Mykonos on a cruise stop

Where you arrive

Most ships dock at the new port at Tourlos, about two kilometres north of Mykonos Town, or anchor in the bay and tender passengers to the Old Port in town. From Tourlos there are three ways in: a seasonal sea bus to the Old Port, a shuttle or public bus, or the flat coastal walk of around half an hour past Agios Stefanos.

Taxis at the port are few. If you want one, be first off the ship or pre-book a port pickup.

The classic plan: Delos and Chora

Delos boats leave from the Old Port in town several times each morning and the crossing takes about half an hour. Two to three hours on the site plus the boats fills a morning; the afternoon is for Chora — the windmills, Little Venice, lunch in the lanes. Check the site's closing day (Mondays outside high season) and make sure the last return boat lands well before your all-aboard time.

The easy plan: a half-day island tour

Several operators run small-group island tours with pickup at the cruise terminal, covering Ano Mera, a north-coast viewpoint or beach and a windmill stop, and dropping you back at the port or in town. It is the lowest-stress way to see beyond Chora with a guaranteed return.

The beach plan

Ornos and Platis Gialos are the easy beach options — twenty minutes by bus or taxi from town, sandy, sheltered and organised. Agios Stefanos, walkable from the Tourlos port, is the fallback for a quick swim without leaving the neighbourhood.

Timing and safety margins