I love this fab drone aerial video of Mykonos, my first and still one of my all-time favourite Greek islands. The 4-minute film features some of the island’s most picturesque places, including the Mykonos Town harbour, the rustic Little Venice seafront, Paraportiani church, the world-famous windmills, and gorgeous Psarou and Super Paradise beaches. (The ultra-luxe hotel with the private plunge pools is the Grecotel Mykonos Blu resort at Psarou, in case you were wondering.) Click the arrow to admire the Mykonos beauty from above.
Category: Top Mykonos posts
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Mykonos set for 2015 season with over 100 new places to eat, drink, shop, sleep and party
Located at Tourlos, just a short walk from the New Port, Cayenne is among dozens of brand-new businesses on Mykonos this year.
[Updated October 30 2015]
“Crisis? What crisis?” That’s a question many regular visitors to Mykonos will probably ask when they see the more than 100 new and completely-renovated businesses that have opened on the island this year.
While Greece shudders through its sixth straight year of devastating economic turbulence, Mykonos appears to be in a different world altogether, virtually unscathed from the recession that has ravaged the rest of the country.
Last year, the island enjoyed a record year for tourism — receiving more than 2 million visitors — and some longtime local residents told me they could not recall ever seeing the island as crowded and busy as it was during July and August. Hotels were filled to capacity, flotillas of luxury yachts were common sights at many beaches, and champagne flowed by the caseload at bars and restaurants across the island. As I reported in a July 16 2014 post, hotel rates reached higher levels, too, with the international online travel firm Trivago noting that prices had soared as much as 61% over the previous year.
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International brands flocking to Mykonos
In anticipation that even more tourists with thick wallets will arrive in 2015, local and international companies have been pouring millions of Euros into the construction of new hotels, shops, bars, clubs and restaurants, as well as the renovation or upgrading of existing properties. Indeed, since late last autumn, Mykonos has been experiencing an unprecedented building boom as small armies of contractors swarmed around the island in a rush to finish dozens of projects. Global business brands flocked to the island in droves, scooping up any available real estate for their new Mykonos outlets.
With many of the new enterprises aimed at affluent travellers, Mykonos mayor Konstantinos Koukas has told local media he’s confident that the island is now well-poised to compete for a bigger share of the the world’s luxury travel market, and will successfully lure big spenders who usually flock to other Mediterranean hotspots like St Tropez, Monaco and Ibiza.
To see what’s new on Mykonos this year, please click on the convenient quick links below:
Click here for page 2 to read about new and newly-renovated restaurants in Mykonos Town, Tourlos, and the Ano Mera area.
Click here for page 3, which describes new and renovated beach restaurants, as well as the island’s two big new beach clubs, Monarch and Scorpios.
Click here for page 4, which highlights new and renovated nightlife venues in Mykonos Town, including bars, nightclubs, and shisha lounges; and
Click here for page 5, which introduces you to the island’s new spas, retail shopping establishments, and hotels.
More than two dozen new restaurants opened on Mykonos for 2015, and five of them can be found under one roof at the Food Mall Mykonos on the highway between Mykonos Town and Ano Mera.
Widely recognized as the hippest new beach club on Mykonos for 2015, the Scorpios Beach Restaurant and Bar became one of the most popular places on the island within weeks of its opening in an “idyllic haven” on a peninsula between Paraga and Platis Gialos.
Another new beach club and restaurant is Monarch at Kalo Livadi, which boasts cuisine designed by a Michelin-starred chef, comfy beachfront lounge chairs, and occasional special events and big parties.
The world’s first Buddha-Bar Beach restaurant, bar and beach club opened on May 20 at the Santa Marina Resort at Ornos.
One of the most eagerly awaited new arrivals on Mykonos was Ling Ling, a Hakkasan-branded Cantonese fine dining restaurant and uber-chic nightspot. It opened in July in the premises that had been occupied for decades by the famous Philippi Garden Restaurant, which closed a few years ago after its owner died.
June 27 saw the launch of yet another new nightclub when Bonbonniere Mykonos threw its opening party in the ODE Mykonos club in the Tria Pigadia area of Mykonos Town. It’s a summer “pop up” version of the world-famous Bonbonniere club in London whose owner, Joe Fournier (wearing the white polo shirt) is pictured after signing a contract to bring Bonbonniere to the ODE space for the season.
