We did the 3-hour "Mykonos Island Tour", which allowed plenty of time at the end of the tour to visit town. The best thing about the tour was getting an opportunity to see the "other side" of the island away from the town.
Our bus slowly covered the narrow, winding roads while the guide told us about the 6,000 Myconians and their island. One tidbit we learned was that the white, sugar cube-shaped houses reflect the bright sun and keep out the strong winds. Mykonos has many beautiful beaches on its southeast coast, and the island is the most visited and most expensive of the Greek Islands. We took a break at Paradise Beach before driving to the 6th century Panagia Tourliani Monastery in the small village of Ano Mera. This Greek Orthodox monastery and church had a beautiful bell tower and wooden iconostasis.
Our tour ended at Mykonos Town; we exited the bus and walked to the famous windmills, where we also had a good view of the Little Venice area of Mykonos town. In this part of town, the white-washed houses are built right on the water, with their balconies hanging over the Mediterranean. Our guide walked with us to the Pangia Paraportiani church, one of the oldest structures in town and a favorite of photographers.
After the tour, we had free time to explore. We sat in a small outdoor taverna and began chatting with a couple at the next table who were on the Celebrity Galaxy, which was also in port. In one of those small world moments, we discovered we were all from Atlanta!
Another great day on the Emerald Princess.
