Super Paradise used to be the sole exclusive gay beach of Mykonos, but today draws quite a mixed crowd. The far end is the gayest part, especially after 4pm around the Jackie O’ Beach Club and the Super Paradise Club.

During the summer months, the beach clubs usually host some of the best gay parties – the hot muscly chiseled beach boys will no doubt be handing out flyers for these during the day.

Elia is not only the most popular and largest gay beach on Mykonos island, it’s one of our favorite gay beaches in Europe. We love it here! 

There is always a convivial vibe, full of hot guys of all shapes and sizes. On the one side is a beach bar with a restaurant, where all the action congregates (this is where you’re gonna get all your drinks from).

Towards the other end, things are more chilled, more nudey, and more cruisey!

Agrari beach is the next beach along from Elia. A rocky outcrop separates the two (where a lot of hanky panky goes on!). As Elia beach becomes more popular, more and more gay guys head to Agrari. As it’s more low-key and remote, it’s also a nudist haven. The sand on Agrari beach is a bit more coarse than on Elia, but as Elia grows more popular each year, we think this is the next big gay beach in Mykonos to head to.

Kalafatis is one of the more remote beaches we love coming to when we want to completely avoid the party crowds on Elia and Super Paradise. Kalafatis is located further east of Elia and Agrari beaches and has a long sandy stretch. The beach is protected from the wind by a line of pine trees, so you can sunbathe without fearing loads of sand blowing all over you. And of course, all those pine trees create lots of privacy, nudism and other wonderful outdoor activities discretely take place along Kalafatis beach!

Panormos is the only gay beach of Mykonos not in the south of the island. It is located 7km north of the main town. The public bus recently started coming here, which led to increased interest in Panormos beach. We found that the straight crowds and families tend to stick to the entrance side of Panormos where all the umbrellas and sunbeds are. If you continue heading to the far end of this beach it gets completely remote with lots of nudism.

The Jackie O’ beach club is the reason why Super Paradise Beach remains a gay beach hub in Mykonos. It’s a large 150-seat restaurant with an open bar, sizeable pool, and Jacuzzi – just imagine the many gay pool parties that take place here every summer…! Pool parties aside, the Jackie O’ beach club is probably one of the happening gay hangouts in Mykonos during the day when everyone comes to the beach to sleep off their hangover and tan

There isn’t an official XLSIOR beach club, but we’ve included it here because if you’re heading to Mykonos during this big gay festival in August, then you can pretty much guarantee that every beach club surrounding Elia and Super Paradise will be catering to the large gay crowd with their own LGBTQ targetted events.

Otherwise, check the XLSIOR website for details of their parties, which take place at different beach clubs around the island like Cavo Paradiso, Ftelia, Zenit, and the Pinky Beach Club.

Former First Lady (and major gay icon) Jacky Kennedy Onassis famously visited Mykonos back in 1961 and fell in love with the island. She returned every summer, bringing with her a troupe of gay fans each year, turning Mykonos into the LGBTQ mecca it has now become.

So strong was her mark on the Mykonos gay scene that this awesome bar is named after her.

Jackie O’ is today, the main gay bar of Mykonos and definitely our favorite. We especially love watching the drag shows here which happen every evening. They crack us up every time! Most come to Jackie O’ to come the evening and will then head over to the other bars to dance the night away.

Elysium is the most famous gay hotel on Mykonos. The Elysium Sunset Bar, one of the hottest gay hangouts. Every evening from around 8pm, the Elysium bar hosts its “Sunset Cabaret Show” with hysterical international drag queens, handsome GoGo dancers and a live DJ set.

As well as being a fun gay night out in Mykonos, it’s one of our favorite spots to watch the sunset early in the evening before things heat up here. Due to its large pool area, the Elysium Sunset Bar becomes one of the main gay pool party hotspots during XLSIOR

Porta is a more lowkey chic gay bar in Mykonos, the sort of place to come for a cocktail in a chilled environment while the party animals are getting warmed up in Jackie O’s.

The music sets the atmosphere beautifully – a mix of jazz with some upbeat dance tracks thrown in.

