tours with your preference below
Getting from the cruise ship to Mykonos
We were tendered to shore by boat and only later I found out that cruise ships were either docked at the new port or parked by the bay. Apparently it was not a sure thing which it would be – if the dock was already occupied at the time. Here is a short summary:
*new update: I got to know that the tender boats from the cruise ships drop off directly at Mykonos old Town or drop off at the Mykonos old port – abt 1km away from the old Town
Tender Boats drop off at Old Port (#3-on map)
Some tender boats send the cruise ship guests to this stop which is about a 1km walk away from Mykonos old Town. The walk itself is quite pleasant as it is always by the beach. Besides walking there is the sea bus station to directly get to the old town.
A quick note that some of the buses here at the North Station do go to the beaches – here is a useful link for schedules.
Tender Boats directly to Mykonos old Town (#4-on map)
Honestly I prefer the tender boats that took us directly to the old town. We were parked out on the bay which gave us a fabulous outlook of Mykonos town and to catch that famous sunset too. However the conditions of the sea are not always optimal and the tenders could be affected by that. If particularly rough waters – the tenders will not run. Cruise ships have been known to skip Mykonos due to weather conditions. If you are on a tender , it is good to be prepared with some seasick pills although the trip is rather short.
Docked at new port and getting to Mykonos old Town (#1-on map)
My most preferred option is to take the sea bus which costs 2 Euros/way. An economical direct drop-off at the Mykonos old Town which incidentally would be where to take the boat to Delos for an excursion as well. Check the link here for more information on the Seabus.
Otherwise depending on the cruise ship some free , others paid option shuttle buses running to the bus stop (#3-on map) in Mykonos 3km away , from there additionally is about a 1km walk to the old town.
Walking around Mykonos old Town
I fell in love with the white washed buildings decorated with beautiful bougainvillea while walking through paved narrow streets of white. Very characteristic of Greek islands and the poster child of many travel post cards make Mykonos very recognizable. The nice thing is to get lost and explore the pretty alleys and discover interesting shops along the way.
Catching an epic sunset in Mykonos
On our previous visit we caught an amazing sunset from the waterfront near the Windmills. This time round: since our cruise ship was perfectly situated – we decided to just catch it from the comfort there. We were serenaded with great music as we watched the sun go down and the colours of the skies after it disappeared from sight were top-notch.
Summary
We are not party people but I would like to check out the famous Mykonos party scene once. This time around I saw the aftermath of the party when I walked around very early in the morning. There were still stragglers around. For now and every time I visit Mykonos – the old town with its quaint alleys and shops will always be a nice place to explore.