I am pretty sure I shed a tear when I left Mykonos, I cannot wait to go back; the entire experience from start to finish was pure for bliss.
How we got there: We took a ferry (Blue Star and Hellenic are very good) from Athens to Mykonos and it was picturesque; a bit lengthy but well worth it with all of the breath taking views. We left our hotel in Athens early in the morning and took the subway to the port. At the port you'll find ton of street vendors selling morning pastries and coffee which you'll need! Make sure you have your camera ready because the departure is definitely picture worthy. You'll be deep in the ocean for a few hours so we made ourselves comfortable and laid out on the deck alternating between taking in the scenery and napping. We purchased a seat on the ferry which was almost double the price and hardly used our seats (the adults used their seats, us young bucks explored). Do note though there are some points where you will get splashed, the wind gets rough, and you'll try and reenact the scene from Titanic and completely fail!
Where we stayed: Olia Hotel, we hit the jackpot with this hotel, it was literally the most amazing hotel stay I have ever had! Not only were the grounds absolutely stunning the staff was so friendly and attentive and really made us feel like we were staying with family opposed to being hotel guests. Let me try and paint a picture for you: gorgeous white stone, an infinity pool with the ocean as your background, delicious food onsite, and a view to die for…it was something right out of a movie (I have the pictures to prove it)! Most folks tend to stay on the beach when visiting Mykonos but we stayed at the port and I wouldn’t change it for the world, it felt so authentic and not touristy (which I try to avoid). One of the biggest pros here was the hotel was less than a mile away from where we docked, you could see the hotel from the port. I disappointed myself because I failed to arrange pickup (I am amazing at plan, so this hurt my pride) so we walked to the hotel. It didn't seem like it would be much (like I mentioned we could see the hotel) but let me tell you...it was dreadful! Mykonos is full of rocky roads and hills which make dragging luggage nearly impossible. Back to the hotel, it was absolutely freaking perfect and you would be a fool not to stay there, I promise! It would be the perfect location for a wedding too (::cough cough:: Jack?!).
How we got around: The hotel arranged for ATV rentals to be delivered to us, the best thing we could have done…we got to explore on our own and the rentals were $25 for the 2 days! The “adults” weren’t as adventurous and opted for the local bus that was located directly outside our hotel. (Please note there is no schedule, well there is but the driver completely disregards it, ha!) I scored some awesome video and pictures during these rides! However, please note there are no speed limits in Mykonos and you are riding up and down mountainsides which can be pretty scary (especially if your boyfriend is trying to live out some sort of action movie fantasy in his head with you on the back seat). As far as directions "go that way"! Yup, no maps just "go that way" and follow the signs ha!
Where we went: We drove all along the mountainside and went beach hopping; we made it our mission to try every beach possible! My favorites: Paraga Beach and Paradise Beach. Paraga Beach was very chill, very rocky, and very beautiful! It took us quite some time to take in the beauty before hopping in the water. There were tons of rocks; that could either be dangerous or an awesome photo op...in our case it was a dangerous photo op! We all felt a sense of gratitude and freedom while there, surrounded by so much natural beauty. I felt so good that I decided to go topless for the first time in my life (the pina colada probably helped in that decision) and it felt damn good! We stopped for lunch right outside of Paradise Beach and it was okay, nothing special but we got the fuel we needed. Paradise Beach was a PARTY, I walked in and girls started shoving shots down my throat (extremely unexpected). This is a rather flamboyant beach with techno, foam, and thongs (both men and women)! We weren’t really in a party mood so we went on an adventure and found an awesome hidden treasure…a dock to dive off into the ocean. (Pictures and videos below) At night we headed into the city of Mykonos for food, drinks, and shopping; such a charming area. We ended up at a few awesome bars in the city just singing, dancing, laughing, and drinking the night away.
What we ate: Gyros, octopus, and Greek salads. Repeat.
What we wore: Sundresses (bad idea on ATV's), shorts, crop tops and nothing...duh!
I can go on and on about Mykonos but I will let the pictures tell the rest of the story (Mykonos Pictures)
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