Boutique hotels and blissful beach clubs prove there’s more to Mykonos than partying.
I have never been a party girl. When I was at university, you’d never find me out at student bars; instead, I’d be holed up in my accommodation, watching news analysis shows.
I like to think I’ve become rather more fun in the intervening decade but, still, I was a little nervous ahead of my visit to Mykonos.
I needn’t have worried.
Perhaps the world’s most famous party island, this Cycladian hotspot certainly boasts its fair share of wild parties and decadence both 18-year-old and 30-something-year-old me would baulk at – but my experience couldn’t have been more different.
Arriving at Kivotos Mykonos, set on the banks of the truly breathtaking Ornos Bay, I knew I was in for a treat.
One of the first boutique hotels on Mykonos, Kivotos opened its doors three decades ago. Today, it offers luxury I’d only dreamed of.
Thanks to its 30-plus years open, the hotel manages to pay tribute to the rich traditional heritage of Greece, while still having its finger firmly on the pulse.
Ancient Greek salads and chiselled statues: My introduction to Kivotos Mykonos
As soon as I arrive in any hotel, the first thing I do is test the bed. At Kivotos Mykonos, it’s beyond comfortable with delectable sheets and the best pillows I’ve ever had the pleasure of laying my head on.
From that vantage point, I can take in the rest of my surroundings: all white, with Grecian architecture-inspired curves and nods to ancient history. Think: statues of Greek gods on shelves and in the bathroom, and – my personal favourite – a coffee table modelled after a Greek man – all in white, naturally.
Having settled in, it’s off to the resort’s in-house restaurant, Namah. I’d previously eaten at MAVRO, the glorious restaurant at Kivotos’ sister resort on Santorini, so I know I’m in for an incredible meal.
To start, the bread basket comes with a twist. On Namah’s menu, you’d be forgiven for being a little confused as to what is coming, as it reads: “reference to the manner of the Ancients about the sourdough bread, the figs and olive oil”.
In actual fact, that’s about as accurate a description as it’s possible to write. The sourdough comes in a bread tin, with a bed of grains and wheat sheaves as a garnish. Dipping it into the fig-infused olive oil, I’m convinced I’ve just tasted heaven.
My super friendly waiter insists I try Namah’s twist on the Greek salad – a truly excellent recommendation.
In my many years visiting Greece, I must have eaten hundreds of iterations of the famous dish – but this isn’t your standard green salad with perfunctory tomatoes and a block of feta plonked on top.
Instead, this salad – called Ancient Greece – is a sight to behold. Buckwheat, cherry tomatoes, cucumber spirals, caper leaves and oxymel – a mixture of honey and vinegar – give this stunning salad texture and punchy flavour. But the cheese is the true star of the show.
Namah’s chefs use a local Myconian kopanisti cheese mousse, just spicy and peppery enough to set off the other flavours perfectly.
When it comes to food, at least, I am not afraid of a little decadence – and my main course, the beautifully named Lobster Ark, is just that.
Arriving on a wonderfully creamy risotto base, it’s the juiciest, plumpest lobster I’ve ever been lucky enough to taste. Its flavour is complemented with apricot, cashew, red basil and spearmint gel, as well as a tart addition of citrus and Mykonian sour cheese snow. Topping it off is a generous helping of Ossetra caviar, one of the world’s most prized.
As much as I would like to sample a pudding, I’m simply too full, so I round off my meal with a Red Paloma cocktail instead.
Made with fresh watermelon, tequila blanco, agave, lime and cherry soda, it’s the perfect end to a truly perfect meal and helps me fall into a deep slumber in my beautiful suite.
SantAnna beach club: A different side to partying in Mykonos
The next morning, I pass the whitewashed exterior of Kivotos Mykonos, all framed with bright pops of bougainvillaea and statues and fountains wherever you turn.
It’s on to my next destination on Mykonos: SantAnna beach club.
We’ve all heard about the debauchery of some of the island’s venues, but my experience here couldn’t be further removed from that.
I’m taken to an ocean-front cabana and am presented with a sumptuous fruit platter, featuring the freshest watermelon and dragonfruit. I wash this delightful snack down with a luscious fruity cocktail with a cherry on top.
I read a few chapters of my book and take a swim in the clear waters off the stunning Paraga Beach in front of me.
Revitalised, I wander around the rest of SantAnna, with its enormous pool, luxurious sun loungers and boutiques, all flanked by coconut trees.
It’s clear that it’s absolutely possible to party here – probably as hard as you want to.
Superstar DJs like Guy Gerber have made appearances at SantAnna and the club is open for parties “until late” many days of the week.
Leaning into my sheltered way of life, I head to the restaurant for yet more wonderful food.
I’m looked after beautifully by my waiter, who hails from Armenia – and tries not to baulk too much when I immediately reference Kim Kardashian’s Armenian heritage.
‘I start to think I’ve been doing life all wrong’
Starting strong, I sample oysters topped with chopped cucumber and jalapeno for added bite. Then, it’s on to a breadboard with olives and tomato dip which I can’t get enough of.
Lucky for me, my next course is a Greek salad, packed to the brim with tomatoes. It, too, differs from the traditional dish. While, unlike Namah’s offering, this does feature feta, it’s topped with watermelon, pistachios and a tomato and basil sorbet.
An elegant girl at the table next to me has ordered it, too. She takes a break from photographing the beautiful dish, just long enough to say “this is the best salad I’ve ever eaten”. I heartily agree, through mouthfuls of it – deeply inelegantly.
I doubt I look much better eating the delicious California sushi roll or robust seafood pasta which comes next but, by this point, I’m getting into the party spirit – a first for me.
By the time pudding arrives – a pistachio-packed baklava cake – and I order a Barbie-pink cocktail, I start to think I’ve been doing life all wrong.
As the poolside DJ plays Icona Pop’s 2012 banger ‘I Love It’ – a favourite of mine and my good friend from my early 20s – I am so immersed in the vibes, I text that friend and ask him if he fancies coming back to SantAnna next year.
In the end – and although I leave the club as the sun sets at around 7pm, as opposed to 3am – I think to myself that Mykonos really can be all it’s cracked up to be – it’s just what you make it.