Mykonos residents and visitors weren’t just buzzing about new business openings this spring — people were also chatting about the abrupt closure of the enormously popular Caprice Bar (pictured above) and its surprise reopening a few weeks later as Caprice, a restaurant-bar located just a few doors down from its old place at Little Venice.
Mykonos No.5 Villas is one of the island’s newest hotels, offering a selection of seaview apartment residences, lofts and maisonettes in the Kanalia district 3.5 kilometers from Mykonos Town.
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Revisiting the Shirley Valentine beach on Mykonos
The southern section of Agios Ioannis beach on Mykonos, known the world over as “the Shirley Valentine beach” from the 1989 movie
By popular request: Ever since television networks in the U.K. and U.S.A. broadcast Shirley Valentine in late December, interest in the movie’s filming locations has literally exploded. Thousands of people around the world have come to MyGreeceTravelBlog searching for information about “the Shirley Valentine beach,” wondering exactly where it is and what it looks like today.
Its actual name is Agios Ioannis beach, and it’s situated in the Agios Ioannis Diakoftis area near the southwest tip of Mykonos island.
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Nestled in one of the most scenic locations on Mykonos, Agios Ioannis offers superb views of nearby Delos and Rinia islands. As the legendary birthplace of the mythological Greek god Apollo, Delos is one of the most important archaeological and historical sites in all of Greece, and is recognized on the UNESCO World Heritage list.
The view toward Delos and Rinia islands from a soft sand area near the middle of Agios Ioannis beach. The beach surface varies from hard-packed smooth sand, to soft golden sand, to tiny pebbles and small stones mixed with sand.
Two distinct stretches of beach
Unlike most beaches on Mykonos, Agios Ioannis actually consists of two distinct beach segments, thanks to a rocky slope that juts into the sea beneath the 5-star Mykonos Grand Hotel & Resort. This hill naturally divides the seashore into two separate beach areas — the main one to the north, and a shorter, narrower stretch to the south, below the Saint John Mykonos Resort, another premium 5-star hotel.
Both resorts have lounge chairs and umbrellas on the shores below their respective properties, for the exclusive use of their registered guests, but the beaches themselves are public spaces and anyone can stroll or spread a towel on the sand if they like. Just take care while climbing up and down the hill if you decide to check out the smaller beach below the Saint John Resort — it’s easy to slip on the sand and rocks.
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Since so many people have been seeking information about the Shirley Valentine beach, I’m republishing some of my photos and videos here. Below are several photos I shot during my last two visits to Agios Ioannis, in May of 2011 and 2012, followed by links to my Agios Ioannis Flickr albums, two of my videoclips, as well as two Shirley Valentine movie trailers.
You can also read more about the Shirley Valentine beach in my July 7 2011 post.
A view of the main (north) beach strip that most visitors see. It’s at the bottom of the beach access road, and has a small vehicle parking area right behind it.
Another view of the main section of the Shirley Valentine beach, as seen from the hill that divides the shoreline into two different segments. The lounge chairs and umbrellas in the foreground are reserved for guests of the Mykonos Grand hotel.
The beach taverna that starred in the Shirley Valentine movie is still there — but it has been transformed into Hippie Fish, a trendy, upscale restaurant with a sushi bar. This sign near the Hippie Fish entrance lets visitors know they’ve found the original movie filming location. This page on the restaurant website provides photos and information about the movie.
Hippie Fish has a huge, open-air terrace offering views of the beach, bay and beyond. Besides sushi, the restaurant serves Greek cuisine, as did the traditional taverna that occupied the space when Shirley Valentine was filmed here, but I don’t think you’ll find chips and eggs on the menu.
A view of the narrower, southern stretch of Agios Ioannis beach, below the Saint John Mykonos luxury resort. I shot this pic from atop the rocky point that divides the shoreline in half.
If you feel the urge to talk to a rock, you’ll find that the ones on the beach below the Saint John resort are the best listeners.
Manoulas Mykonos Beach Resort, partway up the hill behind Agios Ioannis beach, is where some of the scenes from Shirley Valentine were filmed
This is a video I shot at Agios Ioannis beach in May 2012
This is a short video I shot at the beach in May 2011.
