Mykonos Town, known as Chora, is one of the most beautiful old towns in Greece, a maze of whitewashed lanes holding Little Venice, the windmills, the chic Matoyianni shopping street, the famous Paraportiani church, museums and a lively old port. This guide covers what to see, the sights, the old port, the museums, the shopping, the dining, the churches, how to explore Chora and where to stay.
Chora is the heart of the Mykonos travel guide and its single greatest sight. The sections below cover the town in full.
What is Mykonos Town like?
Mykonos Town, or Chora, is a classic Cycladic town of whitewashed, cube-like houses, brightly painted doors and shutters, bougainvillea and tiny churches, set in a labyrinth of narrow, walled lanes. One of the best-preserved old towns in Greece, it is filled with stylish shops, restaurants and bars and is endlessly photogenic.
Mykonos Town, called Chora by locals, is the island’s centrepiece and one of the loveliest towns in the Cyclades. It is a tangle of powder-white, walled lanes deliberately built as a maze, originally to confuse the pirates who once raided the Aegean, where dazzling whitewashed cubic houses meet brightly painted wooden doors, blue and red balconies and cascades of pink bougainvillea, with little white churches tucked at every turn. The lanes brim with designer boutiques, art galleries, jewellers, cafes, tavernas and bars, giving the town a chic, lively buzz by day and a glamorous energy by night. Despite the crowds and the luxury, it keeps the timeless Cycladic beauty that made it famous. Simply wandering and getting pleasantly lost is the essential Chora experience, and the town holds the island’s most iconic sights within a compact, walkable area, set within the wider list of things to do in Mykonos. It holds the island’s icons.
What are the main sights in Chora?
The main sights in Chora are Little Venice, where 18th-century captains’ houses rise from the sea, the row of hilltop windmills, the much-photographed Panagia Paraportiani church and the Archaeological Museum. These iconic landmarks cluster within the old town, all within easy walking distance of each other.
Chora gathers Mykonos’s most famous landmarks into one walkable old town. On the western edge is Little Venice, the romantic waterfront quarter where elegant 18th-century sea captains’ mansions rise straight from the water with colourful wooden balconies, now home to bars and restaurants and the prime sunset spot. Just above stand the iconic Kato Mili windmills, a line of round whitewashed mills on a low hill overlooking the town and bay, and one of the best sunset viewpoints. Nearby is the Panagia Paraportiani, an extraordinary asymmetrical white church made of five chapels merged into one, often called the most photographed church in Greece, especially striking in the golden light of sunrise or sunset. The Archaeological Museum, near the old port, displays finds from the sacred neighbouring island of Rhenia. Together these sights form the core of any visit, set out alongside the guides to Little Venice and the windmills. The harbour has its own charm.
What about the old port, Manto Square and the waterfront?
The old port and the Gialos waterfront form the lively seafront edge of Chora, lined with cafes, fishing boats and tour boats, with Manto Mavrogenous Square at its heart, named after the island’s heroine of the Greek War of Independence. The town’s famous pelican mascot often wanders the harbour.
The seafront is where Chora meets the water and the day begins and ends. The old port and the Gialos waterfront curve along the edge of town, lined with cafes, ouzeris, fish tavernas, small boats and the kiosks for boat trips to Delos and the beaches, a relaxed place to watch the comings and goings. At its centre is Manto Mavrogenous Square, named after the celebrated Mykonian heroine of the 1821 Greek War of Independence, whose bust stands there, a popular meeting point with cafes and the start of the lanes into the old town. The harbour is also home to the island’s beloved pelican mascot, a tradition dating back to the famous Petros the Pelican, often seen ambling among the tables and delighting visitors. Strolling the waterfront, especially in the gentler morning and evening light, is one of Chora’s simple pleasures, set out alongside the guide to getting around Mykonos. The museums are worth an hour.
What museums are there in Chora?
Chora has several small museums: the Archaeological Museum, with finds from Rhenia including funerary statues and pottery, the Aegean Maritime Museum on the island’s seafaring history, the Folklore Museum in an old captain’s house, and Lena’s House, a preserved 19th-century Mykonian home. They make a cool, cultural break from the sun.
For a cultural hour out of the heat, Chora’s compact museums give real depth to a visit. The Archaeological Museum, near the old port, holds pottery, jewellery and striking funerary statues recovered from the sacred necropolis on neighbouring Rhenia, a window onto the ancient world of Delos. The Aegean Maritime Museum celebrates the island’s proud seafaring tradition with ship models, navigation instruments and maritime artefacts, fitting for a town built by sea captains. The Folklore Museum, housed in an old sea captain’s mansion near the Paraportiani church, recreates traditional island life with furniture, costumes and tools, while the nearby Lena’s House is a beautifully preserved 19th-century middle-class Mykonian home, left as it was. These small, atmospheric collections are inexpensive and quick to see, adding context to the pretty lanes outside, set out alongside the guide to things to do in Mykonos. The shopping is world-class.
What about shopping in Mykonos Town?
Chora is the island’s shopping hub, led by Matoyianni street, a cobbled pedestrian lane lined with designer boutiques, jewellery shops and art galleries. Around it you find high-end fashion, Greek sandals and jewellery, ceramics and souvenirs, making the town one of the most upscale shopping destinations in the Cyclades.
