Mykonos Top Attractions - Mykonos Travel Guide

Petros the Pelican - An old celebrity of the town's waterfront, "Petro" has been the official mascot of Mykonos for many years. Found after a storm in 1954 the pelican gave up its migrating to become a local resident. After more than thirty years of making the island his home, Petro eventually died. The loss of such a personality was so deeply felt by both Mykonian and tourist alike that a replacement was soon found and a tradition established. Throughthe care and protection of the islanders, the spirit of Petro lives on in his predecessor who continues to this day to make his home on the island's waterfront.

Little Venice - Where the most western part of the town meets the sea is the area known as "Little Venice". Here the buildings have been constructed right on the sea's edge with their balconies overhanging the water. During the 16th and 17th century pirating was common and it is believed this area was used for the necessary quick loading and unloading of goods.

Windmills - From as early as the 16th century one of the most recognized landmarks of Mykonos have been it's windmills. Due to it's geographic position, Mykonos was situated on major sea trade-route which at one time joined Venice, the gateway of Europe, to Asia. The need to refine grain and compact it for transport combined with an ample year round supply of wind made Mykonos the perfect location.

Easy access to the harbor was necessary so most of the island's mills were positioned in or around the main port with the highest concentration covering the entire western portion of town. With the coming of industrialization the windmills importance began to decline as well as their numbers. Today only a fraction remains of what was once an active era in :Mykonian history.

"The Boni Mill" - One of the island's best examples of a 16th century windmill overlooks the village on the upper east section of town. The mill has been maintained and is fully functional featuring it's customary wood-burning stone oven.

Paraportiani - One of the most famous architectural structures in Greece is the church, Paraportiani. Positioned near the main harbor entrance, this church is the central feature of the "Kastro" or castle area, the oldest section of town. It's name means inner or secondary door which it was to the Medieval stone walls which encircled the area. First begun in 1475, Paraportiani in reality is a group of five smaller churches which were constructed over a period of time and not completed until well into the 17th century. The two story structure was molded together utilizing four of it's churches to form a base for the fifth church which when placed on top formed a central domed roof.

Archaeological Museum - Located adjacent to the town's commercial harbor this museum houses marble sculptures, ceramics and jewellery, recovered from the islands of Delos, Renia and Mykonos. Included in this collection is a large ceramic vase dated 7th century BC which shows the oldest graphic record of the Trojan Horse.

Aegean Maritime Museum - Located in the center of town near the area Tria Pigadia the museum displays in the form of models a collection of ships from the pre-Minoan period through to the 19th century. Also on display are nautical and ancient artifacts related to the history of shipping on Mykonos.

Folklore Museum - Located in the "Kastro" or castle area of town and next to Paraportiani a large collection of 19th century antiques can be viewed which include, to name just a few, furniture, tools, ceramics, photographs, and local musical instruments.

Folklore branch museums - "Lena's House" - Situated next to the Maritime museum is an authentic 19th century middle class Mykonian house, completely restored with furnishings.

Delos - One of Greece's most famous archaeologic sites is the small island of Delos. Under the jurisdiction of Mykonos and situated just 2 kilometers to the west the entire island has been declared a national museum.

Access to the island has been made readily available through excursions which leave daily from the main harbor of Mykonos and some of the more popular beaches.