Mykonos - the Film Star of the Cyclades

If there is an allegory that fits Mykonos it is "Movie Star".

This island enjoys the spotlight. It enjoys the adulation and attention. It has perfect looks and oodles of charisma. The camera loves it and it does have a radiance that wins people over. Mykonos is a new kind of Greek god - one standing in front of the camera lens. The island has "star quality" and one of its nicknames is "The VIP island" and as with all good movie stars you cannot but help fall a little bit in love with it.

The "star" has its own gushing fans and I fell for its charms the first night as I wandered around the white alleys of Mykonos Town. The thousand-fold lanes create a beguiling but confusing maze strolled by the suntanned and relaxed populace of Europe. All nationalities are here whether they be Frenchmen in Armani, gay couples, Athenian weekenders - each one enjoying the ambience and white Cycladic architecture. They can enjoy that little touch of chicness that envelopes Mykonos with its boutiques, expensive restaurants or throbbing nightlife discreetly hidden down on of its thousands of cobbled lanes. Conspicuous consumption is everywhere on Mykonos. If you are anyone in Greece you must "do" Mykonos.

It's been sophisticated for a very long time. The island was discovered by the hippies in the sixties (some of which are still here and are of pensioner age) and back then it contained Greeces' one and only gay bar. Now there are about ten gay bars on Mykonos giving the scene a "village feel" and they do add to the genuinely cosmopolitan feel of the place. The gay visitors, dressed in their Dolce and Gabbana, give another level to the place - a more worldly level. They feel as natural to Mykonos as the pelican or the windmills.

And the island worked its charm on me. I don't think I have seen a more magical blend of colours - the white and blue architecture blending with the mauve of sunset, the yellow and brown of the earth contrasting with the aquamarine water and the whole place enveloped in a joie de vivre that is simply invigorating.

Quick Tips:

Mykonos, along with Santorini, is probably the most glamorous of the Greek islands.

All this glamour comes at a price. The island is extraordinarily expensive. Strict planning regulations are enforced so as not to spoil the character of the island with unsightly developments. This in turn creates demand for hotel and restaurant space which sends prices up. Also combined with the million or so visitors in July and August. Vendors on Mykonos can charge what they like, it's a suppliers market. So my advice is to bring as much money as possible to truly enjoy Mykonos.

A good way of missing the crowds is to come in the shoulder seasons. The island stays warm until September and you can bask on the beaches right up until the end of the month. The beaches are quite an attraction and are a long way from Mykonos Town. Each beach has its own character and if you wish push your boundaries a little further several of them are gay/lesbian and the majority are optionally nude. The nearest are to the north of Mykonos Town including the wide bay at Ornos. But the most famous beaches - Paradise, Superparadise and Elia are along the islands southern shore reached only by caique (fishing boat) and separated by rocky headlands. All beaches get very crowded during the high season so if you want seclusion then the beaches at Kalo Livadhi and Paranga are your best option.

But the highlight of the island for me was Mykonos Town. This old port still has its narrow lanes and tiny alleys which must stretch into hundreds. I was on Mykonos for a week and I got lost nearly every day. The town is grouped around the old port where restaurants are watch fishing vessels and the flanking hills can be seen. The town itself is classically Cycladic with white architecture, square buildings and Hellenic domes. Mykonos municipal authority does not allow connection to essential services unless the residents home is whitewashed with paint the colour of snow. This creates a cohesive whole to Mykonos Town which keeps the tourists coming back for more.

Best Way To Get Around:

The classic way to reach Mykonos is by sea. The ferry weaves its way through the islands, stopping off at Syros and Tinos, before gliding into Mykonos harbour.

Far quicker is flying. Its only twenty minutes from Athens and less than three hours from London or Dublin. Most tour operators operate charter flights for less then £100 return. The airport is 3km from town and a taxi to accommodation will cost about 10-15 euros. There are no buses from the airport so you will have to rely on taxis. Also, there are only 40 taxis available on the island and most congregate in the pretty Platia Mavroyenous. There are often long queues late at night as the tourists take cabs back to their accommodation.

