One of the most popular Greek island resorts is Mykonos, which is part of the Cyclades archipelago. There is only one large city - Chora, several villages and beautiful beaches, covered with coarse sand or small pebbles, for which they mainly come here.
The island has a reputation for being "bohemian": mostly Europeans rest here, there are world celebrities, and the most liberal manners reign: there are large nudist zones on the most popular beaches of the island.
Basically, the island is focused on youth and sports recreation - there are many nightclubs and many sports entertainment. But there are also several interesting sights, the inspection of which can diversify the rest.
Top 10 attractions of Mykonos
Windmills
The visiting card and the main attraction of the island, a selfie on the background of which is absolutely necessary for everyone who comes here, is the windmills.
The first windmills on these islands appeared under the Venetians in the XII century, and in the Middle Ages there were several hundred of them: the islands were literally stuck with them, and there is evidence of how beautiful it was. By our time, there are few mills left. They are traditional for Greece - round stone towers covered with thatch.
Until recently, there were 20 mills on the island of Mykonos, 7 of them have survived. Now they are not used for their intended purpose. These are beautiful tourist sites: snow-white, visible from almost everywhere, towers on a high cliff near a large observation deck.
Panagia Tourliani Monastery
The monastery is located in the village of Ano Mero. According to legend, it was founded in the middle of the 16th century, but then either destroyed by the Turks, or fell into decay itself. In any case, its first buildings date back to 1765, and in the XX century they, of course, were restored.
Outside, the main temple is white and almost devoid of decor, but very richly decorated on the inside. The carved baroque iconostasis of the middle of the 18th century was made by Italian craftsmen, the silvered chandeliers are very beautiful, the old painting of the dome and the carved pulpit have been preserved. The main shrine of the monastery is the icon of the Mother of God of the 16th century, which is considered the miraculous patroness of the island. The very cozy small area is well-groomed and looks like a small garden, there are so many flowers here. The monastery has a small museum with a collection of Byzantine icons, monastic vestments and old bells.
Aegean Museum in Chora
Almost every Greek island has its own maritime museum - after all, the sea is all around. But this one is one of the most interesting. It is located in a 19th century building, occupies three rooms, and the collection tells about the history of maritime trade and shipbuilding from the most ancient times.
Already the Cretan-Minoan civilization possessed a powerful fleet, Greek ships sailed throughout the Mediterranean Sea, the Venetians carried on maritime trade with the whole world. The collection of the museum contains models of ships of various designs, a collection of coins of the Mediterranean state. In the courtyard of the museum there is an open exposition: this is an exhibition of finds from underwater excavations: sunken amphorae, the remains of ships, anchors, cannons, etc., and in addition, a real operating top of the lighthouse with all the mechanisms. This lighthouse once stood on Cape Armenistis a few kilometers from the city, now the device has been replaced with a new one, and the old lighthouse is in a museum.
Lena Skrivan's house in Chora
There is another Greek mansion from the 19th century not far from the Aegean Museum. Now it has been turned into a small museum, a branch of the ethnographic. Here you can see the interior and arrangement of a rich Greek house of the past and the century before last. There are two bedrooms, a large living room and two courtyards - such houses have survived on the island today.
Lena Skrivan is the name of the last owner of this house, the exposition tells about her and her family. There are many cozy memorabilia collected here: figurines, dishes, fans, candlesticks, musical instruments, there are showcases with Greek national costumes, photographs, watercolors, antique furniture, icons. The house gives the impression of a truly residential one, as if the owners had just left these rooms.
Archaeological Museum in Chora
The Archaeological Museum was opened at the very beginning of the 20th century and occupied a beautiful neoclassical mansion designed by the architect Alexandros Likakis. In 1972, the museum was reconstructed, and its collections were significantly expanded: excavations in Mykonos and neighboring islets continue to this day. A significant part of the collection is the results of excavations on the island of Rinea.
