Off Topic: Looking for travel tips to Mykonos

[BirdsOfPreyDave]

Has anyone ever been? My partner is a second generation Greek, and this has been a dream trip for years. His Christmas present last year was Rosetta Stone Greek (Level 1) and a stack of Travel books on Greece. We've already made Disney plans for 2009, so we're doing Greece the following summer in 2010.

Now I just need to figure out exactly what, when, where, and how. (I've got who and why covered. )

One option is to rent an Interval International week from my parents and trade into Club Delta at Club Mykonos II (CMY & MYK). (They're looking to rent one of their weeks for financial reasons, and if I can take it from them it will save them a whole lot of angst in dealing with the whole Craig's List ordeal. It would also be a win-win from our perspective, too.) I can't find much about this resort online, though. Pictures on their web site look nice, but there aren't many of them. I also can't seem to find any posts from people with personal experiences of the resort -- the only things that comes up with Google is advertising. I can't find any reference to the resort on the limited number of online gay travel guides for Greece.

Would we be happier in one of the family-owned or gay-only hotels? (I know that's a very subjective questions, but I welcome hearing about other's experiences.)

The timeshare is on Ornos Beach. I found a web site that indicates there's a small gay section on this beach. Is it worth day traveling to visit beaches like Super Paradise and Elia? We're not looking for big party beaches, but would like to be in a gay crowd. We'll also want to try a clothing optional beach for at lease one day. What's it like to use the buses/boats/taxis to get to these locations?

Will we need a rental car? One of the sites I was reading says not to stay out of town, because it's difficult to find a taxi at night. We're not real night owls or party animals, but we will want to see some of the clubs and visit the area around the Paraportiani to check out that scene.

Fly from Athens or take a boat/hovercraft?

Our flight from the States looks like it will be through JFK. We'll be in Mykonos for a week, but have two weeks worth of vacation time, so we might tack on a few days in NYC and/or Athens to break up some of the travel days.

What other plans should I be making? I'm a compulsive WDW planner, but I'm completely out of my element with this trip.

 

[friendodot]

Hi,
You should definitely go to Mykonos. Me and my boyf are going this summer. It'll be my eight trip (over a 24-year span). I wish I could go every year but there's so much of the world to see.

I have a load of information, so I apologize in advance if I yammer on too long.

Lodging can be very expensive. I've found that most of the major sites (from Expedia to Booking.com) list the "tourist" priced places, with the cheapest being over $100 a night and up (way up). And you get a good value. But I'm less picky about my lodgings and put up with a lot more than most people, I think, and usually pay less. Me and my best friend used to stay at the Paradise Beach campground, which was great, albeit "roughing it", but it's gotten too loud, with the the growth of all-day and all-night parties at the campground. So I moved into Mykonos Town where I used a travel agency--Windmills Travel (they have a website), which put me into these rental rooms detached from any hotel (pensions?), with no amenities of a hotel other than them changing the sheets. The rooms were very nice and cheap ($45 a night) with A/C and fridge (although very tiny showers), but the noise from kids early in the morning could be too disruptive. So the next time we paid more ($80) a night for a real hotel at Platis Yialos with a huge room, nice breakfast each day and amenities. The only thing I didn't like was that it was so far from Mykonos town (the main town of the island). So this time, I've booked us in a hotel in Ornos, which is a beach that's much closer to Mykonos town. I found a room via Yeego.com, costing us 118 Euros for four nights, which is a great deal. The place is called Amenos Apartments. It looks good and gets good reviews on Tripadvisor.

Another option is to just arrive without a reservation. There are always people greeting each ferry or plane that comes in, who have rooms. You have to be careful to make sure they tell you exactly where their rooms are. Sometimes they can be outside Mykonos Town and away from any transportation. But you can get some great deals.

What to do in Mykonos: My usual routine has been to spend each day at Super Paradise Beach. I've only gone to Elia once so I can't really comment. Paradise Beach is mostly straight, though there is nudity. Super Paradise Beach is only about a quarter gay, but everyone's very cool and you can tell there a lot of "questioning" guys there with their girlfriends. The gay area is about half-nude, depending on the crowd. I'm not much of a beach person, but I love the beach there. I don't have a great body, but I don't feel intimidated there. Not everyone's super-gorgeous (although some are). People just look happy to be free and open and among their own kind.

Music is a bit loud on the beach, but it is on most beaches (maybe Elia is different, not sure). Doesn't bother me. I'm usually listening to my iPod.

And my favorite spot on the whole island is on Super Paradise. There's a cafeteria that offers reasonably priced drinks and food and there are seats out front, some in the sand, which is bliss to me. Just to sit at a table in the sand with a cold drink, looking at the stunning Greek beach.

There is no direct bus service to Super Paradise. If you're staying in Mykonos Town, you can take a bus to Platis Yialos or Paradise Beach and then take a small boat to Super Paradise. You can also get there by car, though you have to be confident driving in a foreign country and be able to navigate well (the Greeks drive really fast and recklessly). Taking the bus then boat is better. (Although, I try my best to get my exercise and walk from Paradise to Super Paradise--it's possible, but becoming increasingly more difficult each year as more walls get built and trails are bulldozed over--not a trip for newbies.)

If you don't want to spend all your days at the beach, you can stay in Mykonos Town. It's lovely to wander around, shop, eat, and generally get lost. The town is a huge maze, apparently built this way to confuse pirates. I've been so many times that I know the town inside and out but newbies can get lost. Still, it's not big enough that it's a problem. And after awhile, you recognize certain landmarks and can navigate alright.

