Mykonos Excursions

Does anyone remember when the E! channel did a travel show called Wild On?  The show focused on party scenes all over the world. One of my favorites was about the Greek Isles and its showcase on Mykonos. Since there was a bus just outside of my hotel that traveled to Super Paradise, one of the beaches featured on the show, I just had to go there.

                                                                    Super Paradise

The beach is nice, not the best beach I’ve seen, but it’s a welcome change from the rocky beaches of Mykonos Town.  The real draw here is the beach-side service from the bars and restaurants.  

This can include having your own hookah brought to your table.  

Obviously, this place would be more hopping at night in the summer, but it was still a cool place to hang out.  I have to admit that I would like to see it while it was hopping.  But since I’m too old to be around a bunch of drunken 20-somethings looking to hook up, I happily enjoyed my over-priced drink and delicious pizza in peace.  It was my first (and probably only) beachside service experience, and it was a good one.

Sunday, 4/30/23, was an interesting day.  My only plan for the day was to take my fat issue of Vogue to the steps by the pier and relax.  But on the way there, I noticed the stand for sea tours of Delos.  I wanted to go to that island at some point but didn’t have a specific plan.  Well, now I do.

                                                                               Rhenia

Paid 75 euros for a 5-hour cruise that included lunch and wine.  We sailed out to the first location Rhenia, a tiny island with a crescent of beach and were let out to explore the area.  Most people camped out on the beach while I followed a small group of people up the dirt road and into the interior.  There were obviously people living there based on the houses in the distance and the multiple unpaved roads, but I have no idea how they were living.  There wasn’t a grocery store in sight so unless they’re all living on fish, they’d have to travel to one of the larger islands for supplies.  Who knows what they do for medical assistance.

I walked for a long time in the middle of nowhere.  It was during this walk that it struck me (again) just how much my life has changed in the last few months.  Six months ago, I was living in Georgia, fearing that my house would never sell and I’d be stuck there.  Cut to April and I’m beating off bugs while wandering a Greek Island that I hadn’t even heard of six months ago.  Things do change.

After discovering some other boats full of partiers docked at another part of the island, I began to head back.  Hung out on the beach for a while then boarded the boat where the crew was waiting with water, wine, and some freshly grilled kebabs.  

We ate a hearty meal then set sail for the second island of 

                                                                            Delos

Delos is an excavation site.  It’s covered in the ruins of an ancient city overgrown with wildflowers and the obligatory cats.  The ship let us off, saying they’d pick us up at 4 and we were left to explore.  I roamed around, taking pictures, then happened to get back in sight of the dock.  The boat was gone.  I looked at my phone and realized it was only 3 so I know I wasn’t late.  I sat on a bench and scanned the area for anyone I recognized from the ship but came up empty.  The captain of another ship at the dock said that if I had a ticket, I could come with them.  I told him the situation and he said that if the other ship had set a time, then it would be back.  I trusted his word and watched his ship sail off.  My ship should return at 4, I thought, so might as well keep exploring.

There were more signs of life here than on the last island.  There was a museum/research center as well as a manned welcome center with bathrooms, so I knew I wasn’t completely stranded. I felt even better when I spotted some other people from my ship. 

The boat pulled up at 4 as promised and we sailed back to Mykonos.  The staff plied the guests with more wine and cranked up the Greek music.  The only woman on the crew walked around the ship clapping her hands and encouraging people to dance.  Before long, she’d formed a conga line of drunk tourists to stumble around the ship.  I took some pictures but … I wasn’t that drunk.

                                                                           Platys Gyalos

The next day, I was figuring out my activities after breakfast and passed by the buses again.  One had a sign on it for Platys Gyalos.  I have no idea what’s there.  Let’s find out!

Turns out its another beach surrounded by hotels and restaurants.  A nice area that wasn’t too crowded.  I walked along the beach, getting a lay of the land, and an employee of one of the restaurants greets me.  “Atlanta?” he calls out.  Huh?  “You’re from Atlanta.”  Uhhhh, yeah but how the hell did he know that?  I’m checking my clothing and I don’t have anything on that’s branded.  He said that’s just what he does, guessing where people are from.

I’m telling you, there is still some ancient Greek magic in this culture.  The gods still have their influence.

I hung out on the beach for a while before having lunch at a cool restaurant that was attached to a hotel.  The pool area is between the restaurant and the restrooms and I wondered if you could just take a dip before the meal even if you weren’t a guest. 

After a nice lunch of appetizers, it was back to Mykonos Town.