7 Completely Annoying Reasons Why Mykonos is Overrated
Don’t get me wrong, I absolutely ADORE this country. There are so many reasons to travel to Greece, it’s the destination I find my mind wanders to when someone is telling me an incredibly boring story.
Imagining the gorgeous beaches, crystal waters and whitewashed buildings is ridiculously easy once you’ve been there. On top of that locals are some of the friendliest I’ve ever encountered.
While Mykonos does have a few beautiful vistas and I have no regrets visiting, there are a few things I personally didn’t like about it. In fact I’d go as far to say Mykonos is overrated and things turned out to be the complete opposite to what I had envisioned – I knew I should have gone to Corfu instead!
I’ve created this list to let you know things nobody seems to tell you when visiting Mykonos, Greece…
Here are 7 annoying reasons why Mykonos is overrated
If you’re planning an Athens itinerary, you may be wondering, “Is Mykonos worth visiting?” Let me put this out there: I’m not saying don’t go. On the contrary, I think you should go and not just take my word for it! In saying that, it’s important to know exactly what to expect when you go to avoid any nasty surprises.
Mykonos is undoubtedly lovely to see but it’s useful to keep these things in mind for your visit so you won’t find it as disappointing as I did. Don’t set those expectations too high and you should be sweet. Actually, let me rephrase that – I did have low expectations about these annoyances although some were far exceeded, and not in a good way!
Anyway, let’s get into the reasons why I believe Mykonos is overrated:
1. Irritating dining experiences
Incredibly narrow footpaths cluttered with dining chairs and crowds of people trying to get past don’t mix. Whoever thought this was a good idea obviously didn’t think about the challenge their customers would face simply raising a fork to their mouth to take a bite of their meal.
I witnessed tourists constantly knocking the elbows of diners and bumping into their chairs as they attempted to squeeze through these obstacle courses. It’s definitely not ideal for sunset-watching or keeping swathes of people moving efficiently.
2. The “Party Island of Greece” is always late to the party
Nightlife doesn’t actually start until the early hours of the morning. You can expect to be the only patron in a nightclub until about 11pm when a hoard of Tour Groupies on a Contiki tour will come through and make the bar feel alive… Until they head off to the next bar after 1 drink, leaving you on your lonesome once more.
Party-goers only start heading out to clubs around 1am. Call me old fashioned but I’d prefer that time to be the peak of my night so I can get at least a wink of sleep before the sun rises. Who wants to waste the entire following day nursing a hangover? Travel time is precious – once it’s gone, we can never get it back!
READ MORE:
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3. Beach access has to be bought
Having to pay €20+ for sunchairs and drink service on every beach in the morning when no one else is there (because the entire island has just gone to bed) is quite annoying. I get why that would make sense when it’s busy in the late afternoon, but come on.
I’m aware it’s like this at many beaches across Europe (and €20 is nothing in comparison to some other establishments) but as an Australian it’s a pretty strange concept when you’ve been spoilt with the luxury of throwing a towel anywhere on the sand and sitting where you like, for free.
Even though paying to sit at the beach was bothersome, I couldn’t help but think “ah well, when in Rome”. There were actually some fellow Aussies who came up beside my sunbed and complained about having to pay to go to the beach. They ended up sitting off to the side on some rocks to avoid having to pay.
4. Cacti, Desert & Donkeys
The only real picturesque area is Little Venice and the iconic windmills. Yes, some of the little alleyways with boutiques and restaurants are lovely if you can manage to navigate past without knocking someone off their chair whilst they eat lunch.
But, let’s be honest. The rest of the island can be summarised in 3 words: cacti, desert and donkeys. Believe me, my travel buddy and I hired a scooter to get around so we saw more than most. There are way more things to do in Santorini, that’s for sure!
5. Everyone runs on “Island Time”
Forget using the shuttle buses. They are meant to run every half hour from the town down to the port but they had a habit of not turning up. Yes, I’m aware some people like to run on “island time” and sometimes you just need to go with the flow.
But as a visitor, I’d rather spend that waiting time doing something I enjoy. No one likes being left in the lurch, especially late at night.
6. People prove Mykonos is overrated
There’s quite a pretentious vibe on the island. Most people are trying to “be someone” documenting their every move on their phones or video cameras. It’s as though having an Instagram or Snapchat account is a prerequisite for visiting this island.
This always makes me wonder: While people spend so much time distracted on their phones, are they really enjoying the experience and being in the moment? What’s more important than being where you are, right now?
Likes and comments, apparently. Mykonos is an Instatourist’s heaven.
Drinks at empty bars were €12 during my visit, they’re probably double that now. They should be paying me €12 for bringing some life to their establishment, seeing as no one else will be there until 1am!
Why, Mykonos, why?
7. More expensive than Athens and other islands
I’m not sure if this is because Mykonos is like a “celebrity Instagram” destination or something else, but I found eating out and drinking to be much cheaper in Athens, Rhodes, Crete and Santorini.
Heck, in Athens you can get a bottle of water for €0.50, while in Mykonos they were charging up to €4 in some places during my visit. Isn’t that just a tad ridiculous?
