UPLIFTING LUMINOSITY
“From afar, as you gradually set eyes on the island, you feel an odd ache. For a body floating at times on the surf of the sea, at others again in the sky’s endless canopy of blue, but always in a light that is diffuse, bright and light, that passes transparently through you – so that I say ‘what a sweet ache this is’…”
Aris Konstantinidis, Two ‘Villages’ from Mykonos, Athens, 1947.
REALM OF THE UMBRELLA
“There’s a Mykonian saying that goes: ‘Dance away, Marou / But bear your home in mind.’ Dance, yes, as much as is proper and permissible, but also make sure to love this place, lest it falls down around our ears,” writes Panayiotis Kousathanas, a researcher of local customs and history. But have the locals been bearing Mykonos in mind? This “river” of tourism can never be reversed. The island’s biggest and most beautiful beaches, like Kalafati (seen below), are now covered in umbrellas and loungers, end to end.
LITTLE VENICE
Crumbling balconies, chimneys and foundations eaten away by the force of the waves and the salt air, support posts to hold up the walls in their battle with the northerlies all create an anarchy of lines that catches the eye and keeps you looking… Where else,
other than in Mykonos (or perhaps in the real Venice) could a kitchen hang so perilously and yet look so proud?
PURE WHITE BEAUTY
Dazzlingly whitewashed houses and churches are an unmissable symbol of Mykonos. When you've indulged in the excesses of the island, reconnect with your spiritual side by seeking out these havens of peace and tranquility.
ENDLESS RELAXATION
Tiny umbrellas and beach towels from above, moments of total relaxation on Panormos beach, one of the best places on Mykonos to work on your tan.
A WHITE AND BLUE MAZE
Turn left or right, there is no wrong way as you wander down Mykonos' winding alleys. Be ready to lose yourself in these streets, where every corner hides something new. A sleeping cat, a designer store, a little granny sitting in her doorway, you never know what you'll find!
