Things to do in Mykonos Greece for Azamara cruise visitors

On the second day of our Greek island cruise with Azamara Club Cruises we awoke in Mykonos, well known as the island where all the beautiful people come to party. We took a 10 minute ride on the shuttle bus from the new port to the edge of Mykonos town and walked around the harbour watching the super-yachts parking up. Guy instigated a game where we each had to say which of the boats we would like to own and why. I always go for the least flashy ones and he likes anything that’s made of wood, but perhaps you would choose one of those millionaire yachts that have endless staff polishing every surface?

The first thing that struck me was that while on Santorini the roofs were domed, on Mykonos all the houses were cube in shape. The second thing that struck me was how windy Mykonos was, which meant that it was cooler than the baking heat we had experienced on Santorini, but could be a little wearing if you had to cope with it every day. Because of the wind we decided against a trip to Delos to see the archaeological remains, fearing that a 30 minute boat ride in high winds might be rather rocky.

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The windmills of Mykonos

Many of the other cruise guests were heading to the beaches but since we had enjoyed plenty of beach time in Greece a few weeks before, we opted for exploring Mykonos town at a leisurely pace. We soon found the 5 windmills on the hill that are the main landmark of Mykonos and took photographs of them from every angle, the best view being from the car-park that was unfortunately placed right behind them.

Below the windmills there is a line of colourful buildings dating from Venetian times, known as little Venice with balconies that overhang the water. Many of the buildings are cafes where you can sit on the balcony with a view of those picturesque windmills. Further along are terraces where the water splashes right up, but be careful where you sit on a windy day as you may get unexpectedly drenched by the waves.

A wander round the narrow streets of Mykonos

With the main sights of Mykonos ticked off our list we wandered around the narrow streets, some with old ladies chatting underneath washing strung between the houses. Mostly though there were just a lot of shops and cafes, all selling everything stylish and fashionable you could wish for. We ended up having lunch at Yummy’s cafe which served excellent crepes and fresh juices at reasonable prices.

On our wandering we spotted Petros the Pelican, another landmark of Mykonos, hiding in a doorway. I felt a bit sorry for him as he was encircled by tourists trying to take photos and looked like he was trying to escape the paparazzi.

Later in the afternoon we went back into town to visit the folklore museum, an old sea captain’s house set overlooking the harbour. The museum was free but of course we made a donation and the guide gave us an interesting explanation of the collection of objects from all over Europe.

I was fascinated by the drawers of votive offerings, little flat silver shapes that you would offer in a Greek church to be displayed in front of the icon as a prayer for good fortune. There were different shapes depending on what you were hoping for; in the shape of a leg if you needed help with healing your leg or a baby if your baby was ill.

We also visited Lena’s House, another folk museum that had been the home of a lady from Mykonos now preserved in the original 19th century style.

Island hopping in the 1980’s

As we walked back toward the ship, Guy reminisced about his student days, when he came to Mykonos on holiday with a group of friends. He remembered camping by the beach or sleeping on the roof of people’s houses and that the island seemed to be a haven for gay couples. It was unusual to see men holding hands openly in the 1980s.

We returned to Azamara Journey and enjoyed the Indian buffet in the Windows Cafe, enjoying eating in the warm night air, with after-dinner entertainment around the pool of Soul and Motown. Everyone was enjoying it so much that the captain held off the sailing time for 20 minutes as once we left port the wind meant that the passage was rather swaying.

There was a full moon and as the ship sailed we watched the necklace of lights along the shore. As we settled into our stateroom, I’m sure the party was just getting going on Mykonos. Tomorrow we arrive at Patmos.

If you’re planning to visit some of the other Greek Islands, check out this Insider’s Guide to the Greek Islands

About Azamara Club Cruises

Azamara Club Cruises is a small luxury cruise line with two ships; Azamara Journey that Heather and Guy sailed on and Azamara Quest, each with a capacity of 686 guests. The smaller ship size means you often visit destinations that larger ships can’t get into and the ships can dock in more central locations.

The emphasis is on destination immersion; enjoying the destination to the full, arriving early and sailing late so that guests can enjoy nights and cool places ashore, with insider access programmes and a unique AzAmazing evening included in each cruise.

No itinerary is the repeated and each year the ships visit different destinations around the world. Azamara is part of Royal Caribbean Cruise group. Visit the Azamara Club Cruises website more information about a Mediterranean luxury cruise like the one Heather and Guy enjoyed.

You can also connect with Azamara Club Cruises on Social Media via:
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Joining your Azamara Club Cruise

Heather and Guy flew from London Heathrow to Athens and back from Istanbul using British Airways, although obviously each cruise is different in the best way to get there.

Heather used the Meet and Greet Parking Service booked through Airport Parking and Hotels (APH) who offer airport parking at a range of airports across the UK as well as travel extras such as airport lounge booking and airport hotel stays.

Both flights and transfers from the airport to your cruise ship can be arranged through Azamara Club Cruises.

Read More about our Azamara Greek Island Cruise

Sailing into Santorini – Day 1 of our Azamara Greek Island Cruise
Charming Patmos – Day 3 of our Azamara Greek Island Cruise
Visiting Kusadasi and Ephesus – Day 4 of our Azamara Greece and Turkey Cruise
Istanbul the golden – final stop on our Azamara Greece and Turkey Cruise

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Thanks to Azamara Club Cruises who hosted* Heather and Guy for their 7 day Greek Island Cruise and to Airport Parking and Hotels (APH) who provided their airport parking at Heathrow.

* More info on my policies page

This article is originally published at Heatheronhertravels.com

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