A chapel dedicated to Agios Iakovos occupies a lonely location on a hill above Agios Sostis bay on Mykonos. Click on the photo above to view it full-size.
Side view of the chapel from the highway leading to Agios Sostis
Front view of the Agios Iakovos chapel
Inscriptions beside and above one of the chapel’s blue doors
The Delos island ferry ticket booth at the Mykonos Old Port
[Editor’s Update: For information about extended opening hours and extra Delos ferry service in 2014, please see my April 2 2014 report Visiting Delos will be easier this summer with Sunday openings, longer hours and extra ferries.]
No change: Some good news for people travelling in the Cyclades on tight budgets this summer — prices for visiting Delos island from Mykonos have not increased this year. It still costs €17 for a return ferry ticket (same as in 2012), while admission to the grounds remains €5 (a price that hasn’t changed in years).
According to Greek mythology, Delos is the sacred island on which the Greek gods Apollo and Artemis were born. Administered by the Hellenic Ministry of Culture and Tourism, Delos is now a UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of the top Greek island tour destinations for archaeology and history buffs. Day trips to Delos rank among the top “things to do” for visitors to Mykonos, which is the closest nearby island, and are popular excursions from Naxos and Paros as well.
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A pelican entertains tourists in the Kastro area of Mykonos Town
Bookings up: The 2013 travel season appears to have gotten off to a good start for Mykonos, one of the top tourist destinations in the Greek Islands.
While I was on Mykonos from May 13 to 18 during my annual Greek holiday, I spoke to dozens of hotel managers, restaurant staff, shop proprietors and other people involved in businesses that depend upon tourism. Virtually everyone told me there was more tourist traffic on the island this month compared to the same time last year, and all signs (so far, at least) suggest the rest of the travel season will be much busier than it was in 2012.
Regular readers will recall that, in my series of reports about my 8-day visit to Mykonos in May 2012, I frequently mentioned how unusually quiet the island had been, even on days when cruise ships called into port. Mykonos Town was practically empty of tourists most times I walked around, and lacked the typically vibrant energy, hustle and bustle that I had encountered on seven previous trips to the island.
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A fishing boat motors past Mykonos during the dramatic sunset on May 15 2013. I shot this photo from a road above the Kouros Hotel in the Tagoo district of Mykonos. Click on the image to view a full-size picture.
Here are two different views of Paradise Beach on Mykonos. At top is a view looking straight across the beach from a point on the rocky hillside below the Cavo Paradiso entertainment complex. Below is a shot of footprints in the sand and the view looking out to sea from what is arguably the top party beach on the island. Click on the photos to view them in full-size format.
Skandinavian Bar posted this photo on its Facebook page today with the caption: “World record in Syrtaki dance now in Mykonos!!!”
This photo of the line of syrtaki dancers was posted on Facebook by Kelly Goletsou
This video of the syrtaki dancing was posted on Facebook by Maria-Antonia Georgakopoulou
This video was posted on YouTube today by Ioanna Samiotaki
Meanwhile, Hotel Jason posted this video on its Facebook page today …
… along with this photo showing the dancers from a different perspective
This video was shot from the same vantage point as the photo above. It appears on the YouTube channel for John van Lerberghe.
And this photo was posted on Facebook by Ioanna Samiotaki
A solitary umbrella casts its shadow on a sandy cove below the Saint John Mykonos resort at Agios Ioannis beach on Mykonos
The view from the hill: A panoramic view of Mykonos Town and its harbourfront and Old Port areas on May 21 2012. Click on the photo to view the image in a larger format.
Monday May 21 2012
Familiar patterns: Things weren’t looking very promising for my final full day on Mykonos. The weird up-and-down weather hit another “down” cycle, bringing overcast skies in the wake of a gorgeous sunny Sunday. Good thing I had not been planning another beach day, because I would have felt pretty bummed out by all the clouds and the threat of light rain. But I didn’t need more beach time and was content just to start walking and see where I would wind up.
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