The beaches of Mykonos are very beautiful, numerous, and all characterized by crystal water. Which beach to choose is mostly up to your personal taste, depending on whether you like the sand or the pebbles, organized beaches with music or wild beaches in the middle of nowhere.

In general, the beaches of the south (especially south-west) are more commercial. This is where most of the popular beach-bars and beach-clubs are. Usually, these beaches start to get crowded in the first hours of the afternoon. Therefore, if you don’t want to give up the comfort of the organized beach, while at the same time avoiding the full house, setting the alarm early and visiting these beaches in the morning could be a good solution. The south coast is characterized by very fine sand and it’s protected by the meltemi, the strong wind that during the summer, especially in August, combs the island, blowing from north.

The beaches of the north are less developed and more suitable for who’s looking for some calm and relax. The north coast also features beautiful beaches, often not organized.

It’s usually quite simple to find free parking by the sea for any kind of vehicle. Some of the beach-bars of the south charge for guarded parking. However, free parking lots are usually quite safe, especially during the months of May-June and September-October. In July and August, the whole island gets very crowded. As a precaution we would suggest to avoid parking the bikes too close to other vehicles, so to avoid the domino effect in case of fall.

During the summer months, the traditional fisher boat caique provides a shuttle service, hopping across the most popular beaches of the south coast. The taxi-boat starts from the beach of Ornos or Platis Yialos and moves east, stopping by all the beaches up to Elia beach. There is also another line which connects the new port (Agios Stefanos) to the old port (Mykonos town).

Let’s see in detail some of the best beaches of Mykonos. In this virtual tour, we’ll start from north-west and we’ll move clockwise, going through the beaches of the island.

Agios Stefanos
Agios Stefanos beach is located by the new port of Mykonos, on the west coast, 3.5km north of the city center. It’s a sandy organized beach, with parasols and sun beds. In the neighborhood, you can find many bars, restaurants and hotels. Agios Stefanos beach is easily reachable either by car or by scooter.  It is also served by the bus line which starts from Mykonos town.

Houlakia
Houlakis beach is located on the west coast of Mykonos, 4km north of the city center. Instead of the sand, here you’ll find colorful smooth pebbles, which donate to this beach its original and characteristic aspect. This is not the easiest beach for swimming, but it’s worth a visit for its peculiar appearance. The access to the beach is free and no service is provided here. It is possible to reach it by car or moped. The street is paved, although a little narrow. For this reason, you’ll need about 30 minutes to reach it from Mykonos town.

Agios Sostis
Agios Sostis is a sandy beach looking out the north coast. It’s among the calmest and quietest beaches of the island, due to its position a little isolated and far from the hottest beaches of the south. Here, the atmosphere is barren and not exploited, without almost any kind of service. This beach is reachable only by own ride, since it’s not served by the bus line, and you’ll need to go down a small hill on foot after parking. The street is paved, although a little narrow in the last part. On the walking path there’s a small Greek-tavern functioning without electricity, where you can try some grilled specialties and salads. It’s recommended to avoid this beach when the wind gets stronger.

Panormos
Panormos is a sandy beach situated on the north coast of Mykonos. Half of the beach has free access, while the other half is organized with parasols and sun beds. The beach-bar plays loud music, which you can hear even from the free part of the beach. Therefore, Panormos is not so peaceful like Agios Sostis, although still quieter with respect to other beaches of the island. Panormos beach is quite extended and hardly overcrowded. It can be easily reached by car or scooter by going down a paved road. Due to its location on the north coast, you should always consider the meltemi before to plan a visit.

Ftelia
Ftelia is a free beach where almost no services are provided. It is particularly calm and isolated. Since it is located on the north coast, 7km north-east of Mykonos town, it gets hit by the meltemi. Ftelia beach is ideal for windsurfing. The area is barren, but you can still find a few bars and restaurants nearby. You can reach this beach by own ride. The street from Mykonos center is paved.

Mersini
Mersini beach is half sandy and half rocky. Being an unorganized beach, you should bring with you your water, parasol and essential goods. It’s located north-east of the island and it’s easily reachable by car or motorbike. The road is mostly paved, except for the last part which is dirt road. Services in the area are limited.

Fokos
The sandy beach of Fokos is located nearby Mersini beach. These two beaches complement each other for those searching for full relax. It’s a free public beach and in the area you’ll find only a small traditional Greek-tavern. Part of this beach is often attended by nudists. Fokos is easily reachable by own ride through paved road.

Lia
The small beach of Lia is one of the most beautiful of Mykonos. It’s located 14km south-east of the city center. It’s reachable by own ride. The crystal water together with the golden sand grant it a heavenly appearance. The beach is organized with parasols and many other services provided by restaurants and beach bars. Lia beach is quite calm with respect to the other beaches of the south, although it’s more popular with respect to the north coast. Lia beach is surrounded by rocks, which makes it ideal for diving and snorkeling.

Kalafatis
Kalafatis beach is very active. Known for the watersports, here it’s possible to find any supply for windsurf and jet ski. This sandy beach features umbrellas as well as several bar and restaurants just a few steps away. Kalafatis beach is popular especially among families with children. Once in the water, you’ll reach a layer of rocks, but moving forward the seabed becomes sandy.