A trailer for the 1989 Shirley Valentine film, starring Pauline Collins
From YouTube, more scenes from the Shirley Valentine movie
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The most colourful hotel in the Cyclades
Eye-popping colours greet guests at the Sun of Mykonos Studios in the Klouvas area of Mykonos island, as this image from the studios’ Facebook page illustrates
Kaleidoscope of colour: A brightly painted hotel on Mykonos catches plenty of attention from motorists driving the highway from Mykonos Town to Ano Mera village and many of the island’s famous beaches.
With its bold red, blue, orange, yellow and green doors, shutters, handrails and decor accents, along with landscaped grounds bursting with brilliant bougainvillea blooms, geraniums and other flowers, Sun of Mykonos Studios is a veritable kaleidoscope of colour that turns the heads of many people passing by on the island’s busy main highway.
But I’m surprised that its reasonable rates don’t stop more people in their tracks or draw a waiting list a mile long.
Although Mykonos is one of the most expensive tourist destinations in Greece, Sun of Mykonos offers 35 air conditioned studios at amazingly affordable rates.
From September 1 to 15 of this year, for example, the standard nightly rate for a double room was €40, while a triple was €60 and an apartment for 4 persons was just €80. Even in August, which is the ultimate peak season for travel to the Greek Islands, a room was still available for €85 per night.
The Sun of Mykonos Studios has a swimming pool with sunbeds and a poolside bar. The property is only 900 meters from Ftelia beach.
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Jackie O’ Beach Club is a classy new addition to legendary Super Paradise beach on Mykonos
The Jackie O’ Beach Club & Restaurant opened July 1 at Super Paradise beach on Mykonos. The aerial photo below shows the new club’s location on the hillside overlooking the west end of picturesque Super Paradise beach. The pictures were posted on Facebook by club co-owner Carsten Stehr, who created the stylish new beach venue with business partner Michalis Sigounas. Click on the images to view them in full-size format.
Club class: A stylish new restaurant and bar has opened at Super Paradise, one of the legendary party beaches on Mykonos.
Featuring Cycladic sculptural design elements in an amphitheatrical hillside setting at the west end of Super Paradise beach, Jackie O’ Beach boasts a large open-air bar, a 150-seat restaurant, private lounge areas, its own beachfront, swimming pool, jacuzzi and even a church. A Sotris clothing and fashion accessories shop is also part of the complex, which opened on the site of the former Coco Beach Club (see my August 16 2011 post for a description of the old club, as well as photos of the location’s terrific views of Super Paradise beach and bay).
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A visit to Agios Ioannis, the beach where the “Shirley Valentine” movie was filmed
A girl plays in the sand at Agios Ioannis beach on Mykonos, better known to many as the “Shirley Valentine beach.” Delos (left) and Rinia (right) are the two islands across the channel.
Shirley was here: Like millions of other people, I first “saw” Agios Ioannis beach on Mykonos in the 1989 “Shirley Valentine” movie starring Oscar-nominated actress Pauline Collins. It only took me 22 years, but in May I finally got to see “the Shirley Valentine beach” with my own eyes (and camera). On previous visits to Mykonos I had seen almost all of the island’s major beaches, but just never managed to get over to Ag. Ioannis. It’s a bit out of the way, for one thing, and several people had told me it wasn’t worth a special trip (they said the beach was small, wasn’t very scenic, and didn’t have much to offer apart from several pricey hotels and a couple of tavernas). But after renting the “Shirley Valentine” DVD during the winter, I decided it was time to finally check it out this year. It is, after all, one of the most famous beaches on Mykonos.