Maybe this is also because Mykonos is a popular cruise ship destination. Operators know floods of tourists will rush through quite quickly, without the time to shop around for lower prices before heading back to their ship. They will pay through the nose for convenience.
TIP: I always like to say: You can save time or money – usually not both!
Economic leakage
As I’ve explained in my guide for how to be a more responsible tourist, visiting destinations on cruise ships have social and economic downsides:
- Cruise-goers don’t get to spend very long in a particular destination before shipping off to the next. This leave little time have meaningful interactions with locals, leading to a shallow experience.
- They’re rushing around to the popular spots with crowds of other tourists (both from their ship and not) all at the same time, because their time is limited. This isn’t an ideal way to see a destination.
- They’re visiting those destinations but the majority of their tourist money is going back to the cruise ship company, not the local communities. They eat, sleep and do activities mostly on the ship, not at the cities. This is a lose-lose situation for all parties except the cruise ship company.
TIP: Did you know there are solutions for visiting popular destinations without contributing to overtourism issues? Read my guide to 10 overtourism solutions for more!
Do you think Mykonos is overrated, too?
Phew! In saying all that, if you’ve been following me a little while you’re likely to know I’m a massive fan of travelling efficiently to get the most out of my precious travel time.
Unfortunately, I had no idea beforehand that Mykonos was probably not well suited to my travel style. My travel style is all about being an invisible tourist – immersing ourselves in the local culture and benefitting the communities of places we visit by using our travel money more mindfully (side note: I’ve actually written a book about to help achieve this, too!)
Waiting around for unreliable public transport, paying through the nose for drinks in a bar with no atmosphere and dealing with crowds of people weaving through confined spaces just isn’t for me. Maybe it’s not for you as well.
If you do decide to bite the bullet and go, please forget trying to dine in a narrow alleyway during the summer months and go watch the sunset atop a white-washed hillside instead!
Hate crowds (like me) but love Europe? Why not take a look at my other top tips and advice for visiting Europe you won’t hear anywhere else!
Do you think that Mykonos is overrated too? Did you happen to know these nuances about Mykonos before your visit? Let me know in the comments below! If you found this helpful, I’d also love if you’d come and join me on Facebook, follow me on Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, or don’t forget to pin it to Pinterest!
Until next time,
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Could not agree more! The place is impossible to get around and walking on a road with lorries and tourists on bikes (no helmets) and quads is like playing Russian roulette! The town itself whilst beautiful is far too busy and commercialised. Instagram wanna be”s everywhere! Put your phone down and enjoy people!! Minimum taxi fare is 35 euros so to visit any of these ‘cool places’ you need a celebrity bank balance. We stayed at the new port and on one day there were 5 cruise ships docked! 5!!! Needless to say we avoided Mykonos town on this day! Enclave tourism at its worst! There was no atmosphere anywhere as you say. Budha beach bar food was distinctly average and the snooty staff meant we ate and left very quickly! Constantly pouring your 60 euro bottle of wine to try and encourage you to spend more. The only gems were hypie fish where although expensive the food, views and staff were fabulous. We found a lovely beach and beach bar in stefanos where the sea was wonderful, service and food fantastic. It made me fall in love with Greece again and cannot wait to visit more less commercialised islands that are more age and purse string appropriate.
Thanks so much for sharing your experiences, Kay!
The prices are getting way out of hand. 5 cruise ships docked at once is also ridiculous 😫
It really makes you wonder what the locals must think!
After reading the post on this thread I won’t be going to Mykonos.
The real problem is that too many budget minded people visit Greece wanting EVERYTHING for free or cheap, what an insult to Greece. Too many people dressed in knockoff outfits displaying a 10-dollar knockoff Louis Vuitton bag wearing the BIGGEST sun glasses they can find pretending to be wealthy celebrities, but they eat 1.00 euro gyro’s all day and pull out their free pass everywhere they go. First of all, Mykonos is NOT for the budget minded, it is a millionaires playground so what would you expect if you’re looking for cheap? I personally think that all Greek Tavernas should raise their prices at least double for entrees and appetizers and no more 1.00 euro gyros, they should be at least 5.00 euros for those little gyros and the water should start at 2-5.00 euro anywhere you go. Greece gets too crowded in the Summer, time to eliminate the backpackers and cheap folks to make room for everyone else. Wake Up Greece.
I wholeheartedly agree with your comments, Niko! Mykonos isn’t really a budget-friendly travel destination. I’m not sure why people would like to pretend to be someone they aren’t.
Thank’s for reading!
Yea! How dare people be poor! Let’s make sure we kick them off the island! No need to artificially increase prices to try and keep the losers out. I think it’s very simple. Just have a wealth passport. You can only enter Mykonos if your net worth is “X” amount. You don’t need a passport if you arrive in your own yacht (no boats or dinghies. Only real, full-sized yachts. Probably with at least 2 decks). Let’s make sure only the rich people can enjoy life. Poor people deserve to work paycheck to paycheck and never be able to enjoy life. I like your thinking Niko! Greece! Wake up! Stop allowing these people into your country! No wonder Greece’s financial situation is weak. If only they focused on JUST millionaires and billionaires instead of catering to everyone.
