On each side are smooth, whitewashed houses whose doors and windows are splashed with the bright colours of bougainvilleas, clematis and geraniums cascading from the wooden balconies.

For Mykonos, one of the Cyclades Islands in the Aegean, the local culture is a mix of the sacred and the profane. This island is the gateway to the neighbouring unoccupied island of Delos, the sacred centre of the Cyclades. With almost a million visitors a year, this 80 square km island gets busy in summer.

Mykonos has more than 400 churches and chapels, as well as plenty of nude beaches and drag shows. Fashion models strut their stuff, and the nightlife can be as wild as anywhere in the world. Prices are high, too, but the food and shopping are better than almost anywhere else in Greece.

Mykonos Town is the centre of activity on the island. Stroll is narrow streets during the daytime if you want to experience a more traditional side of the city. On each side are smooth, whitewashed houses whose doors and windows are splashed with the bright colours of bougainvilleas, clematis and geraniums cascading from the wooden balconies. There are also several small museums that contain some interesting artifacts.

Outside the capital, the beaches are superb, provided you don’t mind sharing them with a few thousand other people.

When to travel to Mykonos

For those who don’t like crowds, spring and autumn are the best times to visit Mykonos . The end of June until the end of July is just about perfect. The weather is warm, the crowds not too heavy, and accommodation is more easily secured prior to the prominent holiday on 15th August.