Saturday 27th July 2024
The Journey Home
My week in Greece was coming to an end. All that remained was the journey home, involving a ferry from Ios to Mykonos followed by an evening flight back to the UK. Despite arriving via Santorini, the return flight was more expensive than going via Mykonos. I figured it would add a bit of variety to my trip and allow me to take a few photos and videos on Mykonos as well.
Relaxed Breakfast
My ferry wasn’t due to depart until 11:20, so I had time for a relaxed breakfast and wanted something filling, knowing I wouldn’t eat lunch until mid-afternoon on Mykonos. Having skipped Sailing Cafe Bar on Wednesday in favour of trying somewhere new, it was the obvious place to go as I knew the food was good and it was right opposite Hotel Poseidon, where I’ve been staying in Ios.
I ordered a similar breakfast to the one I’d had at Isleno Pizzeria. It was slightly more expensive at €13.50 and didn’t come with toast or orange juice, but the quality of the food and coffee was far superior so it didn’t feel overpriced. The yoghurt was delicious and the fruit was fresh and tasty.
During the meal, I received a text from Seajets informing me that the ferry schedule had changed slightly and would be departing Ios at 11:40, not 11:20. It was useful to know, but didn’t impact my plans as I’ve got several hours to spare once I reach Mykonos before I need to get to the airport.
Ferry from Ios to Mykonos
I returned to my room just before 10 am and finished sorting my luggage. Given the new ferry timing, I didn’t need to leave the room until 11 at the earliest, so I took my time packing and keeping cool in my room. I had a final shower and changed into my travel clothes, then left the hotel just after 11 am. I thanked the owners at reception and said goodbye as I dropped off my key.
Using my FerryHopper app, I was able to live track the ferry and could see it was unlikely to arrive much before midday, so I found shelter in the shaded seating outside Buongiorno Bakery, away from the crowd that was gathering at the port. Another ferry arrived before mine which helped to clear out quite a few people, but it was still busy.
When I saw on the app that my ferry was about to enter the bay, I grabbed my bags and wandered over to the port, managing to weave through most of the waiting crowd until I was nearly at the front of the gate. Soon enough, the ferry had docked, arriving passengers had disembarked and we were called forward to get on board. With no luggage to store in the hold, I headed straight for the steps, scanned my ticket and quickly found my seat near the front of the boat.
The journey was smooth, with a brief stop at Naxos to load and unload more passengers and vehicles, and then we were underway again heading for Mykonos. I felt a slight stab of nostalgia at seeing Naxos Town again, having not set foot on the island since 2021 even though it used to be my favourite Greek island.
Mykonos Town
We docked at the new port in Mykonos just after 2:15 pm. I’d checked the bus timetable and saw that a bus was due to depart at 2:30 pm to Fabrika, the main bus stop in Mykonos Town. Keen to make it, I got to the front of the queue as we waited in the hold to disembark and then quickly walked along the large port in the direction of the bus stop.
I found two buses waiting, bought a ticket from the nearby kiosk (€3) and was then instructed to board the second bus. It ended up not leaving at 2:30 pm anyway, instead waiting for more passengers and leaving a few minutes later once it was full.
As expected, the bus made slow progress towards Mykonos Town. The island was just as crowded and chaotic as I remembered from previous brief visits. The roads were nearly gridlocked with cars, mopeds, quad bikes and minibuses. What should have been a 5-10 minute ride to Fabrika took almost 30 minutes. I was so glad not to be staying on the island for more than a few hours, and still can’t fathom what makes people want to visit (unrealistic Instagram hype, mostly).
Despite only a couple of brief visits to Mykonos Town in the past, I had a fairly good sense of where to go once the bus arrived at Fabrika. I headed northeast towards the famous windmills:
I then continued to the coastline for the iconic ‘little Venice’ viewpoint photo:
Getting from the windmills to the harbour area requires navigating the narrow, winding streets that Mykonos Town is known for (but not unlike those in Ios Chora or many other Cycladic villages – they’re just not as famous). It’s easy to get lost, but as long as you keep heading north, eventually, you’ll come out the other side near the old port.
Late Lunch at Nikos Taverna
Upon reaching the old port, I strolled around the harbour area to get a few more photos and video clips, but I was getting hungry and keen to have a decent meal before heading off to the airport. Knowing how expensive (i.e. overpriced) many restaurants are in Mykonos, I opted to return to Niko’s Taverna, a fairly large restaurant in a convenient location just a short walk from the old port. It’s never been the best food, but the prices were reasonable on previous visits and due to the large number of tables, getting seated hasn’t been an issue.
