Mykonos Beaches — Paradise, Super Paradise, Elia & the Beach Club Circuit
The beaches of Mykonos (25 beaches distributed around the island's 35km coastline, ranging from the party beaches of the south coast to the wind-exposed but uncrowded north coast, the south coast beaches consistently protected from the meltemi north wind that makes the north coast uncomfortable in July-August) are organized around a transportation network of water taxis and regular buses connecting Chora to the main beach destinations.
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Paradise Beach — the Original Party Beach
Paradise Beach (the most internationally famous beach in Mykonos, on the south coast 6km from Chora, accessible by bus from the Fabrika bus station in Chora at €2 every 20 minutes in season or by water taxi from Chora Port at €8 one-way, the beach 400m long with the Tropicana beach club at the east end and the Paradise Beach Resort complex at the west end) operates as a beach party venue from noon through to 4am — the DJ sets beginning at noon and continuing until 4am, the sunbed rental at €25-40 per two sunbeds and umbrella, the cocktails at €15-22, the water sports (parasailing €60, jet ski €70-90 per 30 minutes) operated by the beach clubs. The correct time for each visitor type: arriving before 11am for a sunbed position on the sand before the reserved territory is claimed; noon-6pm for the peak party atmosphere with the DJ sets at full volume; after 6pm for a quieter experience as some of the crowd moves to the evening venues in Chora; midnight-4am for the peak club atmosphere when the beach music transitions to the open-air nightclub format.
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Super Paradise — the More Exclusive South Coast Beach
Super Paradise (the next beach east of Paradise, accessible by water taxi from Chora Port at €10 one-way or from Paradise Beach by the coast path in 20 minutes on foot, the beach 200m long in a more sheltered cove than Paradise, the two beach clubs — Jackie O' Beach Club and Babylon — the higher-price alternatives to the Paradise clubs, sunbeds at €35-60 for the pair, cocktails at €18-28) is the beach traditionally associated with the LGBTQ+ community since the 1970s — Mykonos developed its reputation as the most LGBTQ+-welcoming destination in Greece in this period, Super Paradise being the physical locus of that community. The combination of physical beauty (the more enclosed cove gives better water clarity and calmer water than the more exposed Paradise Beach) and social atmosphere (the most overtly party-oriented crowd on the island at any beach, the music at the Jackie O' club the best-curated of any Mykonos beach club) makes Super Paradise the technically superior beach experience at the higher price point.
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Elia Beach — the Longest and Most Relaxed
Elia (the longest beach on Mykonos at 600m, on the south coast 10km from Chora, accessible by bus at €2 or water taxi at €12 from the port, the beach wide enough to accommodate the sunbed area and still leave a central section of free sand, the two beach clubs — Elia Beach Hotel beach club and the Nammos Village complex at the eastern end — significantly quieter than Paradise and Super Paradise, the music audible but not overwhelming) is the correct beach for visitors wanting the organized beach infrastructure (sunbeds €30-50 for two, umbrellas, showers, water sports) without the party volume of the south-facing beaches. The Nammos Restaurant (the luxury beach restaurant at Elia adjacent to the Nammos Village complex, the self-styled most expensive beach restaurant in Greece — the lobster pasta at €120, the bluefin tuna sashimi at €80, the setting on the beach with the Aegean directly in front justifying some but not all of the premium) is the island's defining luxury dining experience.
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Psarou — the VIP Beach
Psarou (the small cove 4km south of Chora, accessible by bus to Platys Gialos then 5 minutes walk, or by water taxi at €8, the beach 150m long with the single Nammos Beach Club occupying the entire organized beach section) is the most expensive and most celebrity-frequented beach in Mykonos — the sunbed reservation system at Nammos requiring advance booking for the prime positions (the front row reserved months in advance by the club's hotel guests and regular clients, the second and third rows available by booking 2-4 weeks ahead in July-August at €80-150 for two sunbeds). The cocktails at Nammos (the beach bar at the left end of the beach, €20-30 per cocktail) and the fresh seafood at the restaurant (the fish priced by weight at €80-150/kg for the preferred species) are priced at the Mykonian VIP premium. The practical alternative for the Psarou physical experience without the Nammos pricing: arriving at Psarou by 8:30am before the Nammos setup begins, the 15-20 free beach positions on the right (east) side of the cove accessible to anyone.
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Platys Gialos — the Family Beach and Water Taxi Hub
Platys Gialos (the long sandy beach 4km south of Chora, accessible by bus at €2 every 15 minutes, the water taxi hub serving Paradise, Super Paradise, Elia, and Agrari beaches — water taxis operating from the Platys Gialos pier from 10am to 6pm daily, €5-12 per beach depending on distance) is the most practical beach on Mykonos for independent travelers — the multiple tavernas and beach clubs at competitive prices (sunbeds from €15 per pair), the bus connection to Chora every 15 minutes, and the water taxi access to the further south-coast beaches from the same location making Platys Gialos the logistical centre of the south coast beach circuit. The Taverna Costas (the traditional Greek fish taverna at the east end of the beach, family-run since 1972, the fresh fish grilled to order at market prices, the setting with the Aegean directly in front and the beach promenade, the grilled sea bream and the village salad the correct order) is the practical taverna counterpoint to the beach club dining.
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Agios Stefanos and Panormos — the Undiscovered Northern Beaches
The north coast beaches (Agios Stefanos, Panormos, Fokos, Agios Sostis — the north coast beaches exposed to the meltemi north wind in July-August but entirely free of the organized sunbed infrastructure of the south coast) are the correct destination when the meltemi is not blowing: Agios Stefanos (5km north of Chora, the closest north-coast beach to town, the small village with fish tavernas, completely unorganized beach with free public access to all areas), Panormos (12km from Chora on the north coast, accessible only by taxi or rental vehicle at €20-25 taxi one-way, the beach 300m long in a sheltered bay protected from the north wind by the headland, the single taverna serving the beach, completely free of organized sunbeds), and Fokos (the most remote beach on Mykonos, 15km from Chora, accessible only by 4WD or ATV, the beach entirely natural and free, the only infrastructure a seasonal beach bar open erratically). These beaches in September (when the meltemi subsides and the south-coast crowds thin) are the Mykonos that the permanent residents actually use.