I like your sarcasm, Niko 😆 That’s how it can feel!
You’re right that catering to millionaires and billionaires who have money doesn’t actually help the locals much anyway. As I explain in my guide for how to be a responsible tourist, these squillionnaires contribute to economic leakage (where tourism money doesn’t benefit the local community). They don’t spend on local accommodation as they have their yachts; they would rarely spend in local restaurants as they would have catered food on their yachts… 😒
I think all greek restaurants should employ professional cooks first!
I have never eaten in so many BAD and overpriced restaurants in such a short time in my life.
This 🙌
I’ve been to Athens (and suburbs of Athens), Ios, Naxos, and then returned a second time to Greece to go to Mykonos. Lol that place stinks. The ONLY thing that island has is upscale hotels and restaurants that celeb instagrammers show off and one tiny pretty beach with a tiny pleasant restaurant on the backside of the island that isn’t accessible for most people but it’s the only thing the island has going for it. The main areas are a joke compared to everywhere I’ve been in Greece. I’ll go back to Greece again certainly but I’ll never recommend Mykonos to anyone. It still bothers me to this day when I see Mykonos pop up on social media, I can’t help but vent in comment sections on these dumb photos people post from there from inside their hotels. If they went on a walking tour outside the hotel with the cave pool everyone would see the truth. Mykonos is a bottom tier island in Greece. No offense to people who live there. If you’re goal is to go to a super fancy hotel, then that’s all there is, just dont plan on having a good experience beyond the pool.
You’re absolutely right, Fox! This is why I encourage people to get out beyond their hotels/resorts as they they often don’t reflect what’s outside.
Thanks for reading and for sharing your perspective!
We came back from Mykonos last Wednesday. I totally agree with you! We have been there for 10 days. It is a nice island, yes. We really enjoyed the trip. But it is totally overrated, overpriced and if you have bad weather, Mykonos offers no possibilities what you can do.
And so many Instagram people there 🙁 … sometimes I was thinking they only travel to Mykonos for social media pictures…For us it was a good experience but we wont come back in future.
It’s a shame there isn’t much else to do if the weather isn’t on your side! I really don’t understand the Instagram appeal when there are so many other lovely islands. Thanks so much for your comment Phil, and safe travels home!
I stumbled onto this post while looking to see what I may have missed on Mykonos. I am here in shoulder/off season but agree with everything you mentioned. I had just spent three weeks all over Greece, stopping in Paros, Naxos, Milos, Athens, and in the Meteora monasteries/Delphi area. I must say Mykonos is a rather disappointing stop at end of my trip. There are much better beaches, cuter small towns, more atmospheric neighborhoods in the other places I have visited, all at half the prices I am paying in Mykonos (at least for food). Athens city itself has fantastic nightlife. Now that I’ve been here, I must admit I also don’t understand the appeal.
Oh wow, it sounds like you had a magnificent trip around Greece, Jen! There really isn’t much to Mykonos (which is fine if that’s what people expect!) but yes, I guess it comes across as having much more than it does on social media. Thanks for your comment and I hope you can enjoy the rest of your trip!
Just came to Mykonos as my 6th island, immediately preceding one was Naxos. Wow was it a shock. No idea why this place is so famous when it doesn’t have half the natural beauty of Naxos, or an ounce of history of Rhodes or Kos (aside from Delos of course). Prices are insane and the restaurants are super pretentious and overcharge for everything. I regret my choice of coming here that’s for sure.
I’m sorry to hear Mykonos was such a shock to you, Golfntravel98. It’s a shame it has morphed into what it has, but I certainly agree there are many more things to see and do on other islands! I hope the remainder of your trip is enjoyable, though 😊
All people commenting that mykonos is really expensive and really overcrowded, what did you expected? The island is full of famous names restaurants and hotels such as zuma, cavoo tagoo, nobu, etc. is it a surprise? I guess when you are booking you can see in advance the cost of the place. This is an island for those who like places like ibiza, monaco, dubai, porto cervo etc. it is this type of tourism and yes it is very expensive and some people dont mind paying for exclusivity and up notch services. As far as being overcrowded- may, june, sep and octobre- not as many turists, easy to navigate the island get bus cab etc and prices on sunbeds are so much cheaper. Now as far as the party not starting till late, not true, mykonos is famous for their sunset parties in bars- scorpios, 180, beach bars. And for having restaurants with party, people break plates, sing loudly, rest like remezzo, interni you can listen to happy bday every hour singed in greek. Again this is not for everyone, i love mykonos but in order to enjoy it i always pair it with much calmer islands so i can have the best of both worlds
Thanks for sharing your perspective, Marisa! You make some great points.
Glad to hear you enjoy Mykonos and we can agree it’s not for everyone ☺️
I have been to Mykonos 3 times becauae of those I travelled with and YES I found it is exactly as you described. I was told that its because I was grumpy gay boy … even us gay guys don’t like pretentious posing pouting preening flouncing Mykonos types. Thanks for review Alyse x Andrew x
It’s a such shame about the vibe, isn’t it? Thanks for your comment, Andrew 😊