We like coming to Porta as a sort of respite from the heaving party scene. Although having said that, Porta does get quite busy from around 1am, especially in the summer months.

A cutesy quaint gay bar in Mykonos we recommend checking out – if anything, for the very cute and friendly staff who make delicious Espresso Martinis! Dimitris and his partner Gilles are the owners who are the heart and soul of Lola, welcoming everyone with open arms, making it feel more like one big happy gay family!

The crowd at Lola Bar is predominantly over 40s and is the perfect place to come and make new friends in Mykonos. It’s always a warm and personable atmosphere here which is hard to resist.

We love this small resto/bar because of the picturesque balcony area. It’s our little hidden gem we share with you if you’re looking for a place to impress your Grindr date!

It’s one of our favorite spots for dinner and/or a romantic drink because of the backdrop of the Aegean sea behind you.

Although not exclusively a gay bar, Kastro’s attracts a lot of gay couples like us who are looking for some downtime. The food at Kastro’s is also amazingly good and definitely worth trying out.

Also called @54 or 54Bar, this is a lounge, terrace, bar, and club, attached to the TownHouse boutique hotel. Whilst we love coming here for a few romantic sunset cocktails on their terrace, for us, the real highlight of At54 is their pop diva club nights.

We love to boogie to Kylie, Britney, and Abba, and At54 gives us that dose of gay pop disco we so crave on our holiday!

At54 also gives us our dose of Greek pop gay anthems from the most famous local divas like Anna Vissi, Elena Paparizou, Tamta, and Eleni Foureira.

And if one of those Greek divas is in town, this is the spot they’re likely to perform just like Kelly Kaltsi did in 2016.

This is THE famous mega-club of Mykonos and is often rated as one of the best in the world. It is located just above Paradise Beach (ie the beach on the west side of Super Paradise Beach), perched up high on a 150-foot high cliff overlooking the Aegean Sea.

During the summer months, Cavo Paradiso hosts some of the biggest parties, which reminded us of some of the mega-club parties in Ibiza. The crowd is usually a mix of both gay and straight guys – and those in between!

If there’s a big gay party happening on Mykonos, such as the WE Circuit Party, then it’s likely to be at Cavo Paradiso. Our advice is to be on the lookout for the (oiled-up stuff-muffin perfectly-chiseled) GoGo dancer boys giving out flyers and discount bands on the beach during the day.

During the peak summer months, there are always large ad hoc parties happening throughout Mykonos at various venues such as the Fou Club, Zenit, and others. The biggest ones will be happening during the XLSIOR festival in August (like WE at Cavo Paradiso mentioned above).

The best advice is to look out for the hot speedo-clad GoGo boys who will be advertising any parties during the day at Super Paradise and Elia beach.

The Jackie O’ bar in the Chora was so popular that they decided to expand, opening a gay beach club and restaurant at Super Paradise beach. Not only can you enjoy the beach here, there’s also a pool, Jacuzzi, bar, and restaurant. We love coming to the restaurant in between sunning and swimming on the beach. Perched above the beach you can dine on a huge variety of sumptuous seafood dishes along with flavourful salads, pasta, and fresh fish. There’s even a cigar menu to end off your meal – yes, a cigar menu…this is the first time we’ve ever seen a cigar menu in a restaurant! If you come for dinner, make sure you also stick around for the drag show afterward.

Located in Mykonos town is Notorious, a cocktail bar/restaurant with a really sweet French owner and a large gay clientele. We loved coming here for their signature Notorious cocktails and antipasti. It’s a beautiful little spot with green details inside, comfy seating, art, and friendly cats wandering around. They serve simple but delicious homemade food like pizza, soups, and antipasti platters, as well as plenty of vegan or vegetarian options. It’s perfect for a pre-dinner cocktail and snack, a proper meal, or breakfast in the morning! The artwork on the walls is also for sale if you want a unique souvenir of your time in Mykonos.

