PELICANS, PITA AND PARTYING ON MYKONOS ISLAND

By The Bondi Travel Bug on May 24, 2017 in Other

It generally takes me a while to embrace a new destination, to really form an opinion of it. But not Mykonos. In fell in it love with it instantly.

My first sightings of Mykonos Island in Greece were of its vivid whitewashed houses and hotels with vibrant blue doors and window frames, plumes of intensely colourful bougainvillea lit up by glorious sunshine and framed by a dazzling Aegean Sea.

After checking into our delightful hotel we made our way up the stairs to our patio with epic views over Mykonos Town, its colourful boat-filled port, and the island’s famous five windmills. Soon after we were tearing ourselves away from the view and embarking on a short stroll along the narrow bougainvillea-flanked cobblestoned streets of the town.

Our first walk took us to the waterfront bar and restaurant area known as Little Venice, where we met one of Mykonos’s most famous residents, Petros the pink pelican. Petros was holding court as he sat proudly in his favourite restaurant, casually taking in the throng of paparazzi (me!). There are only a few pelicans that live on Mykonos Island and they all have star billing.

Moving on we passed an array of shops, including some very exclusive boutique clothing stores, along with the obligatory souvenir stores, but we were on a mission and moments later we reached our goal – the local gyros shop.

For the uninitiated, a gyros is soft pita bread stuffed with your favourite filling, be it lamb, chicken, pork or falafel, then smothered in tzatziki and filled with tomato, lettuce and onion. The secret to a Mykonos gyros is that they stuff them with handmade hot chips, and they quickly became our staple daily diet for the duration of our stay.

Greek food is exceptional, yet humble. Our two favourite meals of the trip were at Nikolas Taverna, a family owned restaurant located in Agia Anna on Paraga Beach, which is staffed entirely by the owner’s relatives, and at Matsuhisa Mykonos, another innovative creation by the famous chef Nobu Matsuhisa, at The Belevedere, Mykonos’s first five-star hotel. The meals we devoured there were a gastronomical delight.

Soon after our town tour and gyros fix, we decided to go to one of the many vehicle and bike hire shops to hire a scooter.

The three most popular forms of transport on Mykonos, apart from buses and taxis, are motorbikes, motor trikes, and cars.

Of course, when hiring any kind of motor vehicle overseas, make you have the correct box ticked on your travel insurance regarding motor vehicles. If this is not done and you have an accident, you are not covered medically on any level.

The vibe and feel of Mykonos Town is as friendly as I’ve ever felt. No matter the time of day, be it midday or midnight, there was not a moment when we felt uncomfortable or threatened.

Mykonos in summer is a party town and the after dark vibe is like New Year’s Eve – every night. In town the little bars are full of high-octane partygoers overflowing onto the narrow streets, and the energy is pulsating.

To fully understand this party island culture you have to go to one of the legendary beaches where sunbaking, swimming, eating, drinking cocktails, and partying all morph into one. DJs pump out the music and day turns into night, and visa versa. You can start your day at the beach and still be there partying when the sun rises the next day.

Some of the most popular party beaches we made it to included Paraga Beach, with the trendy Kalua Beach Club and Scorpios Bar, and Paradise Beach, where you’ll find the super popular Tropicana Beach Bar. The pick of the bunch, though, was undoubtedly Super Paradise Beach, where the island’s fabulous Jackie O’ Beach Club & Restaurant, with its beachside pool, is a must for the hardcore, go all day and night, drinking, dancing, heaving, pinging party freaks.

The beach culture is legendary and buffed waiters are on hand to deliver food and drinks. The water is as beautiful as you’ll can find anywhere in the world, and once a daybed is procured, you’re not moving anywhere.

Some destinations I travel to are definitely a one-off, and as much as I love them I’d never go back as there are so many places to visit and so little time.

Mykonos Island is definitely not one of those!

WHERE TO STAY:
Mykonos View Hotel
www.mykonosview.gr
Belvedere Hotel
www.belvederehotel.com

WHERE TO EAT:
Matsuhisa Mykonos at The Belvedere Hotel
Nicolas Taverna, Paraga Beach

HOW TO GET THERE:
Vicki Gilden at Rose Bay Travel (02) 9371 8166