Autumn 2019 |OxfordshireLimitedEdition| 189T
hesunisjustbeginningto
setasIsaunterpastAgios
Ioannischurch,abright
whitecubewithtwored
domedroofsperchedonthe
westcoastofMykonos.
AllafternoonI’vewatchedfrommy
hotelfurtherupthehillsideasbusespullup
andtouristsspillout,takingphotosofthe
tinychapel.
Iwanttoknowwhatallthefussisabout,
soIfollowthecrowds.ButasIcontinue
alongthedirttracklinedwithredand
yellowwildflowers,Ifindmyselfaloneand
mycuriosityisrewardedwithsomething
fargreater.
AfewminuteslaterIemergeatthetop
ofasteeppaththatleadsdowntoasandy
beach,desertedexceptfortheremainsofan
oldrowingboat.Iclamberdowntherocky
steps,flopdownonthesandandmarvelat
theserenescene.Aren’tthebeachesofMykonosallmeant
tobeheavingwithmojito-sippingyoung
thingsandsoundtrackedbyhousemusic?
Evidently,not.IlaterfindoutthisisKapari
Beach,oneoftheisland’sfewundiscovered
(forthemostpart)coves.Whilethereare
plentyofbeachclubsdottedaroundthe
coastofthis 33 square-mileisland,drawinga
party-lovingcrowdallsummerlong,itturns
outtherearestillhiddengemswaitingtobe
unearthed–youjustneedtoknowwhereto
look.Fromwhenisthebesttimetovisit,to
howtogetaround,hereiswhatIlearned
fromthelocals...Whentovisit
Forvirtuallyguaranteedwall-to-wallsunshine,
JulyorAugustistheobvioustimetogoto
Mykonos,butduringthehighseasonyou’ll
havetosharetheislandwithhordesofother
holidaymakers.
“InJulyyoucan’tfindpeaceanywhere,”
saysOlgaPanagiotopoulou,aMykonian
nativewhohaswatchedtheisland’stourism
industryboominthelastfewyears.
LikeIbiza,thebeachclubs(theyturninto
nightclubsafterdark)areopenfrommid-May
toSeptember,butthepartysceneisdecidedly
moresophisticatedthattheWhiteIsle’s.Go
atthebeginningortheendoftheseasonif
youpreferthequietlife,Olgarecommends.Wheretostay
Oneoftheisland’shottestnewopenings,The
WildHotel(roomsstartfromE 359 /£ 317 per
night;thewildhotel.com)onthesoutheast
coastofferschicinteriors–thinkbamboo
furniture,macramehammocksand‘itturnsoutthere
arestillhiddengemswaitingtobeunearthed
- youjustneedtoknow
wheretolook’
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