We’ve already mentioned Elysium as a place to stay and a place for a drink, but it’s worth mentioning again as a restaurant as well, trust us! The resto/bar in the gay Elysium hotel is highly rated for its food, which you can, of course, enjoy alongside the stunning views

They serve simple yummy sandwiches and burgers along with ‘fancier’ dishes. We especially enjoyed the prosciutto and melon salad, as well as some super-fresh seafood – but the gay ambience is the real drawcard here.

If you come for dinner you have to stay for the nightly drag show, a couple of cocktails and, of course, the jaw-droppingly stunning sunset view!

Noa is one of the most highly-rated Greek restaurants on the whole island. We love to come here when we’re craving some authentic Greek food, especially Stefan – this is, after all, staple comfort food for him.

Noa attracts a mixed crowd including lots of gay boys because it is a few minutes walking distance to the gay bars.

Not only is the restaurant gorgeous, with amazing views, but the food here is sooooo goood! We could have stuffed ourselves with gyros, kebabs, lamb chops, grilled octopus, souvlakis, tzatziki and baklava all day long, but then we’d need to roll back home!

As excellent as Noa restaurant is, we also like the fact that it’s not too expensive either (at least for Mykonos standards!).

Lalala is one of the most popular places in Mykonos to go for a gay brunch. We certainly rate it as our favourite breakfast/brunch spot. 

Why? Their pancakes are famous for being the best on Mykonos (trust us!), the coffee is superb and if you want something a little healthier, we recommend the Greek yoghurt with fruit and honey. Like Noa, Lalala is close to the gay bars and hotels in Chora, which makes it a popular choice for the gay boys looking for a place to grab a bite to eat before heading down to Elia beach. It’s owned and run by two (super cute!) brothers, who are just the loveliest guys you’ll ever meet!

The number-one thing all travelers to Mykonos will (and should) do is explore Chora. Chora is Greek for “town” and is a way to specify whether you’re talking about the island Mykonos or the main town which is also confusingly called, ‘Mykonos’!

Here you will find picturesque white buildings (think Meryl Streep in Mamma Mia), the famous windmills, the main harbor, and the pretty area known as Little Venice. If it’s your first time on Mykonos, we highly recommend joining this gay tour which will take you to all the main sights, and, bring you face to face with Mykonos’ most famous resident:

 Pedro the Pelican! Doing a gay tour is also a fantastic way to make a fantastic new group of friends who you can then party with for the rest of your trip.

Right next to Mykonos is another small island called Delos. It is considered one of the most important mythological, historical and archaeological sites in the whole of Greece. According to Ancient Greek mythology, Delos Island was the birthplace of Zeus’ two children:

Apollo (the God of sun and music) and Artemis (the Goddess of hunting and chastity). Today Delos is a UNESCO-listed World Heritage Site and in our opinion, a very worthwhile day trip from Mykonos in order to explore the archaeological remains of this sacred place.

There’s a museum filled with artifacts from all around the island, but just walking around is like being in an open-air museum. Also, look out for the famous ᑭhalluʂ column at the Terrace of the Lions.

It’s literally half of a (giant!) pҽղìs perched atop the column

For something completely different, away from the crowds, we recommend this authentic Mykonos tour. It’s easy to think that Mykonos only exists for the large swathes of foreigners that visit in the summer season, but there is in fact a large local community living on the island throughout the year (honestly,

this surprised us as the island is super touristy, crowded and expensive!) 

This tour includes visits to remote villages like Ano Mera, hidden harbors like St Ioannis port, and secret secluded beaches. One of the highlights for us on this tour was visiting the Mykonian Spiti farm where we got the chance to try a bit of local cooking and lots of wine tasting.

Most visitors will include Mykonos as part of an island-hopping adventure in the Greek islands. We definitely agree that sailing between the Greek islands is a top Bucket List must-do item! Other nearby highlights in the Cyclades include Santorini, Paros, Naxos, and Ios.

If you’re already in Mykonos, we suggest joining a full-day sailing excursion on a catamaran to visit the best beaches on Delos and Rhenia islands.