But arrival by ferry is the most memorable. There are two ports of embarkation/disembarkation - the old port and the new port. The new port seems to be where some ferries and most cruiseship dock (tour buses whizz them into town from there) and is about 3km north of Mykonos Town. Although you may think you can walk into town from there it is a long hike, especially in the heat, so is advisable to get a taxi or get your accommodation to pick you up.

Most ferries and catamarans still use the Old Port which is in easy walking distance of Mykonos Town as it occupies the northern arm of the harbour. Numerous hotel owners and touts pounce on new arrivals but to get the accommodation you want it is advisable to prebook in high season. A few metres away, following the harbour, are tourist booking offices and bureau de changes.

Ferries to Samos, Paros, and Naxos leave from here but the best one to remember is the ferry back to Piraeus which leaves at 2.15pm each day. My hotel was on a hill overlooking the harbour, so I could sit out on the veranda until the ferry sailed in then take a leisurely walk downhill to join my ship.

On the second night Mykonos really took off for me.

As I was getting ready to go out I heard the sound of singing and guitar playing while in the shower. I thought the room above me had their stereo on full volume. As I left my room, and climbed the steps I saw a group gathered around a guitar player in the main seating area. The owner, Yiannes, called me over and introduced me to my fellow guests. The guitar player was from California and had recorded his own tracks which he sang to us. It was lovely to sit there with a glass of wine and listen to the music. Introductions over, several of us hit the bars of Mykonos Town together and started week long friendships.

So as you can imagine Omiros Hotel gets full marks for me. Not only is it friendly but it is also an exquisitely beautiful hotel. It is built into the slope of Tagoo hill on a kind of cascading terrace which means each room is above the other with views over the harbour. The main terrace is arctic white with rattan chairs, potted urns and a circular comfort chair. There is a rattan sunshade and steps lead down to rooms as the hotel is on three levels. The view from the first level is the best, you can watch the ferries come into the Old Port and then scurry down to catch them as the port is only a five minute walk away.

The rooms are good and are about 50 euros a night. They are the usual Cycladic bright white with blue doors and many have beautiful views of the Aegean. Each one has dark blue and white decor with A/C, power shower, and clean bathroom. And the locks are secure leading to a small balustrade with chair and table where you can hang your drying washing. In the main area, breakfast is served for another 5 euros and consists of rolls, fruit, and coffee. This is where the other guests will join you working off that ouzo hangover from the night before.

But everything revolves around the owner Yiannes. His enthusiasm for Mykonos is the highlight of Omiros. Even guests who have popped in on the off chance have found themselves at one of his Greek dinners and offered retsina. He is constantly working to make the hotel better whether it be picking guests up from the ferry terminal or planning to build a swimming pool. He has a wicked sense of humour and you must be prepared to take a joke (my red face was teased). He runs his own newspaper and eventually plans to run for mayor.

He truly believes Mykonos to be the best place in the world and pities anyone who does not live his life. When his life consists of good food, ouzo, and the company of good friends overlooking the sea - he may well just have a point.

One night in the Montparnasse bar a couple of the clientele thought they would send up "the act".

"We love you! We think you are fabulous!" they cried in a sarcastic fashion.

Without pausing the female piano player declared.

"I take requests, here's one for you... If I could do it all over again... I'd do it ALL OVER you...".

The rest of the bar roared with laughter.

Without doubt the most accessible and mainstream part of the Mykonos gay scene are the cocktail/piano bars in 'Little Venice'. They are more mellow, more about gently relaxing in the evening - sipping a 10 euro cocktail on a balcony overlooking the Aegean as the sun slowly sets. And although that does sound like a tourist cliche - in Mykonos it actually delivers. Night after night in the summer the sun sets about 9pm each bar has a western facing balcony. There are a number of bars squeezed between the tiny Ayion Anaryion and the sea including Montparnasse, Kastro and Verandah. It's one of Mykonos Towns' busiest passages and connects the harbour with the South Bus station. It is also one of the most picturesque being in places only one foot wide and draped in white laces and the wares of art galleries. In the evening the full spectrum of Mykonos tourism passes through from sunburnt families from Scandinavia to fully made up Greek drag queens.

