When we decided to go to Greece, Cindy aspired to see a picturesque island she had seen in the movies. White buildings, colorful blue roofs, and doors that stood out with bright colors. Mykonos would be this island of wonder and awe. Even though this would be Mykonos in the off-season, what to do and see. We will highlight what we could do and see in the off-season in Mykonos. Then recommend to you if Mykonos is worth visiting in the off-season.
Beauty of Mykonos
Mykonos is nicknamed the “Party Island,” but there was no partying when we visited the island in the off-season. Actually, most restaurants were closed, and only a couple of grocery stores were open in the Old Town. Even though we were in Mykonos in the late fall, we could still see the beauty that attract so many people to visit the island. Mykonos is home to crystal clear turquoise water and many beaches.
Gorgeous Colors
Mykonos showcases whitewashed buildings with colorful doors, bright flowers, and narrow labyrinth walkways that twist and turn, making navigating challenging. The reason for the whitewashed buildings goes back to 1938 when there was a Cholera outbreak, and Greece’s ruler ordered all houses to be painted with limestone as it was believed to be a disinfectant. The colorful doors and beautiful flowers against the white buildings only add to the beauty of Mykonos. Walking the streets was how we filled our days when we ventured to explore and see what draws people here. Mykonos and all its gorgeous colors are so appealing to the eyes.
Churches of Mykonos
It wouldn’t be right if we didn’t talk about the Churches of Mykonos. After all, there are over 60 churches in Old Town Mykonos alone. Our favorite was the little blue church right down at the waterfront by the fisherman’s boats. This little church is called Agios Nikolaos Orthodox Church. This church was built in honor of St. Nicholas, the protector of sailors and fishermen. Agios Nikolaos was said to have been built during the 4th century.
The other church of interest is called The Church of Panagia Paraportiani. It is not just one church but five small churches built next to or on top of one another. They were made at different times, with the first one dating back to the 14th century.
Walking around checking out all the different churches is another activity to do in Mykonos.
Iconic Windmills
The iconic windmills that are on the shore of Mykonos are worth mentioning. The Venetians built the windmills in the 16th century to harness the power of the strong Mykonos winds. Mykonos is also known as ‘the windy’ island. The windmills were used to mill flour and were used until the 20th century. Nowadays the windmills are used for housing or storage.
While we were in Mykonos, we had several of those windy days. One day the waves were crashing upon the Venetian waterfront making it impassable.
Mykonos Sunset
Mykonos has a few beaches that would be filled to the brim if the weather was warmer and many other beaches dotted around the island; the taxi driver recommended renting a car to see them as they are all unique. We didn’t rent a car to see the beaches around the island because it was too cold to sunbathe or swim in the sea. I love a good sunset, and Mykonos did not disappoint. We saw a couple of good sunsets even though we were there at the beginning of December.
We also enjoyed taking pictures of the bay at night, with the houses’ light reflecting into the water and mesmerizing us with its beauty.
Mykonos Archaeological Museum
Mykonos has a small Archaeological Museum that we recommend visiting; it is small but worth a visit cost of 2€. Open only Saturday and Sunday from 9:00 am till 3:30 pm. Most exhibits come from Delos, the Archaeological site (greek ruin) not that far away, a Greek ruin that is a must-see if in Mykonos.
Delos Mythical Birth-Place Of Greek Gods Apollo and Artemis
Near Mykonos, lies the island of Delos it is one of Greece’s most important mythological, historical, and archaeological sites. That is why visiting this island is practically a trip back in time to Ancient Greece! The excavations on the island are among the most extensive in the Mediterranean. Many of the artifacts found are on display at the Archaeological Museum of Delos and the National Archaeological Museum of Athens.
No other island on Earth hosts so many monumental antiquities from the Archaic, the Classical, and the Hellenistic periods, i.e., the centuries of the great Greek art, on a territory used exclusively as an archaeological site. Delos is not a museum, Delos is not there to tell a story, Delos is history itself. Visitors coming to Delos embarked on a lifetime experience.
Delos The Birth Place Of Apollo And Sister Artemis
Delos had a position as a holy sanctuary for a millennium before Olympian Greek mythology made it the birthplace of Apollo and Artemis. Investigation of ancient stone huts found on the island indicates that it has been inhabited since 3000 BC.
In ancient times, the myth that Greek god Apollo and goddess Artemis had been born there rendered the island sacred: no mortal would ever be allowed to be born on its land. But, a cradle of gods as the island has been, no mortals would ever be allowed to die on it either.
