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GREECE Virtually no trees exist on the island. The landscape is arid, rocky, and devoid of grass. Even weeds are scarce. Nevertheless, with the deep blue Mediterranean surrounding it, and the rich blue sky draped above, Mykonos allures like an rough uncut gem. Foliage is overrated anyway. All I needed was a sandy beach where I could chill out, backstroke in clear water, watch gentle waves slap against the shore, and party as the sun sets. With 30 beaches to choose from – each with its own personality and style – Mykonos, perhaps the most famous of all the Greek islands, did not disappoint me.
To get here, I rode a motor scooter from Mykonos Town, past isolated farm houses and tiny Greek Orthodox chapels, all of which wore the uniform whitewash of every building on the island. Some 30 minutes after departing, a winding road led me down to the beach. Paradise was a smorgasbord of humanity. Rows of thatch umbrellas sprouted from the coarse sand, providing shade to beachgoers from France, Sweden, Italy, Greece, England, the U.S., and countless other countries. Young backpackers lay beside middle-aged tourists. The beautiful people mingled among mere mortals. Men and women, straight and gay, lounged on beach chairs or towels while eating salads and gyros sandwiches procured from one of several beachside restaurants.
Yes, my periodic sidelong glances had revealed a number of unclothed sunbathers. Most congregated near the right-hand side of Paradise. Every so often one of these brazen souls rose from a beach chair, walked through hoards of people – all of whom pretended not to look – plunged into the sea, and sashayed back to his or her chair as if public nudity were as common as the tattoos on their butts.
At around 5:00 P.M. dance music blasted from speakers at Tropicana beach bar, which is located smack dab in the middle of the beach. The daily beach party had begun. I gathered my belongings. The nudists put on some clothes. Together with perhaps 100 others, we made our way to the bar. I won't dwell on the fact that 3 Belgian revelers plied me with way too many Kamikaze shots. I won't go into details about climbing on the bar and dancing with two Greek girls who were half my age. And I refuse to recount the embarrassing tale of how I slipped on an alcohol slick, fell to the floor, stood up, continued dancing and drew thunderous applause from the crowd. Suffice it to say I had a funky good time.
But soon the music, Kamikaze shots, and ensuing hangovers got the best of me. I set out on my motor scooter and found nearly 2 dozen beaches that offered an escape. The most developed and wind-protected beaches (Gialos, Psarou, Elia) lay at the southern edge of the island, not far from Paradise and Super Paradise. Ornos, the busiest of all, boasts countless hotels and tavernas that are perfect for people watching. Platys Gialos was packed with families who seemed happy to distance themselves from the nudists. Every inch of sand at tiny Psarou Beach was occupied, mainly by Greek socialites, their children and nannies. Elia, and the sandy alcoves nearby, are billed as "gay friendly," although much of the island can be considered as such. And Agrari, one of the most beautiful beaches on Mykonos, lay in sleepy splendor.
The day before leaving the island, however, I made my way back to Paradise Beach. Relaxed and refreshed after 2 weeks of therapeutic beach hopping, I lay in a beach chair among thong-clad women, tattooed men, and nudists of every age and sexual orientation. At 5:00 P.M. – like clockwork – the music started pumping. click here for more images of Greece Next
stop: Prague, Czech Republic.
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