MyGreeceTravelBlog.com
Photos & memories from our trips to Athens, the Peloponnese, mainland Greece & Greek Islands — plus profiles of places we would love to visit

Mykonos food and drink 2013: The island’s most popular beach tavernas and restaurants

This view of a calm cove and tranquil beach on Panormos Bay is a major element of the sublime setting and laid-back, relaxed ambience…

… that continue to draw scores of diners to cozy Kiki’s Taverna near Agios Sostis beach on Mykonos. But the taverna’s superb salads and great grilled meat dishes are the main reasons why Kiki’s remains one of the most talked about beach restaurants on the island. Click on the photos to view full-size pictures.

~~

[This is the second in a series of reports about the Mykonos restaurant and bar scene this summer. The first highlighted restaurants in and near Mykonos Town that have been generating lots of buzz so far this season. This instalment profiles popular restaurants at a dozen different beach areas on the island.]

Best of the beaches: Mykonos is one of the most popular beach destinations in Greece, boasting more than two dozen major beaches plus countless coves and secret swimming spots off the beaten tourist path.

The good news for visitors who work up an appetite while enjoying the sun, sand and sea is that very good restaurants — some of which are considered to be among the best dining spots on the island — can be found on or near at least 16 of those beautiful beaches.

Here’s a look at the restaurants and tavernas at a dozen different beaches that travellers and locals alike have been talking about the most this summer. (I will provide a more comprehensive list of dining establishments at all beach areas in a separate post still to come.)

CONTINUED ON PAGE 2

July 18, 2013
Pic of the day: An island village full of fruit

This colourful sign hanging outside a food market on Ios depicts Chora (the island’s main village) bursting with fresh fruit. Below is a photo of Chora that I shot during our visit to Ios in May of this year.

July 17, 2013
Mykonos food and drink 2013: The restaurants and bars travellers are talking about this summer

The acclaimed Nobu Matsuhisa Mykonos restaurant at the Belvedere Hotel (seen in this photo from the Belvedere’s Facebook page) has been celebrating its 10th anniversary this week. Click on the picture to view a full-size image.

Table talk: One of the most popular vacation destinations in Greece, Mykonos is renowned for beautiful beaches and dynamic summer nightlife. But even though the island boasts more than two dozen major beaches, plus scores of bars and nightclubs, choosing where to swim and party will be probably be a much easier task for visitors than deciding where to dine each day.

With over 200 restaurants ranging from takeout gyros and souvlaki shops to traditional Greek tavernas and high-end gourmet establishments offering a variety of international cuisines, Mykonos is a veritable gastronomic paradise. But with such a vast and diverse array of eateries, many tourists understandably feel daunted by the daily dining dilemma — where to go for breakfast, lunch and dinner?

In a series of posts over the next couple of weeks, I will tell you about the Mykonos restaurants and bars that have been getting the best buzz this summer. I have been monitoring social media and online travel sites since early spring, and have been gathering feedback from friends and acquaintances on the island as well as people who have travelled there this summer. I also chatted about restaurants with dozens of visitors and locals during my own visit to Mykonos in mid-May.

To kick off my Mykonos food and drink 2013 reports, here’s a list of the dining places in and close to Mykonos Town that people have been talking about the most. I will report on popular bars and the hottest beach area restaurants in separate, subsequent posts.

CONTINUED ON PAGE 2

July 14, 2013
Pic of the day: Atrium art in Glyfada

High art: A classically-styled painting adorns the ceiling of an atrium in a Glyfada shopping center. Click the image to see a full-size photo.

July 14, 2013
Record year expected for Greece tourism, but local businesses say visitors seem reluctant to spend

This video news report by Ekathimerini English Edition, a daily newspaper published in Athens, examines this year’s surge in tourism to Greece.

June jump: Greece remains on target for a record year of tourism, with June arrivals to Athens International Airport up by nearly 15% over last year.

The Greece Ministry of Tourism expects a record 17 million tourists to visit the country this year, bringing the recession-ravaged country €11 billion in much-needed revenue.

But even though tourist-related businesses have noticed more visitor traffic this season, particularly in Athens, they haven’t seen a corresponding increase in the amount of money that tourists have been spending.

Click on the image above to view a brief Ekathimerini video news report on this year’s prospects for Greece tourism.

July 13, 2013
Pic of the day: Santorini village views from Oia

The scenic village of Oia on the northwest tip of Santorini island is one of the most popular places in Greece to watch a glorious sunset. But Oia offers some great views of Santorini itself, including Skaros Rock with its distinctive flat, square cap (center). Imerovigli, the highest village on Santorini, extends along the top of the cliffs on both sides of Skaros, while the island’s capital, Fira, is visible off to the right. Click on the photo to view a full-size image.

July 13, 2013
Hang on! Handpan player Spyros Pan performing in live concerts across the Cyclades this summer

Promotional poster for the Spyros Pan Hang Solo Concerts this weekend at the Magaya Beach Restaurant in the Paros port town of Paroikia

Cyclades tour: If you’re looking for good food and some unusual musical entertainment on Paros island this weekend, the Magaya Beach Restaurant in Paroikia has just the ticket — two live concerts by hang and handpan player Spyros Pan.

In case you’re wondering exactly what a “hang” and “handpan” are (I’ll admit I had a vague idea, but still had to do a Google search to find out for certain), they are percussion musical instruments related to the steel drums from Trinidad. (Detailed information, photos, audio samples and videos of both instruments can be found on David Kuckhermann’s fascinating World Percussion website, Framedrums.)

The two Spyros Pan performances in Paros are scheduled for 8 p.m. on both Saturday and Sunday. The Magaya Beach Restaurant is situated on Souvlia beach, which is just a short distance southwest of Paroikia.

CONTINUED ON PAGE 2

July 12, 2013
Mainland must-see: the Halkidiki peninsula

Golden sand beach crescents in Halkidiki’s beautiful West Sithonia region. The photo is from the Greece in Photos Facebook page. Click on the picture to view a full-size image.

Marvellous Macedonia: I wish I had longer holidays so I could spend more time exploring mainland Greece. One of the regions I’m eager to see is Macedonia, home to the city of Thessaloniki and to the stunning landscapes and seascapes of the Halkidiki peninsula. Marathias (pictured above) is just one among scores of beautiful beaches in Halkidiki. The gorgeous 200-meter-long golden sand beach, with a separate smaller strand nearby, is situated about 4 km south of Toroni in the peninsula’s West Sithonia region. Below is a Halkidiki Tourism Organization promotional video that shows some of the sights, scenery and activities that draw visitors to this dynamic area of mainland Greece.

July 10, 2013