Where to Stay in Mykonos: Best Hotels and Villages for 2022

Updated May 20th, 2022 by Travel the Greek Way

Mykonos island needs little introduction as, along with Santorini, Paros, Ios, and Milos, make the five most popular Cycladic islands in Greece.

Mykonos is famous for the cosmopolitan, extravagance, gay-friendly clubs, and party atmosphere where you can find yourself sitting next to stars and VIPs of all kinds.

Mykonos is, above all, an idea, a feeling, an energy that you are visiting an island-myth, that before you, a-lists, royals, and celebrities were strolling the same whitewashed alleys.

Mykonos is not an exclusive-only rich and famous destination, although it is, generally speaking, an expensive island. There are accommodation options for every budget and the biggest decision that you have to make is whether you will stay in Mykonos main town (Chora) or in a south beach village. I suggest the south of Mykonos as they are more protected from the strong summer Cycladic winds, known as meltemia.

Buses run regularly around the island up until late in the evening to the most popular beaches. My personal preference is to stay in more quiet places and take my rental car to whichever destination I have scheduled for the day. Others prefer to stay in Mykonos Chora where most of the action happens.

Here are my choices for the best places to stay in Mykonos.

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Best Places to Stay in Mykonos

Are you in a hurry and want to know where to stay in Mykonos? Check out this quick Mykonos Reference:

The Best Hotels in Mykonos

Mykonos has villages all around the island with sandy golden beaches and crystal clear waters, some with a bustling beach club scene, and legendary upbeat nightlife but also quieter and remote beaches with the odd traditional tavern and a chapel at its edge like Agios Sostis Beach (Best Hotel in Agios Sostis: Mykonos Lolita (Doubles from €214 B&B).

Each village has something different to offer, from families to solo travelers, to party animals, you’ll find something that works for you.

Best Luxury Hotel in Mykonos: Cavo Tagoo Mykonos

With stunning seaside and sunset views, outstanding breakfast and meals, and breathtaking classy room decorations with open views of the private swimming pool and the Aegean sea, Cavo Tagoo Luxury Hotel (Doubles from €604 B&B) is my top favorite luxury hotel.

It is located just 5 minutes far from Mykonos Chora so that you get the best of both a quiet resort and the vibrant Mykonos nightlife.

What makes it so unique? Contemporary design, infinity pool to enjoy the majestic sunsets, privacy, and world’s top service. It is also one of the best honeymoon hotels on the island.

Top Luxury Hotels in Mykonos

• Panormos Bay Suites (Doubles from €182 B&B)
• Bill & Coo Suites and Lounge (Doubles from €445 B&B)

Best Mid-Range Hotel in Mykonos: Acrogiali Beach Hotel Mykonos

Acrogiali Beach (doubles from €123 B&B) is a beautiful, traditional-looking hotel set in front of Platis Gialos Beach with a swimming pool also available.

Spacious spotless whitewashed, minimalistic, and modern rooms with powerful showers, a fantastic selection of rich breakfast, and free airport transfer make it one of the best mid-range hotels in Mykonos. Your room will come with a private balcony.

Top Mid-Range Hotels in Mykonos

• Paolas Sunset (Doubles from €52 B&B)
• Mykonos Cactus (Doubles from €113 B&B)
• Bellou Suites (Doubles from €130 B&B)

Best Budget Hotel in Mykonos: Aloni Studios

Enjoy authentic Mykonos and Cycladic Architecture at a low cost. Stay in Aloni Hotel (self-catering from €52) in Ano Mera, close to the vineyards and wine tasting farms like Organic Vioma. Aloni is a charming cheap hotel and one of the best budget hotels in Mykonos.

Each unit has a patio, a kitchen with a fridge, a dining area, and a seating area with a flat-screen TV, while the private bathroom includes a shower and a hairdryer. A balcony with mountain views is offered in all units.

Close By Beaches: Kalo Livadi, Kalafatis

Top Budget Hotels in Mykonos

• Navy Blue Suites (Self-catering from €78)
• Stavroula Studios (Doubles from €64 B&B)

The 5 Best Towns to Stay in Mykonos

Mykonos has 10.000 permanent residents, schools, supermarkets, and other businesses that stay open throughout the year. Most of them live in Mykonos town but there is more to the island than just the main town. The best villages to stay and visit in Mykonos are:

Mykonos Chora

Mykonos main town, or Chora, is the real gem of the island: White cubic houses, based on the traditional architecture of the Cyclades, with blue and red windows and balconies with flower pots. Narrow whitewashed alleys adorned with bougainvillea, lead you from one end to the other, passing through every corner that hides another “treasure”.

