WHEN YOU GO:      Mykonos, Greece

Getting There: Mykonos is part of Greece’s Cyclades island group in the Aegean Sea, approximately 100 miles from Athens. Depending on the U.S. departure city, flights are available to Athens by Air France, British Airways, Delta, KLM, Lufthansa, Swissair, and TWA. Flying time from New York to Athens is eight hours on direct flights. The 1-800 phone numbers and Web links for these airlines are available at this magazine’s Airlines page.

The Greek Islands are served by Greece’s Olympic Airways. Mykonos is a 30 minute flight from Athens. There is not a U.S. 1-800 phone number for Olympic, but you can search flight schedules on the Flight Search links provided on this magazine’s Travel Info page. Booking flights through a travel agent in the U.S. is recommended, and you can also book flights by calling Olympic Airways directly in Athens at 011-30-1/969-4466. Auto rentals are an optional luxury for getting around small Mykonos. Car rentals are available at the Mykonos airport and near the windmill bus stop. U.S.-based rental agencies serving Mykonos include Hertz and Avis. The 1-800 phone numbers and web links for these firms are available at the Autos page. The Web links below include maps of Mykonos island. If you will be renting a car on Mykonos and other locations in Greece, you may want to consider purchasing the Michelin Greece roadmap for your travels (accessible via the amazon.com ad link below).

Staying There: Mykonos contains a number of lodging alternatives, ranging from campgrounds to Mykonos Town hotels and apartments, to beach-side villa resorts. Fodor’s Greece does a good job of rating the alternatives in various price ranges. We picked Kivotos Clubhotel, and could not have been more satisfied with the choice for a quiet, relaxing resort close to Mykonos Town. The Web sites below provide an overview of many of the islands lodging establishments, including Kivotos.

Fodor’s Greece also does a good job of listing dining alternatives, as well as covering the antiquity site at nearby Delos. In addition, this travel book covers all of the major cities (lodging, dining) and attractions throughout Greece’s mainland and the remainder of the Greek Isles. This guidebook and others are available through the amazon.com ad link below.

Fast Facts: Mykonos’ terrain is dry and rugged, 10 miles long by 7 miles wide, and rising to two peaks, both named Profitis Ilias (~1,000 feet altitude). Mykonos has become one of the most popular and expensive of the Aegean islands due to the ambiance of Mykonos Town and the stretches of sandy beach. The temperature is pleasant in May and October, and hot in the summer. However, the consistent northerly summer winds provide a cooling relief.

Nearby Clycades islands which are worthy of a visit include nearby Andros, Tinos, Naxos, and Paros. Santorini is approximately 50 miles distant (the southernmost Cyclades island), and is reachable by Olympic Airways (15 minute flight) or by ferry. A recent High On Adventure article covers this travel destination, Greece's Fabled Santorini.