Mykonos pickle

[edub]

Hi - we're in a bit of a pickle regarding Mykonos and would love advice. Normally we find all manner of possible things to do at cruise port, but are finding Mykonos very difficult. First, our ship doesn't arrive until 12p, and we don't know if it will be a tender or will dock. Second, one of our teens has autism, so we need to find someplace quiet, preferably with shade and basic refreshments, and we need very precise transportation (uncertainty is not something many teens with autism can handle well). So I've been looking for either a beach club that doesn't blast techno all day, or a catamaran/boat (which we would love) that leaves in the afternoon and comes back well before 8:30p to give us plenty of time to get back. I would love to know if anyone found either a beach club or boat that meets these specifications. We would have loved to do one of the quiet northern beaches, but we don't want to rent a car, and I'm worried about finding transportation back (don't know how reliable Uber is and there doesn't seem to be frequent buses). We would hate to be one of those families that stays on the ship - especially because our kids love the beach - but we're starting to wonder if that's our best option! There's also cruise transportation to one of the beaches (Elia I think) which seems exorbitant at around $60/person, and doesn't include beach chairs, but it's honestly one of the most viable options we've found so far. Or we've thought of doing the water taxi, but haven't found a suitable beach club that we could book in advance. I did find one that starts at 12p, but I'm worried that if we can't get there until 1:30p or later, they might cancel our reservations. Help!!

[mapleleaves]

don't have an answer for you but this web site might be a good resource for you

19 Best Mykonos Beaches with Beach Map (Clubs, Parties, Swimming) (santorinidave.com)

[princeton123211]

53 minutes ago, edub said:

First, our ship doesn't arrive until 12p, and we don't know if it will be a tender or will dock.

There is limited docking space-- typically one larger ship. The rest tender. No idea based on your specific ship but the chances are you'll be tendering. 

 

54 minutes ago, edub said:

Second, one of our teens has autism, so we need to find someplace quiet, preferably with shade and basic refreshments, and we need very precise transportation (uncertainty is not something many teens with autism can handle well). So I've been looking for either a beach club that doesn't blast techno all day, or a catamaran/boat (which we would love) that leaves in the afternoon and comes back well before 8:30p to give us plenty of time to get back.

Beach clubs that don't blast house music all day are few and far between there. We've had luck on one occasion at Hotel Saint John. Resort short distance from the pier on the other side of the town. Nice pool etc but very slim sliver of "beach". I think it was 100 Euros per person but this was a few years ago. Don't remember the music element to be too intrusive but wasn't paying too much attention. 

https://www.saintjohn.gr/

 

 

[edub]

Thanks very much for your responses. Saint John got back to me with a very kind email - but even when you pay for loungers they still aren't guaranteed! SMH. Not an option when we won't arrive there until at least 1pm bc the ship docks late. At this point we're thinking to do the water taxi, make a reservation to eat at Nikolas, and just go to one or two beaches. Any advice on the water taxi would be appreciated. Thank you!

[erby2283]

How many other ships are in port with you that day and when do they leave/arrive?

[Hlitner]

Considering the info posted by the OP, we would suggest giving strong consideration to one of your ship's excursions (and we are not fans of excursions).  Finding a quiet beach, in season, is not an easy proposition and the OP's concern about return transportation is valid.  I am assuming the OP must rule out using the island bus system (our normal way to get around) and hoping to find an available taxi at a remote beach is "iffy" at best.  The late arrival is also an issue since you may have to deal with time considerations.

 

Hank

[edub]

OP here. I have a little more information. Looks like we will either dock at the new port or tender. Others who sailed recently on the same ship (Princess Sun) reporting docking at the new port. So a few new questions:

- is it possible to book a taxi in advance?

- We had the idea of going to the southern beaches, hopping around by water taxi, and then eating a late lunch/early dinner. is it correct that we'd have to take a water bus or other means to the old port, and still need to get from there to Ornos with separate transportation, and what are our transportation options? Hlitner, we are not ruling out the island bus system if they run regularly. I just need to have everything planned in advance as much as possible.

 

Also is there a ferry to Renia? Is it an island you can visit and use the beaches, or is it archeological/by tour only? It sounds lovely and uncrowded. Delos is still a possibility but the cruise excursion, which is 2 hours of walking in the midday sun, will be too much for us.

 

Thanks again wise people!

[Hlitner]

I can only address part of your post, re using public buses.  One of our tenants of independent travel is to maintain one's flexibility.  To us, this means doing pre-trip homework, knowing the options, and being able to change plans "on the fly."  Taking the public buses to the so-called south beaches means you must first get to the bus station (more like a small parking area) that is located not too far from the windmills.  We normally walk to that bus area, and although we have been there a few times (and have a good sense of direction) we still find ourself asking locals for directions.  Walking through Mykonos Town is somewhat akin to moving through a maze :).

 

Once we get to the bus parking area, we simply look at the posted schedule (they do generally follow the schedule) and make a decision on which beach.  If we have to wait 45 min for the next bus to our preferred beach, we would likely change our beach destination to one that we can access through an earlier bus.  I do not think knowing the schedule in advance is very helpful since one can never be sure exactly how long it will take to get to that bus parking area.  

 

I will add that if you are real concerned about time, and can get a taxi, then you might want to consider just taking the taxi to your desired beach.  You can then check the bus schedule at the bus stop closest to that beach to find the times for buses back to town.  While this sounds a bit crazy, it is how many of us travel independently around the world.  

 

I cannot emphasize, too much, the idea of flexibility.  Just last month, DW and I had a turn-around day in the port of Civitavecchia (Rome) and had planned on taking the train into Rome in order to enjoy a nice lunch at a Trastevere restaurant.  About a half hour before we were going to walk off our ship, I happened to talk to one of our crew members (who was from Naples) who told me there was a half day train strike (that very morning) on the trains running to Rome.  We quickly decided not to go into Rome and just spend a couple of hours strolling around Civitavecchia (not my favorite place) before spending a delightful "sea day" on our ship.  For us, the risk of using trains (on that day) outweighed our desire to enjoy lunch in Rome.  If we had a longer port day, I might have simply rented a car (assuming one was available) and drove someplace for the day (not likely Rome, since driving to that city during a train strike is not my idea of fun).  But, since we needed to be back aboard by 4:30, a rental car was, to me, not worth the risk.

 

Hank