Xenia Adonts’ Half-Chill, Half-Hedonistic Guide To Mykonos

I started coming in 2017 and I’ve been here almost every year, so it’s been a long streak. It’s an island where I have a lot of memories. People always associate Mykonos with partying, but when I come here with my friends, we get a house and actually live a very chill and secluded life where we go out maybe twice a week. I want the best of both worlds — I really want to relax and spend quality time with my friends, but I also want to have some fun, eat amazing food. I think it’s also worth exploring different sides of the island. There are very nice parts in the north. Even though it’s small, it has a lot to offer and all the beaches are really different from each other. You can have, I would say, an authentic Greek experience here if you know where to go.

My favorite spot is called Kiki’s, which is the most iconic tavern on the island. You can’t make a reservation, so you just show up, so there’s always a wait. That’s part of the game. The owner hands out rosé, so everybody’s drinking and having the best time. When the wait is really long, you can just go for a swim because there is a beach in front. Obviously, after a while, you get a bit tipsy, right? My friend did something really funny: There was a yacht in front of the beach, and she swam over and asked if she could get on. The guy was like, “No,” and she swam back. In that moment, we were laughing so much. They also have the best, best, best food. They have a lot of vegetables and lentils, and everything is super fresh. The best is the fish, which is always freshly caught and just so good. I’m getting hungry talking about it.

If you want a little coffee run, we really like Waca Coffee. It’s easy, they have nice snacks, and the coffee is really great. That’s something I love about Mykonos — there are a lot of really, really good coffee spots. It’s a very vibey place. People know each other, and it’s a local spot. It’s nice to get that energy from it.

If you come to Mykonos once, I think you should see Alemagou. It’s this beautiful beach club. Alemagou is quite pricey, but it’s such a nice vibe. They also have DJs there — last year, we partied with Blond:ish, and they change the stage quite a lot. When you want to have a good party, you go there. But I think it’s also really nice for lunch. Last year on our last day here, I went for lunch and I was like, “Oh my God, this is actually so nice and calm. Why didn’t we go earlier?”

I have to mention it because it’s also an institution: Scorpios. Sometimes you just go there to have a beach day, and then you can stay until the night. They also have amazing DJs — last year, there was Keinemusik. You just always have a good time there, so it’s kind of a safe choice. But I also think that it became very, very popular over the last year. I don’t think it was ever fully local, but it was more relaxing in a way. But again, it’s a good place.

The next one everybody has to go, because I went yesterday and I really loved it: the Tommy Hilfiger store. If you want to find nice beachwear in beautiful colors, it’s a very easy stop to make because they have everything there. The quality’s amazing, and I wanted to buy so many things. There was this striped burgundy dress — you don’t see burgundy a lot during summer, but it looked so beautiful. I also love the pink linen shirt. It’s so beautiful and easy to wear and comfortable.

Sea Satin is also kind of an institution. It’s a Greek restaurant in town that’s famous for their fish and seafood. They have a very fun concept where you start eating dinner and everything is normal, and then at one point, it just escalates and everybody’s dancing on tables and they play super-loud Greek music. It’s right in front of the sea, so at night, it’s super beautiful because they put lights on the waves. It looks so magical with the water crashing against the glass wall. Usually, my friends and I order a bunch of the salads, French fries, and fish, and then we just share everything. We’ve had a lot of fun nights, but I remember one: It was 2021 so there were still some restrictions, one of which was that you had to close at midnight. So we were having fun partying, and then it shut off — and we’re like, “Damn it.” But then we went to Mykonos town. You can literally go there until 2 or 3 a.m. because everything is open. So we continued our little party in town.