Kalo Livadi
Kalo Livadi is one of the longest beaches of Mykonos. This sandy beach is very popular for its parties and for the bars, although it’s quieter than other beaches of the south. It’s mostly attended by couples and families. The beach is well organized with sun-shades and sun-beds. The prices for the umbrellas can vary significantly from one place to the other. Therefore, it’s a good idea to have a look around before to sit somewhere. There is also a free section of the beach. Kalo Livadi is located 10km south-east of Mykonos town and it’s easily reachable by car or scooter. The street from the center is entirely paved.

Elia
Elia is the longest sandy beach of Mykonos. The beach is extremely well equipped with umbrellas, sun-beds, taverns, bars, restaurants and supplies for watersports (water-skiing, parasailing and windsurfing). It can be reached easily, also by bus. The music plays loud all day during the summer. You might want to reach the sides of the beach for a quieter spot. Nearby, moving towards Agrari beach, you’ll find a nudist area.

Agrari
The atmosphere at Agrari beach is more calm and relaxed with respect to its neighbor Elia. It’s practically the same tongue of sand, since these two beaches are separated by a small hill, making it easy to walk from one to the other. Agrari is very popular among nudists. Some services, although limited, are provided here. Careful to the street: the street to Agrari beach is very narrow and steep, the steepest of the island to be precise. If you ride a moped in two, on your way back your scooter might suffer a bit!

Super Paradise
Located 6km south-east of Mykonos town, Super Paradise is well-known as one of the most alternative and maverick beaches of the island. The setting is exclusive and the music plays loud. Being the most popular gay beach of Greece, and thanks to its beach-bars, Super Paradise attracts a lot of people, both gay and straight, especially during the last week of August, when the gay festival Excelsior takes place. The road from Mykonos town is paved. As for Agrari beach, also the street to Super Paradise is very steep, and mopeds could not make it, depending on the models, the passengers, and your level of experience riding a scooter.

Paradise
Paradise beach is one of the hottest beaches in Greece and all over the world. Known for its numerous clubs, this beach is popular mostly among young people. It features infrastructures for watersports and diving and it’s also popular among nudists. Few steps away, you can find an organized camping. Paradise Beach is mostly known for the nightlife.

Paranga
The sandy beach of Paranga used to be very popular among the hippies in the 70s. Nowadays, the beach is very well organized and it features restaurants and beach bars. Paranga beach is still very popular and it can get overcrowded, especially in August. Like the other beaches of the south, it can be easily reached by going down a paved road, and it’s protected by the wind.

Agia Anna
The small golden beach of Agia Anna benefits from a more peaceful atmosphere, although it’s located in the middle of the hottest beaches of the island. It features a minimal set of umbrellas and a few tavernas nearby. The bars in the neighborhood do not compromise the relaxed atmosphere of this beach. Since it’s quite small, in July and August it can get a little crowded. You can easily reach Agia Anna by car or moped, or on foot from Paranga beach or from Patis Yialos beach.

Platis Yialos
Patis Yialos is one of the most popular beaches of the island. Well equipped with all sorts of services, from sun-shades to restaurants and water sports. Several hotels were built just a few steps from the sand. Here you’ll find the terminal of the taxi-boat. During high season, this beach gets usually very crowded.

Psarou
Psarou beach is a very VIP place. It attracts numerous celebrities, offering high-quality and exclusive luxury services and relax. The prices here can be prohibitive for the most, since it’s one of the most glamourous beaches in the world. The crystal water together with the fine sand act as a framework to the cosmopolitan scenario. Numerous services are offered at this beach, which is easily reachable from the city center.

Ornos
Ornos beach is located right across a small village of fishermen, 2.5km south of the city center. The beach is equipped with parasols, sun-beds, bars and restaurants. Unfortunately, during the summer this beach is often overcrowded. Ornos also provides facilities for watersports. Easily reachable from the city center, even by bus, Ornos beach provide access to the taxi-boat.

Agios Yannis
From Agios Yannis beach it is possible to see Delos island, known to the world as the place where extremely different populations managed to live together peacefully, in a perfect model of integration among people. The beach is not among the most crowded of the south, although it’s quite well organized. Easily reachable from Mykonos town.

Korfos
This beach is known for the strong wind that almost always hits it. For this reason, this is not the ideal place for swimming or sunbathing, while it’s perfect for windsurfing and kitesurfing. Korfos beach is not equipped with umbrellas and sun-beds, but you’ll find restaurants and taverns nearby.

Kapari
Kapari is a very small sandy beach by the west coast of the island, south of the city center. It is a free beach which is worth visiting especially during the central months of the summer, when the rest of the island gets packed. Here there are hardly too many people, and you can easily relax and enjoy the sunset. The road from town is paved. However, you’ll have to walk a short path after parking.

Megali Ammos
Megali Ammos beach is located just 600m away from the city center. It’s about a 10-minutes walk. It’s the ideal solution for those who visit Mykonos for 1 day, and don’t have much time to move around. This beach is not very popular for swimming, mainly because of the wind, because it’s very close to the street, and because many school trips take place here. However, the atmosphere here is relaxed and this place is ideal to walk on the sand and for sunbathing. There are no umbrellas here, while you can find several restaurants nearby.