Editor Pick
Elia Beach - Most Relaxed of the Mykonian Beaches
- February 3, 2007
- Rated 5 of 5 by
actonsteve from London, United Kingdom
There is always a point in your holiday when you stumble back from the beach and look at yourself in the mirror...
Aaaarrrgghhhh....
A red faced lobster stares back at you.
I turned red after a day at Elia beach. That Cycladic sun is more powerful than you think. We were getting July temperatures at the end of September. But it is a good beach. My favourite of all those I tried on the island of Mykonos. A mixture of people inhabit Elia as it is the furthest from Mykonos Town and can only be reached by caique (small boat) which does give it a feeling of remoteness. That is not to say it doesn't get busy - the fine sand, rocky headlands, and crystal clear water are a divine attraction.
No public transport runs from Mykonos Town to Elia Beach. The best way to do it is to catch a bus for Platia Yialis from the South Bus Station for 1.50 euros. From the resort catch a boat from the stone pier, a return trip to Elia beach costs 6 euros and it is a nice journey around the headlands to the remote beach. The beach itself is 600ft long and covered in palm shades (2 euros a day to hire) and hemmed in by headlands. The left hand side of the beach, as you disembark from the boat, is the gay section. The rest of the beach is heterosexual (?) but in various stages of nudity. Those who want a beach where the sunbathers are more covered are better off at Paranga or Platia Yialis.
The sand is fine but entering the sea is awkward. As you enter there is a shelf of shelly soft sand which makes difficult footing but once past this the seabed is firm and strong. The heat was so much I spent a lot of time in the water - I kept an eyeline where my belongings were with a bright yellow T-shirt given prominent place. But I needn't have worried people seem to leave their belongings behind when they go off for the restaurant or swimming. Something which was unthinkable on Brazilian beaches. But the feel of the cool green water was beautiful, especially when temperatures reached 35 degrees in the shade.
A good place to retire to is the restaurant at the back of Elia. It contains a bar, a lounge area and a covered restaurant serving expensive Greek seafood. At the bar you can buy baguettes and sandwiches for about 4 euros which is the same price as an ice cold lemonade. Stylish couches are nearby with an awning to keep off the sun. But also the playful abode of local kittens who run around the furniture.
They are enjoying the beach as much as you are. Elia Beach is one of the great pleasures in life.
From journal Mykonos - the Film Star of the Cyclades
Editor Pick
Superparadise Beach - the beach that defines Freedom
- February 3, 2007
- Rated 4 of 5 by
actonsteve from London, United Kingdom
There may be better beaches on Mykonos, there may be quieter ones with better surf or sand, but nowhere in the Eastern Mediterranean is there such a diverse mixture of peoples as on Superparadise beach.
It makes for great people-watching. For that was one of the things which surprised me about Mykonos was the way that the sun melts away the inhibitions. Frenchman talks to Austrian, Swede talks to American, Croat talks to Englishman. The person lying on the towel next to you will watch your belongings while you take a dip in the sea and when you come back they will ask in a Teutonic accent "where are you from?" and engage in conversation. If you come here for a number of days you will see the same people and begin to make friends. After all, isn't that what a holiday is all about? People?
As discussed in the practicalities entry the famous beaches are a long way from Mykonos Town. Without your own transport the only way to get there is bus/boat. Some people hire a motorbike for the day or take a taxi there and back which works out about 12 euros. But the simplest and cheapest way to get there is bus to Platia Yialis and caique from there. Each beach is different and keep an eye on the times of the return trip. This should be posted on a chalkboard near to where the caique is moored. The first boat returns to Platia Yialis about three thirty in the afternoon and after that it is every half hour until five o'clock.
Don't take you shoes off before you jump from the caique as the sand in the surf is quite shelly and deep. It gets gentler and softer further up. The whole beach is covered in palm parasols and backed onto by a restaurant and car park. Nine-tenths of the beach is heterosexual and family orientated, if you want the gay end of the beach then head for the western section. You won't be able to miss it as booming Europop announces it as you approach. The sand has about 200 men/women spread around the rocks and slope that leads up to Cavo Paradiso. Here a rock staircase leads up to a cabana bar with swimming pool and restaurant. In summer this also doubles as a nightclub that pumps out dance music to the early hours.
When the sun got to hot I used to retire to Cavo Paradiso and have a 4 euro Coke with lots of ice. There is a wonderful vista of tables on the ledge framed by sea and mountains. The view of swimming pool, tables, and mountains is wonderfully photogenic and surreal. And exemplified Mykonos for me - a mixture of aesthetics and pleasure.
From journal Mykonos - the Film Star of the Cyclades
Mykonos' Beaches
Mykonos does have some lovely beaches, but in mid-summer, they were packed beyond reason. We spent some time at Paranga Beach, but whatever beauty it had was broken by the crowds and the cheesy music playing from the tavernas. Better beaches can be found farther out from Mykonos town. Elia Beach is a good solid option 45 minutes by caique (local boat), but the lovely Kalo Livadi (Good Pasture) Beach is a must-see -- a beautiful beach in an idyllic farmed valley.
From journal Finding the Magic in Mykonos