Plati Gialos Beach Travel Guide

About Plati Gialos Beach

The Greek island of Mykonos is renowned for the glamorous nightlife and vibrant gay scene that centres on Mykonos Town, but there are some low-key, family-orientated resorts, the best known of which is Plati Gialos (Platys Yialos). The first resort to be developed on the island, Plati Gialos lies on the sheltered south coast, home to the island's best sand beaches. It grew up here because of the peaceful location, the glorious long stretch of beach, and its proximity to Mykonos Town, which is just a 10-minute bus ride away. It offers sophisticated facilities including a selection of stylish, high-class hotels, villas, apartments and rooms to rent, numerous seafood tavernas with open-air terraces overlooking the water, plus travel agencies offering excursions and car rental companies. Due to the resort's popularity, hotels are often fully booked from June through September; May and September are peaceful.

Beach:

One of the longest beaches on Mykonos, south-facing Plati Gialos lies in a protected bay backed by low hills. This curving strip of sand gives onto crystal-clear, blue-green water, and has been awarded a Blue Flag for cleanliness. There are sunbeds and umbrellas for hire, plus well-organised watersports facilities. However, due to its proximity to Mykonos Town it does get very crowded. Nearby, Mykonos's best known party beach, Paradiso, can be reached via a 2km (1-mile) footpath. In addition, there are regular taxi boats to other noted beaches along the south coast.

Beyond the beach:

The island's capital, Mykonos Town, which lies 4km (2.5 miles) north of Plati Gialos, is worth visiting for its charming whitewashed cubic houses, plus a fine choice of restaurants, boutiques and art galleries. Also check out the picturesque waterside area of Little Venice, the 18th-century whitewashed Church of the Paraportiani, the Archaeological Museum (near the harbour) and the Nautical Museum (Enoplon Dinameon Street).

Family fun:

Plati Gialos beach is ideal for kids, being sandy and offering shallow water, plus good watersports facilities. In addition, there is a water park called Watermania, complete with pools, waterslides and a diving club, at nearby Elia Beach, accessible by taxi boat.

Exploring further:

Through summer, excursion boats depart from Mykonos Town, with pick up points at Ornos and Plati Gialos, taking visitors on day-trips (Tue-Sun) to the nearby island of Delos, said to be the birthplace of Apollo and Artemis, and home to an archaeological site with sanctuaries and temples.