Getting There
There are many small
rooms/apartments available to rent. You can quite easily book just a
flight and arrange accommodation when you arrive. The local Greeks
will meet you at the Airport or harbour (if arriving by ferry) and
offer you accommodation. Be prepared to barter so you don't get
ripped off. There are also accommodation agencies at the airport and
in the old town itself. Another important criteria is to insist that
you want to stay in or as near as possible to the old town itself.
This is important as this is where everything happens in the
evening. You don't want to be stuck up a hill with nothing but a
goat for entertainment.
Let's go to the Beach!
Mykonos has some very nice
beaches. You can reach them by going butch, hiring a moped, falling
off and breaking your leg riding over the rough terrain.
Alternatively go the civilized way. Get the bus from Mykonos town
down to Plati Yalos and then jump on one of the little fishing boats
that will drop you off at the individual beaches. Ask for Super (the
gay beach).
Psaros beach next to Plati Yalos has a diving school.
Super Paradise: The Queeny beach.
The far end of the beach (right hand side when facing the sea) is
where the gays congregate. The beach is clean, the sea is a crystal
clear blue so it is pleasant to swim in, snorkel etc. The greedy
Greeks have erected umbrellas two thirds of the way down the beach
which offer shade but spoil its secluded charm and, as with any nice
"gay space", the straights have moved in. Why when there are
thousands of normal beaches do straight people have to intrude on
what is essentially one of the traditional gay beaches in the world?
Fortunately you don't get many screaming kids.
Super Paradise is well catered for
food and drink with a good beach restaurant at one end and a trendy
cocktail bar at the other. Great alcoholic fruit cocktails/ fresh
fruit salads with honey and Greek yogurt are recommended. There is
another restaurant at the back of the beach which no-one seems to be
using. Wrong colour serviettes I suppose.
Agrari and Elia are larger more
deserted beaches allowing you to escape the crowds. Elia
unfortunately is also now covered with beach umbrellas except for
the right hand gay section. Both are reachable via ferry or taxi and
there is a bus service to Elia from Mykonos harbour rather than the
bus stop. There is a new water park on Elia called Water Mania.
An added bonus. Nude bathing is
allowed on the majority of beaches if you want to advertise/expose
your bits to passers by.
Where the Action is...
Gay Bars & Mykonos Town
Although Mykonos is a popular gay
destination, there aren't any large gay clubs as in Ibiza or London.
However there are a number of gay bars more than willing to relieve
the gay tourist of their holiday handbag.
The main bars are Pierros, Mantos
and Icarus where gay men will congregate both outside. The other
bar, Nefeli (above Pierros) was shut while we were there.
Suggestion: Buy cheap booze at the
supermarket (Gordon's/Stolly £7), get squiffy at your apartment,
then head out into the night to meet the man of your dreams. Anyone
into German men (with mustaches) is well catered for.
A better alternative is a new bar
called Porta where the atmosphere is friendlier and the drinks
cheaper. Music is English language with ole Dana International (1998
Eurovision Winner) a current favourite.
Kastro still serves wonderful
cocktails to drink watching the sun set and the Piano bar still
attracts a older crowd with Yvette's twin sister (Allo Allo) still
doing the honours at the piano. Actually she is bad but should sing
a few more cheerful songs. She even lost her voice one night which
is perhaps a mixed blessing.
The famous city drag bar seems to
have closed though. It's a shame as the old drag queen who's still
around) use to do a good version of Nana Moussaka and the young drag
queen could chuck on a frock and mime to Madonna/Tina Turner in a
way that lent inspiration to any budding tranny.
The old town is the centre of
action on Mykonos. Originally an old fishing port, it is now the
entertainment hub of the island. Narrow winding streets with white
washed buildings with painted windows and doors. It looks
particularly attractive in the evening when lit up with neon lights
in shop windows. Forget a map, just follow the crowd. You will
inevitably get disorientated. Don't worry you are not being a dizzy
queen, the old town was designed in a way to make it easier to
defend against invading Germans sorry pirates. The narrow streets
also keep the town cool and protect against the strong winds in
winter.
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Eating Out.
Eating out in Mykonos has a never
been a problem. Most taste buds are catered for. Gatsby's (0289)
26217 advertises itself as a gay restaurant although you will be
welcome everywhere. Most restaurants offer good value and excellent
choices from traditional Greek, French, Italian and Chinese. Most
menus are written in English if you were worried about having to
speak Greek.There are many very good restaurants on the island. Sea
Food is a specialty as well as Gyros and Souvlaki (grilled lamb or
chicken served from a skewer). Most of the restaurants are
reasonable value and seating arrangements are usually al fresco. Gay
men are everywhere which is a nice feeling.
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Get connected
Cyber Cafes and mobile phones
If you're reading this you're
obviously using the Internet. For those of you who like to pick up
their emails daily you're be pleased to know there is a brand new
Cyber-Cafe just opened. The cafe is situated between the bus station
and the windmills. Walk down from the bus station, fork left and
follow the road round. The cyber cafe is on left hand side. E-mail.
Mobile Phones: An essential
accessory in London, a unnecessary intrusion on Mykonos. Yes your
clients can now phone you on the beach . Check with your operator
before you leave re rooming arrangements. We know Vodafone worked
although whether One2One or Orange do is another matter. You can now
lie on the beach in the arms of your new beau and lie through to
your teeth to your boyfriend at home that you are behaving yourself.
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Conclusion:
For a beautiful relaxing gay
holiday you can't beat Mykonos. The old town and beaches are
idyllic. Take extra cash as Mykonos is expensive compared to other
Greek islands but offers a feeling of exclusivity i.e. you get a
slightly better class of queen compared to Ibiza or Gran Canaria. It
is also good destination for gay couples as there is plenty to do
away from the gay bars. It is not unusual to see gay couples walking
down the streets holding hands. The Greeks don't batt an eyelid as
they are aware of who is paying the bills.
The views above are those of the
author (visited Mykonos 5 times in recent years) and hopefully
provide an up-to-date overview from a gay tourist perspective.