Verandah is a mixed bar just at the turning where the passage becomes 'Little Venice' with the restaurants overlooking the Aegean. Kastro is nearer the port end and is a beautifully designed bar with waiters bringing cocktails. The minimum price for these is 10 euros. A word of warning, Kastro does not serve beer - it serves wine, but its mainstay is cocktails. If you are are gasping for a traditional beer or ale then hurry along to Montparnasse which lowers itself to serve such lowly beverages. I found Montparnasse bar to be friendlier as well as a better selection of drinks. Beers are still 5 euros just as they are all over Mykonos, but better still is ouzo which is the same price but works quicker on the body.

The bar itself is exquisite - soft seating, gentle artwork, mellow ambience, table lamps, and an outside balcony. One evening when we were there when they had an American singer/pianist of the cruiseship variety. These bars make such a profit they can afford to hire very expensive artistes. Her name was Pamela Stanley and she took requests from the crowd while regaling them with anecdotes about her ex husband. Anyone with a low kitsch threshold would probably not enjoy her crooning of The Carpenters, Ella Fitzgerald and even 'The Sound of Music'.

I know what you are thinking? How Gay is that? Well, on a scale of one to ten - I'd give it a fifteen...

It had been twenty years since I had taken a Mediterranean beach holiday and I had forgotten how friendly they can be.

Maybe it's because of the Mediterranean itself with its hot languid days, gorgeous seafood and laid back attitude. Whatever it is, you can see peoples stress drop away on a Greek island as their life in Hamburg, Lyon, or London seems far far away. Life revolves around the day on the beach, followed by nights living it up to the early hours.

Not a bad life, even if its just for two weeks. And the relaxed attitude extends towards others. The gay scene is pretty small on Mykonos. Those you saw on the beach today are probably at one of the 'Little Venice' cocktail bars in the evening. And later on, about a eleven o'clock they head for Porta. A nod and a hello and you have made a friend from Madrid or Stockholm. And if you are there a week you can make a great many friends.

Segment two of the great Mykonian 'bar hop' is 'Porta'. This is where it gets serious and gay men of all ages and nationalities start networking. Everybody heads here and it can get very crowded. It's tucked away and from the waterfront take the alley next to 'Precious Jewels'. At its start is a Greek icon shop, as you move down the passage gets narrow and blocked by an open air fish grill. Where the 3ft wide alley bends is 'Portas' which is built on three levels and run by a mad old Greek fag hag. There is a touch of the seventies about 'Porta' (this was Mykonos' heyday). The turntables play danceable pop and its 4 euros for an ouzo. Which for Mykonos is very good value.

No one goes there before 11pm and between then and about 1am the place gets so busy that people stand in the alley. This can get congested but it also means it is easier to talk to people. It's also a bit of a fashion show so wear your best glad rags and adopt a bit of European attitude.

It's a good place to go with friends, or make new ones. Even at the start of the night you may be on your own. I can guarantee you will get to know others as the night progresses. It's that kind of place.

One morning at the hotel I was staying at we had an enjoyable discussion about which countries nightlife starts later? Greece or Spain's?

What prompted the discussion was the club Pierros which doesn't open until midnight, doesn't get busy until 2am and goes on till dawn. The Mykonian owner of my hotel said no Greek worth his salt would turn up before midnight for any night out and that "the trouble with you northern European countries (he pointed at myself and a Berliner friend), is that you start too early". A Turkish guest made the point that that's fine when you are sixteen, but what about when you are thirty-six? You don't want to hang around half the night waiting for the bars to start at that age? True, he grudgingly admitted, even he doesn't go down into Mykonos Town as much now that he is approaching thirty. Perhaps if they started earlier they would get even more custom.

But this is Greece and everything has to be fashionably late and on Mykonos more so. Pierros isn't just a club in the Greek islands, it probably is the most famous gay club in the world. It's been going since the sixties where Athens turned a blind eye to Mykonos emerging as a bohemian destination. First of all it is difficult to find, and your best bet is to latch on to someone already going there. It stands in the warren of lanes just south of Taxi Square. The easiest way is from the waterfront. The alley next to the ferry ticket office leads five yards in, then walk past the jewellery and icon shop to the newly named "Pierros Square".