During the war of the island of Delos with Athens, the Athenians expelled most of the population of the island, and the Delos burials were taken to the island of Rinea and reburied there in a common pit. Many pottery, terracotta figurines, jewelry and other items were found here. They date back to the 6th-5th centuries BC. There are also real masterpieces here: for example, a marble statue of Hercules from the 2nd century, gravestone steles found during underwater excavations around the island. There are also objects found on Mykonos itself. For example, in 1961, while digging a well, they found a perfectly preserved pithos with scenes illustrating the Iliad and the myth of the Trojan horse.
The museum is small, but it gives an excellent overview of the development of Greek art from ancient times (the earliest exhibits date from the 8th century BC) to the time of Roman rule.
Church of Panagia Paraportiani
Another visiting card of the island is the snow-white church of Panagia Paraportiani, the "Goalkeeper" Mother of God. It was the gate church of the unpreserved coastal fortress. Now the church has five thrones.
Initially it was a small church of St. Great Martyr Eustathius (Estafios), according to various estimates, his dating ranges from the 15th century to the 17th century. Then three more side-chapels were added to it: St. Anastasia, St. Cosmas and Damian (Anargyri), and St. Sozonta. Then they were combined into one temple. Above the four lower limits, another one, the Mother of God, was built up. But its modern unique architecture is the fruit of the work of restorers. As a result of their work, the Church of Panagia Paraportiani has become one of the most photographed sites on the island.
Paleokastro monastery and fortress
Paleokastro Monastery is a small picturesque nunnery founded in the 18th century. The very word "Paleokastro" means "old castle". Not far from the monastery are the ruins of a Byzantine fortress. The monastery is larger than Panagia Tourliani and just as beautifully located. Two churches have been opened here, next to the monastery there is a rock in which there was once a monastery rock cemetery.
Ethnographical museum
The population of the Greek island is primarily engaged in agriculture (although recently it has begun to give way to the tourism industry). In Mykonos, as elsewhere in Greece, olives and vineyards grow, make their own wine and olive oil, and raise bees.
An ethnographic museum is located in a snow-white two-story building next to the Church of Our Lady of Paraportiani. Its exposition is located in 6 halls. A collection of traditional Greek clothing, ceramics and agricultural tools can be seen here. Particularly interesting is the part devoted to the traditions of weaving: here are collected samples of fabric, starting with the most ancient ones found during excavations and ending with folk crafts of the 19th century. A branch of this museum is Lena Skrivan's scrap, as well as a small Agricultural Museum.
This is another place where you can see windmills-towers, but here you can enter one of them and see the operating mill mechanism, it has been completely restored. There is a small dovecote and threshing ground next to the mill.
Pink pelicans
The recognized symbol of the island is the pink pelican. The story began in 1958, when one of the local residents found a wounded pelican on the shore, cured him and named him Petros. The pelican was tamed, accustomed to people and lived on the island for almost thirty years. His effigy is kept in the Ethnographic Museum. When he died, a new pink pelican - a female named Irene - was presented to the island by Jacqueline Kennedy, and the male was transferred from the Hamburg Zoo, he was named Petros. In 1995, another pelican, Nicholas, appeared here, so if you're lucky, you can meet these huge tame birds here. The wingspan of a pink pelican reaches three and a half meters, and their plumage really has a delicate pinkish tint.
Delos island - the birthplace of Apollo
Just two kilometers from Mykonos is the legendary island of Delos (Delos). Its coastline is only 14 km, and the population is 24 people, but many historical and cultural monuments are concentrated on it.
The Greek myth says that it was on Delos that the nymph Leto, hiding here from the jealous Hera, gave birth to Zeus two children - Apollo and Artemis. Already from the VI century BC. this island was considered by the Greeks to be the sacred island of Apollo, here was his temple, and the inhabitants of all neighboring islands gathered here for festivals and competitions in honor of this god. A wooden statue of Apollo was kept here, which was considered miraculous. Therefore, the sacred island played a huge role in the alliances of Greek cities and was considered a spiritual center.
Now there are the remains of several ancient temples of the Greek and Roman period (Apollo, Hera, Isis, Dionysus), a market square, public buildings, a port, several herms - statues of Hermes, and much more. Since 1904, an archaeological museum has been operating here, which houses the local finds - this is one of the richest museums in island Greece. The entire temple complex of Delos is on the UNESCO World Heritage List.
