Apollo or Dionysos? The two faces of the Greek holiday island Mykonos

By Detlef Berg Oct 5, 2010, 13:17 GMT

Mykonos, Greece - It's an early Sunday morning and the Chora, the old city centre of Mykonos, appears dead.

The first rays of sunshine light up the snow-white houses with their colourful shutters, looking like dice nestled into the slopes of the mountains. The paved alleys are often so narrow that only a donkey laden with goods can pass through.

And when the bells of the small Panachrou Church start to toll at half past eight to gather worshippers to the Sunday service, only a few older Greeks, dressed completely in black, make their way there.

The reason for the sense of emptiness can be found in the entryways to the bars and clubs. Piled high are cases of beer and liquor, giving an idea of just how much drinking had gone on the night before.

Around noontime, waiters at the restaurants and cafes begin setting up tables and chairs on the terraces, where grapevines provide shade. By early afternoon, at the latest, everything must be ready. That's when the partygoers wake up and stream into the narrow streets.

The most scenic beaches on Mykonos are found on the southern coast. With their clear, turquoise-coloured waters they are among the best in the Cyclades, the cluster of over 200 islands in the Aegean. Vacationers can get to the beaches by bus or with a rental car.

Particularly popular is the half-kilometre-long 'Paradise Beach' with a beach club, restaurants, and watersports facilities. A bay was additionally set up where vacationers can lounge around in the 'Super Paradise Beach.' In the high season it is one of the most overcrowded beaches, with sunbathers crammed close together.

In the evening, the two beaches reveal their other face. Beer, champagne and vodka flow freely and into the wee hours of the next morning the bass is still thumping from the loudspeakers. Party freaks from the world over dance themselves into a trance beneath the open sky.

The dance floors in the clubs and discos in Mykonos city start to fill up at one in the morning. Only when the sun starts to rise does the party stop - only to be resumed the next evening.

But Mykonos is not just for the party set, it also lures artists like Monika Derpapas. Together with her partner she runs a gallery. The artist came from Dresden back in 1968 to Mykonos. 'Back then, Mykonos was still an untouched paradise,' she says.

In the wake of Greek shipping magnate Aristotle Onassis, who discovered the island in the 1950s, many wealth Athenians set course for Mykonos in their luxury yachts to enjoy the simple life. Hollywood actress Elizabeth Taylor loved the magical charm of the crooked alleys of the Chora.

But the glamour era did not last long. In the 1980s and 1990s the high society set stayed away - and in their place, thanks to better ferry connections and charter airlines, came the backpack tourists. Then, toward the end of the 1990s, as an increasing number of gays made Mykonos their holiday destination, there was a boom in boutique hotels, clubs, lounges and a whole array of designer shops. New private villas were built.

'You should simply avoid the summer months of July and August with all their turbulence and come here in the off-season, before and after,' Derpapas advises. 'The island is then almost the way it used to be and the prices are clearly lower.'

For vacationers seeking peace and quiet, the beach of Agios Ioannis is recommended. A few taverns offer affordable meals and in the evenings one can watch the sun go down beyond the tiny island of Delos.

According to Greek mythology, Apollo, the god of the arts, was born on Mykonos. To this day numerous remains of temples, theatres and other buildings are testimony to the ancient cult of the Greek gods. But today, Dionysus, the god of wine and celebration, might be the more fitting patron.