This is absolutely tiny square and each of its three exits lead deeper into the maze of Mykonos Town. "Pierros" is on the northern side and is a three storey Mykonian building with seating outside. For its first 14 hours of life it is just a simple bar not much different from any other on the island. It has the usual Mykonian whitewashed staircases and balconies as well as blue shutters and doors so prevalent in this part of town. About 11pm people start to trickle in and by 1am there are so many gay men (and their straight friends) that the square and surrounding alleys are full to bursting. Inside is dance floor/bar with mirrored walls and those cheesy holiday hits that you wouldn't dance to unless you had probably far too many ouzos. And ouzo is once again your best bet for "Pierros" as it is about 4 euros compared with 6 euros for a beer and 10 euros for a cocktail.

And who won the argument between Spain and Greece? Well, we said Greece... but mainly to keep the hotel owner happy. After all he would be cooking our breakfast.

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.

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.

I have been to some mazelike towns before.

Toledo in Spain is a real warren, Pushkar in India is a labyrinth, and finding my way through the darkness of Paraty in Brazil was a real headache. But I stayed on Mykonos for a week and I still got lost every day.

The place was so confusing. Originally designed to baffle invading pirates it does the trick for the modern day tourist. One of the most amusing things is the tourists trying to cope as the clock ticks down to their embarkation time back to the cruiseship. The expression on their faces as they realise they don't have enough time to buy that piece of lace or wolf down the last piece of moussaka is priceless. And it is these "quick dash" tourists that keep prices high in Mykonos Town. But I was there a week and worked out a few subterfuges of how to visit Mykonos and not break the bank.

The town itself is free to wander. Traffic is kept out by barriers making it a completely pedestrian experience and the whole town is spread around the half moon of the harbour with the white architecture creeping into the surrounding hills. One of the better places to stay is Tagoo where the hill overlooks the Old Port. Here gives dramatic views of the sweep of the harbour and the twinkling lights of the town in the evening. Tagoo is a short walk downhill to the port or down to the small beach that starts the northern edge of town.

Taxi Square is the main square containing a number of looming Cycladic buildings overlooking restaurants. There are a few trendy bars in this area such as 'Argosti' but mainly when you head south from here you enter the Mykonian maze properly. Here are about 10,000 alleys all cobbled, looking exactly the same, and blending into each other. Each one is lined with souvenir shops, jewellers, galleries, boutiques and Greek bazooki music wafting through the night. Also, this is likely where you will be staying. Each lane contains at least one boutique hotel with white walls and bright blue windows.

But most people gravitate to the harbour front and the myriad of restaurants that abound here. You pay premium prices for a harbour view but at 'Yiavoutras' if you order an ouzo you get Greek snacks such as olives, bread, and sardines to accompany it. At the far end of the harbour is the Panaya Paraportiani church which is truly beautiful. It's a hodgepodge of architecture styles but with the white Cycladic colouring comes across as looking like a blamange. There are about four chapels inside and the whole area with its sea walls and open spaces is one of the most enchanting in Mykonos Town.

Even cuter is Ayon Anarion which starts from an alley not far from the church. Absolutely coated in brilliant white and smothered in white linens and laces this is where the tourists struggle to get past each other in the 2ft wide alley. This area is known as 'Little Venice' due to the number of surviving Greek wooden structures overlooking the sea. Most of them turned into cocktail bars. You can get a better view turning of near 'Verandah' bar. Here a number of restaurants are squeezed between wall and sea allowing a 2ft gap for the tourists to move through. But the view of the sea bashing against the overhanging buildings from here is superb, as are the sunsets.

