Little Venice
A row of 18th-century captains' and merchants' houses with balconies hanging over the sea. Bars fill the ground floors; waves splash the front tables on windy evenings.
Sunset spots
Things to Do in Mykonos
Windmills, Little Venice and a five-chapel church in one walkable town — plus four museums, the best sunset spots and what costs nothing.
- Windmills: free
- Archaeological Museum €5
- Delos €20
- Chora is walkable
The symbol
The Kato Mili windmills
Detailed visitor guide: Kato Mili windmills — history, photo spots and sunset tips.
The row of whitewashed windmills on the ridge above Little Venice is the image of Mykonos. They date from the Venetian period and ground grain into flour for the hard rusks that ships carried on long voyages. Milling stopped in the 20th century; the mills now stand as monuments, free to visit at any hour.
- Price: free — you visit from the outside (visitgreece.gr, checked Oct 2026).
- Best time: 40 minutes before sunset, or early morning for empty frames.
- Pair with: Little Venice, 150 m below, and Paraportiani, 150 m further.
Landmarks
The essential Chora circuit
Everything below except the lighthouse is inside a 15-minute walk. Chora's maze of lanes is said to have been built to confuse pirates — it still confuses visitors, so save the map offline.
Panagia Paraportiani & the Kastro
Four chapels at ground level and a fifth on top, built from 1425 into the 17th century at the side gate of the old castle — hence the name, "Our Lady of the Side Gate".
Matoyianni & the lanes
The main shopping lane, then the backstreets: blue doors, bougainvillea and tiny chapels. Tria Pigadia, the square of the three old wells, is a good place to regroup.
Petros the pelican
A fisherman rescued the first Petros in 1958. Today several pelicans keep the tradition alive, wandering the harbour front. Admire, do not feed.
Boni's windmill
A restored windmill on the hill above town, now a small agricultural museum. The climb rewards you with a view over Chora and the Old Port.
Armenistis lighthouse
A 19th-century lighthouse on the north-west cape, about 6 km from town by road. The calm alternative to Little Venice for sunset — you need a car or taxi.
Quiet sunset
Museums
Four museums, all within ten minutes of each other
Archaeological Museum of Mykonos
Finds from Mykonos, Delos and Rhenia, with a star exhibit: a 7th-century BC clay pithos decorated with one of the earliest known depictions of the Trojan Horse. An hour is enough, and it makes the perfect warm-up for a Delos day.
- Hours: 09:00–16:00 in summer; closed Tuesday.
- Tickets: €5, reduced €3 (Ephorate of Antiquities of Cyclades, summer 2026).
Aegean Maritime Museum
Ship models, navigation instruments and maps from the age when Mykonian captains crossed the Mediterranean — plus a lighthouse lantern in the garden. Children like it.
- Hours: 1 April–30 November, Tue–Sun 10:00–13:00 and 18:00–21:00 (aegeanislands.gr; confirm on arrival).
Aegean Maritime Museum
Behind the red door on Enoplon Dynameon street: the island's seafaring story in models and charts.
Folklore Museum & Lena's House
An old captain's house beside Paraportiani, furnished as it was; its annex, Lena's House, shows a 19th-century home. Open evenings April–October, closed Sunday (mykonos.gr).
Delos Museum
The original marble lions and the island's finest sculpture and mosaics, included in the €20 Delos ticket.
With the site ticket
Views
Where to watch the sun go down
Little Venice
Waterfront bars face due west. Order a drink to keep your seat; arrive an hour early in August.
Kato Mili
Free, open ridge above Little Venice. Stand back from the edge in strong wind.
The Kastro
Golden light on Paraportiani's white walls, fewer people than the waterfront.
Agios Ioannis & Armenistis
Sun into the sea with Delos on the horizon, or from the lighthouse on the cape.
Beyond Chora
Three half-days outside town
Delos
Apollo's sacred island, 30 minutes by boat from the Old Port. Go on the first boat, before the heat. Site and museum €20.
Boat day
Ano Mera & Tourliani
The monastery founded in 1542, with a gilded wooden iconostasis carved in 1775 by Florentine craftsmen. Lunch on the village square.
Inland
Watersports at Kalafatis
Windsurfing and diving from the island's watersports bay on the east coast.
On the water
Put together
All of Chora in one walk
- Old Port, 09:00 — start at the Archaeological Museum before the tour groups (closed Tuesday).
- Matoyianni — cut through the main shopping lane while it is still quiet.
- Tria Pigadia — the three-wells square; the Maritime Museum is a few steps away.
- Little Venice — coffee on the waterfront, with the windmills in view.
- Kato Mili — up the steps to the windmills for the classic photo.
- Paraportiani and the Kastro — back along the water to the five-chapel church, then into the lanes behind it.
- Old Port, about 11:30 — finish by the harbour, where Petros the pelican often waits.
Allow two and a half hours with the museum, or repeat the loop in reverse at 19:00 to end at the windmills for sunset. Every stop is pinned on our island map.
Free
The best of Mykonos costs nothing
Sunset at the windmills
The island's best view is free and open all night.
Paraportiani and the chapels
Walk around the outside of the five-chapel church and the Kastro lanes.
Every beach
Greek beaches are public. Lay a towel on free sand, even on the famous ones.
Petros the pelican
Often seen on the waterfront between the Old Port and Little Venice.
Getting lost in Chora
Go early morning, before the shops open, when the lanes belong to cats and cleaners.
Feast days
Village panigyria — like 15 August at Tourliani — welcome visitors. See events.
Common questions
Sightseeing questions
What are the must-see attractions in Mykonos?
The Kato Mili windmills, Little Venice and Panagia Paraportiani — all free and within a 15-minute walk in Chora. Add the Archaeological Museum (€5, closed Tuesday) and a morning on UNESCO-listed Delos (€20 site ticket, boat extra). Outside town, see the Tourliani monastery in Ano Mera.
Is Mykonos walkable for sightseeing?
Chora is: the windmills, Little Venice, Paraportiani and the museums are all within about 15 minutes on foot. The lanes are narrow and some are stepped, so wear flat shoes. Beaches, Ano Mera and the lighthouse need a bus, taxi or car; Delos needs a boat.
How many days do you need to see Mykonos?
Two days covers Chora's sights and a morning on Delos. Three to four days adds beaches, Ano Mera and a sunset at the lighthouse, with a spare day in case strong wind cancels the Delos boat. Plan Delos early in your stay so you can reschedule.