Nice Beaches in Santorini & Mykonos?

[sunset12]

Hi Everyone,

 

I'll be going on my honeymoon next week (Celebrity Solstice) and was wondering if anyone could suggest some beaches in Santorini & Mykonos? All of other ports have plenty of different tours, but we were hoping to maybe just relax at these two.

 

Also, I've looked up the weather and it should be around 70F, is this to cold in the Med? I'm from NJ and I think it would be too cold at the beach for me here!

 

Thanks!

[jocap]

The few beaches in Santorini are across the island (which is very narrow) and are black volcanic sand. We stay at Kamari, which is about 20 mins from Fira by bus. It is v. much a tourist resort, with a long prom. full of small shops, tavernas and hotels- not on a very grand scale. The sand is rough to walk on, and often has bamboo mats laid across. It faces east, so the sun disappears in the early aft.

Mykonos I don't know well, but there are some nudist beaches. We've only swum from the town beach, which wasn't exciting, but others will help you on that.- jocap.

[CintiPam]

Well, I agree that the beaches in Santorini would not be my choice for a swim, but there are many nice sand beaches on Mykonos, accessible from Mykonos Town by bus, such as the famous Paradise Beach. It is my understanding that those on the southern coast are the nicest, and that the raucous crowd does not arrive until late afternoon. (Of course, this late in the season, probably nor an issue.)

 

Does your cruise stop in Rhodes? That island also has nice sand beaches.

 

70 sounds a bit chilly for swimming, but see how it goes. I swam once in the Med at 7AM while visiting Tel Aviv with a tour group, because that was the only time I had. I grew up in Toms River, NJ, so am used to a bit of chill in the air near the water.:)

[tom_uk]

Hello Sunset12! - I think we may be on the same cruise.

 

jocap & CintiPam are right that Santorini is not the best place for beaches. What 'sand' there is, is largely volcanic in origin and not very good. In any case, the beaches on Santorini are all on the outer coast of the island, whereas all the attractions for which Santorini is renowned are on the 'inner' coast, overlooking the caldera: Oia, Fira, Imerovigli. That's where you want to be. There are in fact plenty of possibilities for relaxation in Santorini in the caldera-edge bars & restaurants. Also, I can't think of anything better on a honeymoon than watching the sunset from the 'castle' at Oia, and as Solstice is at Santorini until 11pm, you could do that if you wanted to. (Although I imagine that there may quite a few other people with the same idea....)

 

When it comes to beaches, though, Mykonos is much better. There are a number of good ones along the south coast of the island. The nearest (Platy Gialos/Yialos/Yalos - spellings vary) is about 2 miles from Mykonos town, and others e.g. Paradise may a mile or so further than that. You can get buses from Mykonos town to the beaches, very cheaply - when we were there last (summer 2007) the bus fare was about €1.25 pp, each way. Platy Gialos is regarded as a 'family beach' and has good facilities: there's a line of bars/restaurants/small hotels at the back of the beach with access from it, and each of them owns/controls the beach loungers/sunshades on the beach along their frontage. We've been to this beach a couple of times. Paradise, a mile or so along the coast, is regarded as more of a younger persons beach. I think that its reputation as a nudist beach really dates back to its undeveloped era in the 70s and early 80s, although even today it is possible that you might encounter someone wearing nothing. Then (going further along the coast) there's Super Paradise, Elia and others - as you go eastward so the amount of development and accessibility goes down.

 

Here's a link to a good website about beaches on Mykonos.

 

Oh, one more thing: I recall from our first visit that another couple on the cruise, who happened to be n their honeymoon, hire an ATV from a hire shop in Myknos town and spent the day exploring the island (which is not very big). They ended up on one of the beaches.

[jocap]

Tom's idea is a good one- we go to Santorini with a young couple for a holiday, and they ride these things all the time! There are hire places on the main road in Fira, parallel to the pedestrian road on the cliff edge, and near the main square, bus station etc. It is the law to wear helmets, altho' you'll see locals without.....jocap.