My partner and I walked there from Mykonos Town (with a stop to check out Ornos beach along the way) on May 17, a sunny and breezy warm day. Surprisingly, hardly anybody was at Ag. Ioannis, even though the weather was great. I could count on two hands the total number of people on the entire beach that afternoon, though there were probably twice as many gazing at the sand, the sea and nearby Delos and Rinia islands from shaded patio terraces at two of the beachside tavernas — Christo’s and Hippie Fish. [Editor’s update: Christo’s is now Pili Restaurant.}
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After our very long (and mainly uphill) hike from Ornos we needed a break from the hot sun, too, so after taking a few photos of the beach and surrounding area, we beelined for a shaded table at Hippie Fish. It just happens to be the very taverna where Shirley Valentine got a job in the movie, and there’s a sign right out front that boasts: “As seen in the movie ‘Shirley Valentine.’” Well, not quite. The place was called Sunset Taverna back in those days, and looked like a typical rustic Greek taverna. Now, as Hippie Fish, it sports a sophisticated white colour palette that gives the restaurant/bar a bright contemporary look and feel. Hippie Fish still serves dishes “inspired” by traditional Greek and Myconian cuisine, but in keeping with the times (and more likely the particular demands of international travellers staying at some of the expensive luxury hotels on the surrounding hillsides), it has added a sushi lounge. We only dropped in for a drink so I can’t tell you if the food is good (we didn’t look at a menu, so I can’t even say if the prices are reasonable), but we did enjoy relaxing on their patio, looking at the islands across the bay and watching waves wash against the sandy beach just a few meters below our table.
As for the beach: it’s nicer than I had expected, though it does feel much smaller and narrower than most of the island’s other major beaches. I would go back if travelling in May, early June or September, but would probably avoid it during peak season since it looked like it could get crowded quickly. (When we were there, it was incredibly serene — perfect for relaxing.) And it’s really not as out of the way as I had thought — only about 4 km. The bus runs regularly (it made seven return trips per day in May) and cost only €1.60 each way. We’d actually like to stay in Ag. Ioannis on a future visit since it was such a quiet area. Maybe next year …
Keep scrolling to view a series of photos we shot on our walk to Agios Ioannis, as well as the beachfront itself. More photos from our hike can be viewed in the Mykonos 2011: Agios Ioannis album on the mygreecetravelblog.com Facebook page.
Approaching Agios Ioannis bay on Mykonos from a road atop a nearby hillside
Cactus on the hillside above Agios Ioannis bay
Overlooking the bay and Delos Island from the road to Ag. Ioannis
A blue-domed church on the hillside above Agios Ioannis Bay
Vegetation obscures most of this sign next to the road above the beach …
… but a closer look confirms we’ve nearly reached “the Shirley Valentine beach”
A sign on the roadside points the way to the beach and Hippie Fish …
… which are at the bottom of the road that forks to the left
The beach road has views of Delos island and the turquoise waters in the bay
The road ends at a parking lot right next to the beach
A look back up the long road that leads down the hillside
There’s a tall stone wall on one side of the road, and hotels on the other …
… including Manoulas Beach Hotel, the resort where some of the scenes from “Shirley Valentine” were filmed
One of the buildings at Manoulas Beach Hotel
The parking lot next to Agios Ioannis beach
Beach umbrellas, turquoise water, and views of Delos island
Umbrellas casting shadows on the sandy beach
Looking to the right from the beach entrance beside the parking area
The entrance to Christo’s taverna, which overlooks the beach. {Editor’s note: Since this visit, Christo’s has closed and Pili Restaurant has occupied the location.]
Waves washing ashore; Ag. Ioannis is a mix of soft sand and pebbles
Looking towards Delos island from a sandy section of the beach
Waves sparkle under the bright afternoon sun
Two red-domed churches and a fishing boat at the far right end of the bay
A closer view of the two churches next to the bay
Looking to the left from the beach entrance near the parking lot
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Lounge chairs and umbrellas in front of Hippie Fish restaurant
“Shirley Valentine” sign at the Hippie Fish entrance
Lounge chairs and umbrellas on the beach below Hippie Fish
Part of the view from our table on the Hippie Fish terrace
Hippie Fish offers food & beverage service on the beach
A group sitting area on the shaded beachview terrace at Hippie Fish; that’s the top-rated Mykonos Grand luxury hotel on the hillside in the background
A stretch of soft sand below the Hippie Fish terrace
Another view of the open-air terrace (the restaurant has an indoor section, too)
Taking one last look at Agios Ioannis beach before catching the bus to town
The bus to Mykonos Town stops across the road from Panthea Residence (above), which offers studio accommodations overlooking Ag. Ioannis Bay
Bus service times are posted on a stone wall along the main road at the top of the hill above Ag. Ioannis beach. In mid-May, there were seven return buses per day.
