Day 11 in Greece - 2024

Flying from Santorini to Mykonos


We wake up at 04:00 and snooze until 04:15. We finish packing our items, and then walk down to the McDonald's where our taxi said via email they would meet us. The taxi drops us off at Santorini's very small, cozy airport. Our flight to Athens was only about thirty minutes, but we are still given bottles of water on the Aegean flight.


We get coffee and cheese pies during our layover in Athens and play a bit of Pokémon Go.


The plane we board to go to Mykonos is small enough that it has propellers on the wings! The Aegean flight is only thirty minutes out to Mykonos, and we are again served water. We are also served "Digestive Biscuits". The biscuits have a layer of chocolate on them and are quite good!

A digestive biscuit being dipped in dark chocolate shows different stages of coating from multiple angles.
A stunning panoramic view of a mountain landscape at sunset with vibrant orange and red hues in the sky.

Harmony Boutique Hotel


We land in Mykonos and find a taxi right away. He drives us to Harmony Boutique Hotel and we arrange for him to drive us to the airport the following day. We get to the hotel around 11:00, despite the fact that check-in isn't until around 15:00. We figure we can ask if they can hold our luggage though while we explore. The front desk agent is happy to tell us that our room is actually ready and that they upgraded us to a suite - how nice!


The suite is 48-53 steps up from the main building depending on the route you take, but the balcony view we have is 100% worth it. We can see a good majority of the town and the Aegean Sea. We unpack what we need for our short stay and rest before heading out. I take a shower and it is the most amazing shower I have ever taken in Greece. Seriously.

A camera lens peeks over the edge of a wooden surface in a minimalist composition.

Exploring


We walk over to a restaurant called Blue Blue. Jeremy gets the Blue Blue omelet, which is overloaded with feta cheese for his liking. I get the Penne Con Polo which is absolutely delicious.


The restaurant is right near the water, and when we exit we continue walking along the waterfront away from the hotel. We end up in front of the most photographed church on the island of Mykonos - Panagia (the Virgin Mary) Paraportiani. There's construction happening right in front of it, so it's hard to get a good picture, but I do my best. Did you know that there are 365 churches on the island of Mykonos? You can go to a different church every single day on a non-leap year. That's impressive.


Right behind the church are the remains of Mykonos Castle. It's cool to be able to walk within the ruins - it's not gated off or anything! The castle is also called the Venetian Castle of Chora. Residents used to live in the castle back when pirate attacks were more common on the islands throughout the Aegean and Mediterranean Seas.

A series of white Greek Orthodox churches with blue domes and crosses line the Mediterranean coastline in Mykonos, Greece.
Row of rustic stone walls with red wooden shutters and doors along a Mediterranean building facade.
A charming white-walled alley with traditional stone paving and wooden doors in a Mediterranean coastal town.
Series of bright blue doors against whitewashed walls with stone foundation in Mediterranean architecture.
Traditional white-washed Greek Orthodox churches with blue domes stand against a cloudy sky on a Mediterranean island.
A row of whitewashed Greek Orthodox churches with traditional blue domes against a cloudy Mediterranean sky.

Little Venice


Right near the castle and the church is the entrance into Little Venice. Little Venice is probably the most famous part of Mykonos for tourists - it has narrow walking paths that are lined with white-washed buildings and shops. Honestly, when I looked up pictures of Santorini before our second trip to Greece, it kept showing me photos of Mykonos which feels very misleading now that I know better.


All of the shops are closed right now for the season, but there is not another soul in sight except the occasional resident that lives above the shops. We are able to explore the winding paths without running into another person, photograph the buildings without crowds in the way, and pet stray kitties that are lounging in the sun since there are no groups of strangers to scare them away. It's honestly magical. The paths occasionally open up into plaza areas, usually in front of one of the churches. I can only imagine what it's like to be in Little Venice during the summer, and I'm so glad we are here in the off-season.

Narrow cobblestone alley with whitewashed walls and blue accents in traditional Greek architecture style.
Traditional Greek alley with white walls, blue shutters, and stone paved path in Mykonos.
Traditional Greek alleyway with white walls, blue shutters and stone paved path in Mykonos, Greece.
Three ginger and white cats sleeping on a stone pathway next to a white wall with a red door.
Narrow whitewashed alley with curved walls and blue railings in a traditional Greek island setting with twisted trees.
Narrow cobblestone street with white buildings and blue doors in traditional Greek island architecture style.
Traditional whitewashed alley with cobblestone path and blue doors in Mykonos, Greece showcases classic Cycladic architecture.
Narrow cobblestone alley with whitewashed walls and blue doors in traditional Greek island architecture style.
Narrow whitewashed alleyways with traditional stone paving in a Mediterranean village showcase classic Cycladic architecture.
Colorful bunting flags wave over a traditional white-walled Greek alley with stone paving and blue doorway in Mykonos.
A white cat with blue eyes peeks through green olive tree branches and leaves against a bright sky.
A white cat with striking blue eyes gazes at the camera in a series of close-up portraits.
A person walks down a narrow cobblestone street with white walls and blue doors in a traditional Greek village.
White-washed buildings with vibrant blue shutters and doors showcase classic Greek island architecture in Mykonos.
Narrow cobblestone alley with white-washed walls and turquoise shutters in traditional Greek island architecture.

Windmills of Mykonos


We exit the maze that is Little Venice and find ourselves at the bottom of a hill leading up to these windmills. They are working on making the windmills more accessible to tourists, and they are doing a wonderful job. There are paved pathways and platforms leading up to them.


The windmills have thatched roofs, and are in the process of being preserved. There are six windmills in total, all aligned, greeting the sea. There are other windmills throughout the island, but these six together are beautiful to witness.


There's a kitty laying on the seat of a scooter that I take pictures of, too. The cat seems mildly annoyed that I'm disrupting their slumber, but they mostly ignore me. There's also a person feeding the pigeons near the windmill. I like to imagine they come and feed them every day.

Traditional white windmills stand in a row against a blue sky on a sunny day in Mykonos, Greece.
Low angle view of wooden beams against a cloudy sky showing weathered architectural details and structural elements.
Traditional white windmill blades against blue Mediterranean waters and coastline of Mykonos, Greece.
Seven connected wind turbine blades against a blue sky with white clouds create a geometric pattern.
A row of vintage blue Vespa scooters parked along a white wall on a cobblestone street.
Traditional white windmills stand atop rocky cliffs overlooking the Mediterranean Sea on the Greek island of Mykonos.
Traditional white windmills stand against a cloudy sky on the island of Mykonos in Greece.
Row of traditional white windmills perched on rocky hillside overlooking the Aegean Sea in Mykonos, Greece.
Panoramic view of colorful traditional houses along the waterfront in Mykonos Little Venice, Greece.

The Evening


We walk back through Little Venice and return to our hotel for a break. We are both exhausted, so when it's time to eat dinner, we just go to Blu Blue again since it's so close to the hotel. Jeremy gets a fruit waffle, which includes banana, apple, and kiwi. I get a special pizza which has bacon, ham, and mushrooms. We return to our hotel and promptly fall asleep.