Chóra Mykónou

Evaluation: These two short walks through Chóra (or Mýkonos) give you only a foretaste of the capital town of Mýkonos, since you can stroll the streets of this town in many different ways. They get an evaluation of ***. 

Estimated time: One hour will be enough to finish the first walk, but it is of course very tempting to turn into one of the side-streets. When visiting some of the picturesque spots, you can easily forget the time, and also a visit to one of the three main museums is advisable – this will definitely cost you half a day.
The short walk to the Bonis-mill is shorter and it will only take you 30 minutes.

Route description 1 through Chóra: From the old harbour you take a right immediately, onto the promenade which runs along the water and underneath the asphalt road (if you would follow this busy street, you would come across a number of boat offices).

In this way you also walk underneath the Archaeological Museum. Before hotel Dílos you go down the steps off the right, and via the beach you thus get to the quay of the old harbour. You can now walk the entire curve of the bay, past the outdoor terraces, until you get to the right of the town hall or dimarchío, a neoclassical building dating from 1785. At the end of the boulevard you notice the beautiful marble building of the fish market and the small church with the blue dome of Agios Nikólaos. In this neighbourhood you can also find the famous pelican named Pedro, the mascot of the island of Mýkonos.

Immediately hereafter you go left, on the left-hand side of the bar La Notte. You walk up until you reach the busy terraces of the restaurants, such as the tavern of Paraportianí. To the right and behind this restaurant you can already see the very famous church of Paraportianí or Panagía tis Paraportianís in full. This strange construction actually consists of five small churches, built on two levels, and it dates from the 17^th -18^th century.

When standing in front of the church, facing the sea, you can continue to the left and you thus walk through a very picturesque little shopping street, the Odós Agioon Anargýroon. By doing so you walk along the back of the houses of so-called Little Venice, but you also walk past the old chapels with the house numbers 47, 49 and 51 – it is really worthwhile to have a look inside these chapels and take a rest over there.

At the church with the red dome you go right, until you arrive at the Mitrópoli-church, with its square clock tower. Past the church you proceed towards the sea and on your right you get a great view on Little Venice. Those are small houses of captains and the wooden balconies are a reminder of Venice. You might make a small detour to the right and then you continue on the left and up, until you arrive at one of the most typical spots of Mýkonos, the six mills of the Káto Míli ("the mills below").

From the – often very windy – terrace of the mills you also have a nice view on Little Venice. You then go straight to the town again, by taking the small and very picturesque alley on the left of the dentist practice. 

At the end of this street you go right for a short while, into the Odós Mitropóleoos. You then take the first street off the left, the Odós Enóploon Dinámeoon. On the left, as well as on the right you can see other picturesque streets, but you continue straight ahead until you get to the Tría Pigádia, three wells, these days a little hidden behind the outdoor terraces. Until the 1950s these wells were the only water supply of the town of Chóra.

You walk past the Maritime Museum and a little further you reach the beautiful churches of Agia Várvara (on the right) and Agios Geórgios (on the left). You go straight ahead, past Lena's House, with the Folk Museum, also located in a house from the 18^th century. Slightly further you go right, moving away from the bustle.

The street runs to a dead end, so you walk back. You continue to the right and then you take the first street off the right – there are no more shops in this street, instead, the laundry is hanging out to dry.  

At the end of the street you go left and then you follow the Odós Panachrántou and the Odós Zouganéli, all the way until you reach the old harbour again. You can take a left and have something to drink on one of the terraces, or you can take a right and return to the old harbour.

Route description 2 to the Bónis-mill: This walk goes up and thus provides you with a beautiful panoramic view over the town of Chóra.
When coming from the old harbour you take, on your left side, the small street on the right of the picturesque church with the red dome, opposite the small beach and the old hotel Dílos. Almost immediately you take a street off the right and after one minute you go left, into the beautiful and flowery staircase street, the Odós Petasos.

You climb up for about one minute, then you continue up the old staircase on the left and finally you walk up a sloping concrete street. At the Apartments Rania you take the street on the right and you go up until you get to the asphalt road. Over there you go right until you arrive at the Bónis-mill.

Inside the restored windmill you can visit the small folk museum. The entrance is free and you can also climb up the mill – from up there the panoramic view is really beautiful, amongst others on the row of mills below.  

Leaving from the mill you can descend via a staircase. After one minute you reach a crossing, where you go down the staircase on the left. You cross a nice staircase street (off the right) – this is a more peaceful part of Mýkonos, before you get to the shopping streets again.
At the end of the street you take a right and you thus get to the platía, the square with the taxis, not too far away from your point of departure.