It was still very cold when we left Patmos early morning for the 66 miles West to Mykonos on May 23, 2023 (almost June!!). We were wearing three layers of clothing under full sailing gear. We had a beam reach with Northerly winds gusting to 25 knots. Second reef in the mainsail and first reef in the jib thundering along at 7+ knots in the heavy swell. Mykonos surely lived up to its nickname; “Island of the winds”.
Not far off the coast of Patmos we heard a “Pan Pan” over the VHF radio. (A Pan Pan is an emergency call for a non life threatening situation, so one step below a May Day call). A British yacht had picked up a dead body from the water and asked the coast guard for assistance. Never a dull moment on the water.
Leaving Patmos for Mykonos implies leaving the Dodecanese islands for the Cyclades. For the ancients, they formed a circle (cyclos in Greek) around the sacred island of Delos, hence the name of the archipelago. The islands are located at the crossroads between Europe and the Near East as well as between Europe and Africa. In antiquity, when navigation consisted only of cabotage, and sailors sought never to lose sight of land, they played an essential role as a stopover. This situation made their fortune (trade) and their misfortune (control of the Cyclades meant control of the sea routes in the Aegean). The numerous Greek, Persian, Roman, Byzantine, Ottoman, Venetian, Russian and German wars fought over the islands, make for an incredible complicated history, that we will limit only to the main events of the places we visit.
We arrived well before sunset and dropped anchor in Gialos bay on the SW side of the island (purple star). The next day we took the dinghy to Ornos bay from there walked to Mykonos town.
Mykonos, being situated next to (Holy) Delos meant it prospered in antiquity from cabotage and trade. Apart from the interruptions caused by the many wars, it continued to rely on its sailing and merchant activity until the opening of the Corinth Canal in 1904 and WWI. The change in trading routes meant many Mykonians left the island to find work in mainland Greece or in foreign countries.
Tourism revived the economy after the rediscovery and excavation of ancient Delos. Mykonos became a popular destination in the 1960s and flourished further to become a popular LGBT destination in the 1980s. Present day Mykonos is one of Greece’s most expensive islands.
The islands’ prosperity shows in the design and upkeep of the hotels and resorts.
After securing our dinghy in Ornos we stayed behind a little, to watch the scene. Dinghy’s were motoring back and forth to bring tourists to the day tripper boats anchored in the bay.
The shores of Ornos bay are occupied by hotel beach beds. No space for a marina or quay wall.
Approaching Mykonos town we see these two huge cruise liners in Mykonos bay. One is moored at the quay wall and the ship to the left is at anchor due to lack of port facilities. Small ferry boats motor back and forth to bring the passengers to the town. Not very convenient but the selling argument will be: “It adds to the experience”.
The famous windmills of Mykonos on top of a hill just outside of town. Most of the windmills were built by the Venetians.
Pretty Mykonos. This waterfront area is called “Little Venice”. The island was ruled by the Venetians from 1390 to 1537 who are masters in building at waterfronts.
The Greek Revolution against the Ottoman Empire broke out in 1821 and Mykonos played an important role, led by the national heroine, Manto Mavrogenous. Mavrogenous, sacrificed her family’s fortune for the Greek cause. Greece became an independent state in 1830.
Gialos beach of Gialos bay where we were anchored as seen from Blue Myth beach restaurant where we had lunch. The next day we would leave for Rineia island from where we will visit Delos.
Thank you for reading this post until the end. Warm regards, Liza and Frits.