Private Mykonos Island Tour with a Local Driver-Guide

Mykonos beaches and south-coast viewpoints

Mykonos is small, about 85 square kilometres, yet its coastline is cut into dozens of bays. The south coast is the sheltered side: Ornos, Psarou, Platys Gialos, Paradise and Elia face away from the summer north wind, so the water is usually calm and a bright turquoise. Higher up, the road reveals viewpoints where several bays line up below you and the islands of Delos and Rhenia float on the horizon.

On this private Mykonos tour our driver-guide chooses the beaches and lookouts that match your interests: quiet family coves, lively beach clubs seen from above, or the wilder north at Agios Sostis and Ftelia. You can stop for a short paddle or simply for photos. Many visitors ask what are the best beaches in Mykonos; your guide answers from local experience and adjusts the route to the wind of the day.

Armenistis Lighthouse

The Armenistis Lighthouse stands on the north-west tip of Mykonos, about seven kilometres from Chora. Built in 1891, the stone tower guided ships through the narrow channel between Mykonos and Tinos, and it remains one of the most photogenic spots on the island. The headland is open, rocky and windswept, with low wild herbs, and the view stretches across the strait to Tinos and on clear days to Syros.

It takes only a few minutes to walk from the parking area to the edge of the cape, and 20 to 30 minutes is enough to enjoy it. Our guide explains the island's seafaring past while you take photos. If you start your private tour in the late afternoon, the lighthouse is one of the best places to watch the sunset in Mykonos, far quieter than the crowded spots in town.

Ano Mera and the Panagia Tourliani Monastery

Ano Mera is the only other traditional village on the island, about eight kilometres east of Chora, and it feels a world away from the resorts. Life centres on a broad square lined with tavernas and small shops, where farmers from the interior still meet. On one side rises the Panagia Tourliani Monastery, founded in the 16th century and rebuilt in the 18th, with a carved marble bell tower and a richly decorated wooden iconostasis inside.

The monastery is the spiritual heart of rural Mykonos and is dedicated to the island's protector. A visit takes about 20 minutes; shoulders and knees should be covered inside, so bring a light scarf. Ano Mera is also the natural place to stop for a meal if you ask your driver-guide to include one, since the square has some of the island's most traditional food.

The Mykonos windmills and Little Venice

The row of whitewashed windmills on the hill of Kato Mili is the symbol of Mykonos. Most were built from the 16th century onwards to grind wheat and barley carried by passing ships, using the strong north wind. Five of them line the ridge above the sea, with their thatched roofs and wooden sails, and the view looks down over Little Venice, where 18th-century captains' houses rise straight out of the water with painted wooden balconies.

Your driver-guide brings you as close as the roads allow and tells you how to reach the windmills on foot through the lanes of Chora. Plan 20 to 30 minutes for photos here. Is Mykonos worth visiting beyond the town? This tour answers that clearly, but the windmills at golden hour remain the moment most guests remember.

Chora, the island's harbour town

Chora, also called Mykonos Town, wraps around the old harbour with a maze of narrow whitewashed lanes, blue doors and bougainvillea. The lanes were designed to confuse pirates and to break the wind, and they still hold small chapels on almost every corner, including the brilliant white Paraportiani church near the sea, built from several chapels joined together over the centuries.

Cars cannot enter the old town, so our guide shows you the best entry points and gives you tips on where to go before or after the tour. The private tour can finish in town if you prefer to stay for the evening. Visitors often wonder how to get around Mykonos without renting a car; a private island tour with a local driver is the easiest answer for a first visit.