Chora maze invites you to discover its trendy bars, small cafes, restaurants, and some of the most famous design shops in the world.

The best sites in Chora are:

• Matogianni commercial street of Mykonos
• the Old Windmills on the hill
• Little Venice where the colorful houses are built on the water
• Archaeological Museum, the Folklore Museum, the Municipal Gallery, and the Mycenaean tomb

Are you interested in more details for Mykonos Best Sites and Nightlife? You can read my dedicated post on How Best to Spend 3 Days on Mykonos.

Best Hotels in Mykonos Chora:

• Bill & Coo Suites and Lounge (Doubles from €445 B&B)
• Bluetopia Suites (Doubles from €268 B&B)
• Villa Konstantin (Gay-friendly) (Doubles from €210 B&B)

Ano Mera

Ano Mera is the second largest of the villages of Mykonos and unlike the cosmopolitan and touristic Chora, it has preserved to a great extent the traditional, authentic character of the island with a strong Cycladic element. It is located just eight kilometers east of Chora in the mainland of Mykonos and close to the beaches of Elia, Kalo Livadi, and Kalafati.

Ano Mera may not be a beach village (beaches are about a 10-15 min walk), but has the authenticity of a Greek island, with local taverns and traditional homemade Greek food. Ano Mera is home to the restored 15th-century monastery Panagia Tourliani and the nunnery of Paleokastro of the 18th century.

Best Hotels in Ano Mera:

• Koukoumi Vegan Boutique Hotel (Doubles from €292 B&B)
• Mykonian Studios (Self-catering from €109)
• Aloni Studios (exceptional budget hotel) (Self-catering from €52)

Ornos

Ornos Fast Info:

• 20 minutes by bus from Mykonos Airport (1,80 euro) & 8 minutes by taxi (15-20 euro) usually a long wait for taxis in summer
• With Bus connection to Mykonos Chora & water taxis to the best southern beaches(Psarou, Platis Gialos, Paraga, Paradise, Super Paradise, Elia, Kalo Livadi)

One of the most picturesque and at the same time very popular tourist settlements of Mykonos, Ornos, is located just three kilometers south of Chora. The all-white Cycladic houses are built around a closed bay, where the island’s fishing boats find refuge, as well as the private boats of the visitors. The beach with all-gold sand is one of the busiest in Mykonos, a real “hangout” of youth.

Very close to Ornos is the beach of Psarou, perhaps the most “in” beach of Mykonos, where sunbeds are reserved and which the famous visitors of the island properly honor (Best Hotel in Psarou Beach: Kensho Psarou)

Best Hotels in Ornos:

• Santa Marina, A Luxury Collection Resort, Mykonos (Doubles from €538 B&B)
• Mykonos Blanc – Preferred Hotels & Resorts (Doubles from €222 B&B)
• Navy Blue Suites (budget) (Self-catering from €60)

Platis (Platys) Gialos

Platis Gialos is around a 10-15 min (5 km) drive from Mykonos town, and it is very well developed in terms of hotels and restaurants. Platis Gialos is a large beautiful coastal settlement with a long sandy beach, great for families and couples alike, and is the main Mykonos beach for water sports.

The great advantage of Platis Gialos besides the beautiful beach and the gorgeous hotels is that is a great base for trips to explore further the island.

The best sites to visit in Platis Gialos are:

• the well of Giannaros, an underground reservoir of granite
• the preserved towers of Hellenistic or Roman times
• take the water taxi to Mykonos most famous beaches like Super Paradise or
• visit the Sacred Island of Delos*, a major Greek archaeological site, and Rhenia island for snorkeling or sunbathing

*Ancient Greek Sacred Cities: Athens, Eleusis, Delphi, Olympia, and Delos.

Top Hotels in Platis Gialos:

• Palladium Hotel (Doubles from €256 B&B)
• Branco Mykonos (Doubles from €211 B&B)
• Acrogiali Beach Hotel Mykonos (Doubles from €123 B&B)

Agios Ioannis – the Quiet Mykonos Village

Agios Ioannis or Diakofti, an all-white houses village that embraces a golden beach across from Delos island is one of the smallest and quietest villages on Mykonos.