Mykonos Town is the commercial and social soul of the island, and shopping is a serious part of its appeal. The main artery is Matoyianni street, a smart, cobbled pedestrian lane winding through the heart of Chora from the old port towards Little Venice, concentrating the island’s luxury retail, with international designer fashion houses, fine jewellers, watch boutiques and contemporary art galleries sitting alongside chic Greek labels. Branching off it, the surrounding lanes hold a wonderful mix: handmade leather sandals, gold and silver jewellery, ceramics, linen and resort wear, local food and wine, and the inevitable souvenir shops. Window-shopping the beautifully dressed storefronts is a pleasure in itself, even on a budget, and the town stays open and lively into the late evening. Prices are high, as you would expect of glamorous Mykonos, set out alongside the guide to a Mykonos itinerary. Dining and bars are everywhere.
What about dining and bars?
Chora has restaurants and bars for every taste and budget, from traditional tavernas and gyros joints to chic cocktail bars and fine dining. The lanes are full of Greek and international restaurants, while Little Venice’s seafront bars are the place for sunset cocktails before the nightlife begins.
Eating and drinking are central to a night in Chora, and the choice is huge. The lanes hold everything from simple, excellent gyros and souvlaki counters and traditional family tavernas serving Greek classics and fresh seafood, to sophisticated, internationally inspired restaurants with creative menus and high prices to match. Hidden courtyards and rooftop terraces reward exploration, and reservations are wise at the popular spots in peak season. For drinks, Little Venice is the heart of the scene, its historic seafront houses now home to cocktail bars whose terraces hang over the water, perfect for a sunset aperitif, before the town’s bars and clubs take over for the night. Whether you want a cheap, delicious meal in a lane or a glamorous dinner with a view, Chora caters to every mood and budget, set out alongside the guide to Mykonos nightlife. Churches are everywhere too.
What churches are there besides Paraportiani?
Besides the famous Panagia Paraportiani, Chora and the island have hundreds of small whitewashed churches and chapels, many privately built, with blue or red domes tucked into the lanes. The island is said to have around 400 churches, a striking feature of its religious tradition and its photogenic streetscape.
One of the charms of wandering Chora is the sheer number of little churches threaded through the lanes. Beyond the celebrated five-in-one Panagia Paraportiani on the western edge of town, Mykonos is dotted with hundreds of small whitewashed chapels, often said to number around 400 across the island, many of them privately built by families in fulfilment of a vow or in memory of loved ones. Their rounded blue and red domes, bell gables and carved doors punctuate the white lanes and skyline, adding to the town’s photogenic beauty and reflecting a deep religious tradition that endures beneath the modern glamour. Some, like the chapels around Little Venice and the old port, are tiny jewels easily missed, while the island’s main monastery, the Panagia Tourliani, lies inland at Ano Mera. Seeking them out adds a quiet, cultural thread to a Chora stroll, set out alongside the guide to Little Venice. Exploring on foot is a joy.
How do you explore Mykonos Town?
You explore Mykonos Town on foot, as the old town is pedestrianised and best wandered without a fixed route. Cars are banned in the centre, so park or take the bus to the edge, and visit the windmills and Little Venice at sunset for the best light. The maze is part of the fun, so embrace getting lost.
Chora is made for walking, and the joy is in wandering rather than rushing between sights. The whole old town is pedestrianised and cars are banned from the centre, so leave any hire car or quad at the edge or come in by bus from the Fabrika or old-port terminals, then explore on foot. Embrace the maze of lanes, deliberately confusing by design, letting yourself get lost among the boutiques, churches and bougainvillea, with the main landmarks of Little Venice, the windmills and the Paraportiani all close together near the western waterfront. For the best atmosphere and photographs, time your visit to the windmills and Little Venice for sunset, when the golden light is magical, then stay on for dinner and drinks as the town comes alive after dark. Comfortable shoes help on the cobbled, sometimes slippery lanes, set out alongside the guides to getting around Mykonos and the best time to visit. Many visitors choose to stay here.
Should you stay in Mykonos Town?
You should stay in Mykonos Town if you want nightlife, shopping, restaurants and the classic atmosphere within walking distance. It has the best bars, dining and old-town charm and good transport to the beaches, though it has no major beach of its own, is the priciest area and can be noisy at night.
Mykonos Town is the obvious base for many visitors, especially first-timers and night owls. As the island’s central hub, it puts the widest range of restaurants, bars, clubs and shops on your doorstep, all within walking distance, along with the beauty of the whitewashed lanes, Little Venice and the windmills, and it is well connected by bus and water taxi to the south-coast beaches. The town has boutique hotels and guesthouses for a range of budgets, from stylish small hotels in the lanes to grander places on the hills with sea views. The trade-offs are that Chora has no big sand beach directly in front, so you commute to swim, that it is the most expensive and busiest area, and that the central lanes can be noisy late at night, so light sleepers may prefer a quieter spot just outside the centre, set out alongside the guide to where to stay in Mykonos. The questions below cover the points travellers ask most.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Mykonos Town?
Mykonos Town, or Chora, is the island’s main town, a classic Cycladic maze of whitewashed lanes with brightly painted doors, bougainvillea and tiny churches. One of the best-preserved old towns in Greece, it holds Little Venice, the windmills, the Paraportiani church, museums and chic shops and bars.
What is there to see in Chora Mykonos?
In Chora you can see Little Venice, where captains’ houses rise from the sea, the hilltop windmills, the much-photographed Panagia Paraportiani church, the Archaeological, Maritime and Folklore museums, the old port and Manto Square, plus the chic Matoyianni shopping street, all in a walkable old town.
Can you drive in Mykonos Town?
You cannot drive in Mykonos Town, as the old town is pedestrianised and cars are banned from the centre. Park or take the bus to the edge of Chora and explore on foot, wandering the maze of lanes. Visit the windmills and Little Venice at sunset for the best light.