As if by magic, the sacredness of the island lives on: the multitudes of people, who flock to share the island’s uniqueness, can do nothing but visit. Delos’s archaeological experience is the only activity on the island, and its enchanting landscape is home to nobody. History is thus repeating itself: in a place of such importance, no person is ever born or dies.
Making Our Visit To Delos A Reality
It is said that when you visit Mykonos, you have to visit the Greek ruins on Delos, said to be the birthplace of Apollo and his sister Artemis. Not as easy as one would think; remember that this is the Off-Season, and everything runs only when needed. The weather plays a factor in the sailings; too windy, and they don’t sail. Then there is the issue of paying passengers; there need to be enough tourists who want to visit Delos. All this is difficult to bring together; this is the downside to visiting during the Off-Season.
Let me explain how this worked for me trying to get over to Delos. I arrived at the dock just before 10:00 am to see if there would be a departure to Delos today. The weather is very promising sunny, and the seas are not rough, a couple of things in our favor. With my arrival, there were eight paying customers, two of which were children; the tourist agent told us the cost to hire the boat was 450 €, outrageous. Let me explain, generally during the regular season, the price of a ticket is 20 € each, and I believe half-price for children, but then during the regular season, you have thousands of tourists.
Now, this is where it gets interesting; out of the eight of us, six are leaving that day to other destinations. So if we don’t go today, we lose six people, and the weather is supposed to turn for the worse, rain and more wind. Taking all of this into consideration, we have an incentive to make this opportunity work to make it to Delos. With some negotiating skills and paying 50 € each, we came up with a compromise that works for everyone, a little costly, yes, but we were on our way.
Covid-19 Protocols
Here are some Covid-19 protocols that we have encountered in Mykonos and the rest of Greece. We needed to prove we were double vaccinated, and the last shot needs to be 14 days or longer from the current date. The proof will be requested when flying, entering some stores, restaurants, and Museums.
People must wear masks when entering any building, purchasing tickets at a wicket, entering restaurants, and in crowded locations.
Our Final Thoughts On Mykonos In The Off-Season, What To Do And See
- We took a chance on visiting Mykonos in the off-season and it was not one of our better choices. The weather was cool, windy and raining, not ideal weather. I got lucky on our trip to Delos, the weather was nice and sunny, best part of our seven day stay. We do not recommend visiting Mykonos in the off-season and if visiting during peak season you will need to have a fat wallet.
Our Positives
- Enjoyed my trip to Delos
- Loved the sunsets and waundering the narrow streets
- The small Archaeological museum in town we found to be interesting
Our Negatives
- Expensive lodging, not much to do, weather
- The Delos Archaeological Museum was closed for renovations, but this is just bad luck
- Most resturaunts closed and other stores closed as well
Would have, Could have, Should have
- We should have visited somewhere else as Mykonos was still expensive (lodging) in the off-season and not much to do.
- Don’t book ferry passage to early as the weather my play a factor into sailing, we found this out the hard way, our sailing was canceled due to wind conditions, our accomadations non refundable. So we had to fly which was another expence added to a already expensive destination.
Next Stop
We are off to Tbilisi, Georgia (the country), and then we will venture out into other parts of the country. We intend to spend approximately two months in Georgia, a month in Tbilisi just relaxing and discovering the city. Then we will see where we go it see from there.
Support Our Blog And It’s Unique Travel Content
You can support our site by using the links through our travel Essential. If you purchase items using our links, we will receive a small commission. There are no extra or hidden costs to you. These commissions assist us in our travel, so we can provide unique content to you through each blog post. If you enjoy our blog and find it interesting and informative please share it with friends. Subscriber, so you never miss a new post. Thank you.
Recommended Travel Essential
Cindy and I call ourselves nomadic, so we use certain essentials to make this way of life easier and more comfortable with our lifestyle. With this in mind, we have composed a list of what we feel are essentials and some tips you might use to plan or take your next travel adventure.
- Travel Packing Essentials to help organize and make this task less stressful
- Travel Safety Essentials to make your life on the road a little safer, giving you peace of mind
- Living essentials to make life a little more comfortable, be this resting, working, or playing.
Accommodation Options While Traveling The World
- Booking.com is one of our go to’s when we are looking for a place to stay for a couple of days or longer
- Agoda.com we find is best to use when in Southeast Asia, but hey you never know what you might find
- Airbnb.com used to be our go-to but some of their cancelation policies are reasonable, give them a try as well
Travel Insurance
We always travel with some travel Insurance, just medical or complete trip coverage. We use Heymondo as we find their costs reasonable. Remember, don’t travel without coverage; the savings are not worth the possible costs.
Some links on this page are affiliate links, meaning if you buy a product using our link, we may earn a commission. This commission comes at no additional cost to you. Disclaimer.