I ordered moussaka (my first and only one on the trip!) and a beer. Both arrived quickly and, while the beer was fine, the moussaka was disappointing: quite dry, lukewarm and mostly aubergine/eggplant with little meat or sauce. It satisfied my hunger, but on seeing the bill for €23 (including €3 for two small bits of dry bread that I hadn’t asked for), I decided it would be my last visit and not somewhere I could recommend.
Bus to the Airport
My flight was set to depart at 8:40 pm, so I planned to arrive at the airport by 6 pm to avoid any last-minute stress. Knowing how packed the buses can get, I checked the schedule and saw they run hourly, right on the hour. To play it safe, I planned to catch the 5 pm bus, with the 6 pm one as a backup in case the earlier bus was full.
By the time I finished eating, it was nearly 4:30 pm. With two fairly heavy bags and zero interest in exploring any more of Mykonos Town, I decided to take a leisurely stroll toward Fabrika and wait there in the shade until the bus arrived. To my surprise, Fabrika wasn’t as crowded as usual. I spotted a kiosk selling bus tickets, joined the small queue, and bought my ticket to the airport for €2.50. Then, I found a shaded spot nearby and waited for the bus.
The ride to the airport was as slow and dreary as the one from the port. Along the way, we even passed the scene of an accident—paramedics were tending to a man lying on the ground, likely the victim of a moped mishap. Thankfully, it didn’t seem too serious, but on an island with narrow streets and heavy traffic, such incidents probably aren’t rare.
We arrived at the airport around 5:20 pm. Despite the crowds, I breezed through security since I had no luggage to check. With three hours to kill before my flight, I was just relieved to be in the departure lounge, far from the madness of the island. In case it’s not obvious, Mykonos isn’t my favourite place, and I wouldn’t recommend it as a must-visit destination!
Flight Home
As I sat waiting in the departure lounge, listening to Spotify and reading my Kindle, I couldn’t help but recall my last time here. It wasn’t a pleasant memory as, back in 2019, our flight home had been delayed 24 hours due to storms over London, resulting in a night spent on the airport floor. I had vowed never to return, yet here I was, keeping my fingers crossed that I wouldn’t have a repeat of that experience today! Flight delays are one of the worst parts of international travel and always leave me feeling anxious until I’m airborne.
As luck would have it (perhaps the gods were taking pity on me after my last experience), the flight was on time and we ended up taking off just a few minutes behind the advertised departure time. I managed to nap a bit on the plane, but struggled to get comfortable so spent most of the journey reading and watching videos on my phone.
Manchester Arrival and Drive Home
We landed back at Manchester Airport at about 11 pm UK time. Within minutes, I was off the plane and stretching my legs with a brisk walk through the terminal to passport control. It wasn’t busy and I was soon out the other side, past baggage reclaim and into the arrivals area. My girlfriend was waiting and, after a brief detour into Gregg’s for coffee and a sausage roll (okay, two sausage rolls!), we were back at the car and on our way home.
Reflections on the Trip
I love reflecting on my trips to Greece, especially to capture the highlights and consider what I might do differently next time. This particular week was all about relaxation, so there’s not much to critique—just a lot of great memories.
Ios, as always, was incredible. Even after five visits, I’m not even close to getting tired of it. In fact, I’m already itching to go back. Although I often claim Sifnos as my favourite Greek island, I’m starting to question that. Sifnos is fantastic, offering more sightseeing opportunities and the stunning Kamares Beach, making it an all-around great destination. But Ios has this indescribable charm that keeps pulling me in. Maybe it’s the vibrant energy of young people enjoying life to the fullest, which feels contagious and makes me feel young too. Or perhaps it’s just the perfect blend of beautiful beaches, delicious food, and a laid-back atmosphere.
My brief stop in Santorini was enjoyable as well. It was interesting to see how much had changed since my last visit in May. The cooler, cloudier weather and smaller crowds back then offered a stark contrast to the bustling and warmer experience this time around.
As for Mykonos, it was as frustrating and forgettable as usual. But I’m still glad I went—it gave me some great video clips and photos that I’ll be able to use for future YouTube content, so in the end, it was worth it.
