Thursday September 26, 2019
MYKONOS, Greece – We had our first look at the one of the top beach destinations in the world.
If you’re after a non-stop party and a more than just casual laid-back atmosphere, then Paradise Beach on the south side of Mykonos island should be on your bucket list.
We took the bus to Paradise on Thursday to see what the hype is all about.
First, the beach is not terribly expansive. I’m guessing about 500 to 1,000 yards in length and about 20 yards deep. The edge of the beach is book-ended by two bars, which serves the beach and drinks are allowed on the sand and in the water. Really, there is no authority in sight so this is a pretty much “what you want to do and when you want to do it” beach. The music definitely gets your attention and is non-stop.
We arrived around 12 noon to a perfect beach day. Not a cloud in the sky, low humidity, a gentle wind and the water was clam. Temp was in the mid-80s and I was in beach heaven.
This is definitive an adult beach. By that, kids should have no place here and for three reasons. First, there is the loud, very loud music, alcohol and nudity. So, keep your kids away Travel booklets about Mykonos detail other beaches for families, less crowded and less noisy.
Walking through the arrow streets of Mykonos town on arrival night and experiencing Paradise beach during the day, I would describe Mykonos in one word, pulsating. There is a certain vibe to this place and generally, goods and food are more expansive than the other islands we visited. The shops are up-scale and this is definitely a place “to see and be seen.”
We spent about six hours at Paradise and shared a small pizza as a snack around 5. We caught the 6 p.m. bus back to town and discovered a short cut back to our apartment. To reach the bus in the morning, we went a longer way and the streets here are so narrow that pedestrians share the asphalt with cars, trucks and buses. Not terribly safe.
From the beach, we took the bus to the end of the line and Waynette caught a pharmacy, We tried to purchase eye drops for me and already paid 12 euros, 50 for one vial on Naxos. Compared that to $47 a vial I pay in the states and we’re on a mission to buy as much as we can outside of the United States. The guy in the pharmacy said he was out of the eye drops and suggested we try back on Saturday. That works because we’re taking the bus to Paranga beach and the pharmacy is a 5-minute walk from the bus stop.
From the pharmacy, we took a chance and began to wander through the maze. Here, we hoped to find a short cut back and avoid a few hills and sharing the narrow streets with moving vehicles.
We had an idea in which direction we wanted to go and quickly came across a landmark which we past previously. That’s was a basketball court and outdoor amphitheater. We recognized this as a 5-minute walk to the apartment, and sure enough, we cut under a small bridge and our building was directly ahead.
Waynette took the first shower and by the time I finished, she was sleeping and it was only 8 p.m. No, I don’t think were in for the night because we have to explore more of Mykonos town.
Tomorrow, Friday, we’re taking a ferry to Delos, an uninhabitable island but with a great story. Delos was a principal location in Greek antiquity and several structures remain. It’s a day trip and we expect to spend about three hours in our history hunt. If time permits, we may hit a beach late in the afternoon.
For Saturday, we’ll head to Paranga beach and that will likely be our last beach day in this trip. On Sunday, we have a ferry to Samos, still in Greece, stay there overnight and then head to Turkey next Monday.
WEATHER – perfect beach day, sunny, mid-80s, not a cloud in the sky.
PICTURES – Paradise beach on Mykonos
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