At the end you will meet 'Alefandras' which is a reasonably priced tourist restaurant. You can enjoy a moussaka or Greek salad for about 16 euros. And this is also where the famous Mykonos pelican hangs out - he waddles around the town enjoying all the attention. A quick walk uphill from here takes you to a much photographed spot - the Mykonos Windmills. It's almost inconceivable that they were actually once crewed by donkeys to produce flour nowadays as they seem utterly fixed as a tourist attraction. The alleys to the east of here take you back to a H-junction. This is very important as it contains one of the few cheap places to eat on the island - 'Jimmy's Gyros'. A place that has been going for thirty years and has cornered the market in gyros/souvlaki for 2 euros.

Make a mental note where this is as it is in the middle of a busy junction and is a devil to find. But that is half the fun of Mykonos. It is like an Escher painting - you think you are travelling in one direction but end up another. You and a couple of hundred of other tourists. It's the best free show in town.

Imagine the booming horn from a cruiseliner echoing around the harbour and the sound going on for a full minute.

The great ship lies at anchor a couple of hundred of feet offshore - a magnificent vessel, stretching a full 1,000ft from stern to prow - and disgorging hundreds of tourists into the maze of Mykonos Town. There they get lost in the streets, maybe grab a bite to eat and rush back to the ship before their time runs out. Then time to move on to the next port. It's Tuesday so it must be Chios.

A number of world collide in Mykonos - the Greek world; inhabitants who have lived on the island for generations, the gay world which tends to keep it to itself; and the generic tourist world exemplified by the cruiseship passengers. They are without doubt the most prominent and are really what keep the island ticking over. There are a couple of subspecies - the package tourist, the Athenian weekender and the genuine traveller - intrigued by the world famous name of Mykonos but damning it for not being the real Greece.

And what about the Greeks? Well, all the attributes of Cycladic life are here - schoolchildren make a noise as they head of to school, pensioners wander the streets and the island vagrant causes a nuisance. But once again these places contain those who are at opposite ends of life. I suspect you could go into business and raise a family here on Mykonos or flee to Athens, Thessaloniki or even Istanbul. It must be an amazing place to actually live. Real estate may be the most expensive in Greece. And you must conform - you abode must be painted that brilliant Cycladic white or you are not connected to the island amenities. And one man has the monopoly on all the white paint in Mykonos.

I got to know all this from my hotel proprietor, Yiannes, whose family had lived on Mykonos for generations. He swore it was the most beautiful place in Europe and pitied anyone who did not spend their summer on the island. There is no doubt it is very beautiful and as a visitor there are a number of things useful to know. First of all is that all transport spreads out from Mykonos Town. The ferries glide in from the harbour but unless you get a taxi a bus is the only way of getting to other parts of the island. The main bus station is South Bus station in the southeastern part of town near the Windmills. From the harbour find Paraportiani church, take the tiny lane nearby called Ayon Anarion, take this two foot wide passage to a H-junction. Keep to the right at the H-junction to the tiny lane of Xenias. At the end of this is the South Bus station. This area is less touristy, and along with the buses belching out fumes there are motorcycle hire shops, snack bars and Internet shops which are not the cheapest in the world. Around here are a number of cash point machines - the most useful being for the 'Bank of Piraeus'.

But the best things about this area are the boats to the beaches. Find a bus called 'PLATIA YIALIS' but buy your ticket before you climb aboard (2 euros). There are several newsagents nearby which sell bus tickets and cold drinks. Once aboard, it will head south out of town to Platia Yialis which is a small resort containing a beach. A stone pier houses the tourist boats and five euros will get you to one of the four beaches to the east of here. Around the first headland is Paradise beach - a brown sand beach with palm shades stretching for 500m and backed by restaurants and hotels. The boats are small and chug pretty close to the rocks around the next headland to Super Paradise Beach - a bigger cove with a longer beach backed by brown rock hills. Elia Beach is further along and costs 6 euros. The boats return from the beaches at 3.30pm at the earliest and you can catch the bus back to town in the same place you disembarked from. The grocery shop nearby sells tickets for 1.50 euros.

The beaches are not on the doorstep in Mykonos and can take an hour to get to each morning and with the lack of conventional sightseeing the island may not be for everyone. I feel it is for adults, kids and teenagers may be better off on a more traditional island such as Paros or Corfu. Mykonos is for those who like to meet all human life and don't mind paying a little more for the privilege.