The town's endlessly photogenic. And look for the pelicans who walk the street like rock stars. There are lots of shops, though selling lots of tourist crap, though it's getting increasingly upscale. I find the tourist merchandise to be nicer on other islands such as Paros, which are less interesting and have to work harder to get your dollars.

Lots of great food. You can eat cheap gyros or other fast food, or you can eat sit-down at some very nice restaurants. Just look at the restaurants that are packed and that's where the good food is.

You can also take a day trip to Delos, which is about 45 minutes away by boat. It's definitely worth it. Sort of like Pompei but in a stunning location on the water. If you go, make sure to climb to the top of the highest hill (towards the center of the island). You'll be rewarded with a fantastic view of the island and of Mykonos in the distance.

At night, there are a couple of key gay bars and dance places. Gay central is just off taxi square, where there are the bars Icarus and Pierros. During high season, the whole square in front of these bars is jam-packed with guys. It's fun. There's also Porta, which is a nice place to hang out, as well, inside.

I generally just like to come back from the beach, take a nap, shower, then have a nice meal in town and then people watch. There's a great parade of people walking through Mykonos town each night. I love to get a coffee or ice cream, sit and just watch all the Greeks (the men are super-hot!), the tourists and the locals. Also, the Castro Bar is nice because it's quiet (they play classical music) and it overlooks the ocean (it's on the famed "Little Venice" side of town).

Oh Oh Oh. If you have the chance, see Phyllis Pastore sing at the Montparnasse Piano Bar! She's great. And famous for the way she lays into audience members she doesn't like. They have a website, which says that Phylllis is playing Sept 1 to 14 this year.

One thing to be warned about is that the Greek Islands can experience horrible winds that can last for days. They're knock-you-down winds. I'm leaving my vacation a bit flexible this year and watching the wind report (Windfinder.com) and will adjust my vacation if the winds are bad on the days I'm planning to go. If I need to move my trip, I'll cancel my hotel and wing it--just get a room when I get off the plane.

Note that some people might be bummed by the lack of the usual chain restaurants and stores. There are a couple (there's a Starbucks a bit outside of Mykonos town), but I love being somewhere without the same old same old. Although a lot of the stores owned by the locals are selling merchandise you can find elsewhere. I love love love the Greek yogurt. I would eat it each day along with some fresh fruit.

I've rented a car, too, and explored the rest of the island. There are some nice beaches on the west side of the island. But again, you have to drive very fast and defensively.

Oh, and getting to Mykonos takes some thought. Most flights go into Athens (there are some, very rare, flights straight into Mykonos from European cities), leaving you the option of taking either a plane or ferry to Mykonos. I usually like to go into Athens about an hour away (you have to see the Parthenon and the Archeological Museum, plus good CD shopping), then either take a ferry from Piraeus (closest port to Athens but with less departures) or Rafina (an hour+ by bus from Athens, but with more departures). You can see ferry schedules at fantasticgreece.com.

Or you can fly. There are three airlines: Olympic, Aegean or Athens Airways, which all have websites. They're not cheap, though, but very convenient.

All in all, it's a great place to go. I've been to quite a few Greek islands and it's just got the best combination of all the best elements (fun and fascinating main town, great beaches, shopping, eating) but what makes it a cut above is that you feel comfortable being gay. You can feel quite comfortable holding hands as you walk through town or being affectionate on the beach.

It is very popular, so it is crowded, so be warned of that.

That's probably more than you wanted to know, but hope it helps!
David, New Jersey

 

[BirdsOfPreyDave]

Thanks for all the great info!

 

[jlewisinsyr]

Off topic with your original intent, but how did you like Rosetta Stone? We have been considering in investing in a few languages to help get us started.

 

[BirdsOfPreyDave]

Off topic with your original intent, but how did you like Rosetta Stone? We have been considering in investing in a few languages to help get us started.

I like the way it's set up. It does make it easy to learn.

I also really like the microphone and the fact that it's able to listen to your pronunciation and tell you if you're saying things correctly or not. When I took language classes in high school and college, the pronunciation was always my downfall. It wasn't something I could practice at home, and I was too shy in class.

It doesn't work like traditional language tapes or software I've used. They don't say something in English, then repeat it in the language you're learning. They show you pictures that build upon one another. You learn words from the context of the pictures.

For example, they start out showing a picture of a girl and you learn the word for girl. Then you learn the word boy. Then the girl will be eating something. Then the boy will be eating something. Then there will be several girls eating. Then drinking is introduced. Then man, woman, etc. You really do learn the word instead of translating each word.

The software is a lot of money, but I don't regret spending it.

 

[awilda79]

I like the way it's set up. It does make it easy to learn.

I also really like the microphone and the fact that it's able to listen to your pronunciation and tell you if you're saying things correctly or not. When I took language classes in high school and college, the pronunciation was always my downfall. It wasn't something I could practice at home, and I was too shy in class.

It doesn't work like traditional language tapes or software I've used. They don't say something in English, then repeat it in the language you're learning. They show you pictures that build upon one another. You learn words from the context of the pictures.

For example, they start out showing a picture of a girl and you learn the word for girl. Then you learn the word boy. Then the girl will be eating something. Then the boy will be eating something. Then there will be several girls eating. Then drinking is introduced. Then man, woman, etc. You really do learn the word instead of translating each word.

The software is a lot of money, but I don't regret spending it.

I was wandering if you stayed at club mykonos timeshare??? We're thinking if using our week there but I'm also having trouble finding information and reviews on them