It is located just three kilometers from Ornos, southwest of Mykonos, and is considered one of the best places for a quiet vacation on the island. Scenes from the movie “Shirley Valentine”, back in 1989, were shot in the idyllic landscape of Agios Ioannis.

Top Hotels in Agios Ioannis:

• Mykonos Grand Hotel & Resort (Doubles from €286 B&B)
• Aegean View Apartments Mykonos (Self-catering from €82)

Gay-Friendly Hotels in Mykonos

Some of the beaches are gay-er than others like Paradise, Super Paradise, and Elia which is also a nudist beach. I recommend Villa Konstantin which is a gay hotel and Nissaki which is a gay-friendly hotel with a hot tub and swimming pool to relax:

• Villa Konstantin (Doubles from €210 B&B)
• Nissaki Boutique Hotel (Doubles from €223 B&B)

Where to Stay in Mykonos for Families

Ornos is perfect if you have teenage children, they will surely appreciate the young crowds as it is a place to see and be seen. Another great beach for children as the water is shallow is Platis Gialos and Agios Ioannis.

Best Family Hotel: Anax Resort & Spa (Doubles from €247 B&B)

Where to Stay in Mykonos for Honeymoon

2021 awarded Hotel as one of the World’s Best Honeymoon Hideways is Alissachni Mykonos (Doubles from €347 B&B), in Psarou, in an incredible location to enjoy Mykonos’ best sunset.

Service, staff, decoration, breakfast, and other facilities are all top-notch and they know how to make a newlywed couple even happier in their hotel.

Destino Pacha Mykonos (Doubles from €196 B&B) 300 m from Agios Stefanos Beach, is another fantastic luxury honeymoon option.

Money-Saving Tips for Mykonos

As I have already mentioned, Mykonos is an expensive island and sometimes it can be ridiculously expensive. What you can do to save money is to try to avoid the super touristic and most impressive areas for your meals, as they tend to be the most pricey as well.

Choose taverns that are far from the crowds, and try the local Greek stews and dishes. Ask for what the ladero of the day is (ladero = fresh beans or orka, or mixed veggies with potatoes and fresh tomato sauce).

You can’t afford expensive fish? Ask for sardines or sand smelt or bogue. Take souvlaki or as Greeks also call it ‘Tylichto’ which should be quite inexpensive and filling.

Search for the local bakery, get food from there, veggies/ cheese from the supermarket, and you will have saved a ton of money on at least one of your meals per day.

The Most Traditional and Old Food places in Mykonos

• Tavern ‘Maerio’, Chora, Kalogera st 16, +30 22890-28825. 
• Tavern ‘Oti Apomine’, behind the Monastery of Tourliani in Ano Mera tel: + 30 22890-71534
• Coffee and Food shop ‘Bakogias’, Gialos, Chora, +30 22890-23552
• Gioras Bakery – since 17th century – Agiou Efthimiou Lakka, Chora +30 22890-27784

How to Get Around Mykonos

There are public buses on Mykonos but I always get around a new area with a car from RentalCars.com as it offers the freedom to explore the area on my terms and time schedule.

How to Get to Mykonos

Like most visitors to Greece, you will probably have to fly to Athens or Thessaloniki International Airports to get to Greece and then take the local flight to Mykonos. However, you may find a direct flight from your country to the island. Check KAYAK or Skyscanner, compare prices and get the best deal.

Of course, the most usual way to get to Mykonos is to take the ferry from Athens ports (Pireaus, Rafina, or Lavrion). Book your ferry transfer with FerryScanner or FerryHopper, and get the best prices in the market with no hidden fees. If you travel in the summer you better book your seats in advance.

What Difficulties you may Encounter in Mykonos?

There are a few things that a first-time visitor should keep in mind while visiting Cyclades Islands:

• The roads are not always in good condition or they may be too narrow for what you are used to. You need to be careful especially if you are driving at night
• Many of the unorganized beaches have no trees or other shade available, water, or food supply. You should carry your own supplies.
• When it gets windy (June – August meltemia), it can be annoying. It can also get a bit chilly in the evening, take a light jacket with you
• If you go hiking in summer on an island with no trees, you can get very easily heat stroke
• For more info on travel dangers and precautions in Greece, read here my post on hiking safely in Greece
• Most popular beaches might get overcrowded, with loud music. This might not be a problem for everyone, especially if you have teenage children with you!

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