The catamaran also passes lots of beaches, which he can stop off at if the group wants – these include Agios Ioannis, Ornos, Psarou, Platys Gualos, Paraga, Paradise, and Super Paradise. This tour also includes the chance to go snorkeling and stand-up paddleboarding.

Another great idea to impress your date or if you’re a couple visiting Mykonos and want to celebrate with something special is to go on a romantic sunset cruise. This five-hour cruise includes unlimited drinks and a light snack, as well as lots of stops for swimming along the way.

You’ll get to visit many of the island’s best beaches, go swimming and snorkeling, or just work on your tan. Lying in the sun on a catamaran is a very relaxing way to spend some time together, and on the way back to Mykonos you’ll get to enjoy the stunning colors as the sun sinks back below the waves.

As I said above, when Seby and I argue, a few drinks and a stunning sunset backdrop are usually enough to win him over!

Travel insurance: It doesn’t matter how well you plan and prepare, sometimes things just go wrong when traveling. We recommend all travelers to Mykonos organize travel insurance so you’re protected against things like accidents, illness, or canceled flights.

We’ve been using Heymondo Travel Insurance for years and love them. They provide affordable and comprehensive cover, plus it’s easy to make a claim online when/if you need to.

Getting around: The main town (Chora) of Mykonos is a vehicle-free zone, so you will only be able to explore it by walking – which simply adds to its charm as far as we’re concerned! To explore the rest of the island you can use buses, taxis and water taxis. Here is a more detailed guide on getting around Mykonos.

Power Plugs: Power plug sockets type C and F are used on Mykonos and the rest of Greece (ie they have 2 round pins). These are also compatible with plugs for type E.

If you’re traveling from within Europe you shouldn’t have a problem, but travelers from the United Kingdom, United States, Canada, and Australia will need to bring a travel adaptor with them.

Vaccinations: All travelers to Mykonos should ensure they are up to date with routine vaccinations for measles, mumps, chickenpox, etc.

Depending on where else you might be visiting in Greece and what you might be doing you may also need vaccinations for hepatitis A, hepatitis B or rabies. Make sure you check the CDC website and speak to your doctor before planning your trip.

Currency: The currency used in Mykonos is the Euro, just like in the rest of Greece. The symbol for the euro is € and $1 US converts to about 90 euro cents while £1 is worth around €1.17.

Tipping culture: Since Greece as a whole (and Mykonos in particular) are popular tourist destinations, tipping is widely expected as a reward for good service.

Some restaurants may include the tip on the bill so don’t tip on top of that. Generally, a few euros or ten percent of a bill is a normal amount to tip for good service. You can read more about tipping in Greece here.

Internet access: Free WiFi is available at nearly every hotel, restaurant, cafe, and bar on Mykonos. If you will need a reliable connection for work or want to be able to connect multiple devices, you can organize a portable WiFi device to use during your trip.

Accommodation: For more gorgeous accommodation options on Mykonos, check out Booking.com. We always use them to find places to stay as they have a huge range of properties at the best prices, often with free cancellation included. The online booking process is simple to use and their 24/7 online support is also excellent.

Sightseeing and adventure: There are plenty more exciting things to see and do on Mykonos besides what we’ve mentioned in this guide.

We like to use GetYourGuide to plan our adventures since they have many wonderful options, an easy-to-use online booking system, and 24/7 online customer support.

When to visit: The peak period is the last 2 weeks of August during the big gay Xlsior Festival, however, the island is packed with family tourists as well, so consider coming in September when children go back to school.

Between October and April many hotels and restaurants close, plus the weather is much colder, so it’s not an ideal time to visit.

• Read about the best islands in the Cyclades surrounding Mykonos
• For more accommodation options check out these hotels in Mykonos
• Read why we rate Mykonos as one of the best gay travel places in the world
• These are the best gay beaches in Italy if you’re heading there after Greece
• As well as the best gay beaches throughout Europe
•  
• Here’s our guide to the best gay beaches in Barcelona
• Find out what it’s like to attend Gay Pride in Barcelona
• As well as the best Gay Pride events in Spain
• Get inspired by these cool Gay Pride outfit ideas