Mykonos trivia: 60 amazing facts about the famous Greek island!

Mykonos, also known as “The island of the Winds”, is a very well known Greek island. It attracts millions of tourists every summer from all around the world!

So let’s find out some more trivia and facts about this Greek island!

Mykonos is a Greek island
It is part of the Cyclades
Lying between Tinos, Syros, Paros and Naxos
The island spans an area of 85.5 square kilometres (33.0 sq mi)
It rises to an elevation of 341 metres (1,119 feet) at its highest point
There are 10,134 inhabitants (2011 census)
Most of whom live in the largest town, Mykonos, which lies on the west coast
The town is also known as Chora
Chora means the Town in Greek
It follows the common practice in Greece when the name of the island itself is the same as the name of the principal town
Mykonos’s nickname is “The Island of the Winds”
Tourism is a major industry
Mykonos is, also, known for its vibrant nightlife
It has many establishments catering to the LGBT community
In Greek mythology, Mykonos was named after its first ruler, Mykonos
He was the son or grandson of the god Apollo and a local hero
The island is also said to have been the location of a great battle between Zeus and Titans
There Hercules killed the invincible giants having lured them from the protection of Mount Olympus
According to myth, the large rocks all over the island are said to be the petrified testicles or the entire corpses of the giants
The island is composed mostly of granite and the terrain is very rocky
With many areas eroded by the strong winds
High quality clay and baryte, which is a mineral used as a lubricant in oil drilling
There were mined on the eastern side of Mykonos until the late 1900s
It produces 4,500 cubic metres of water daily
By reverse osmosis of sea water in order to help meet the needs of its population and visitors
Mykonos has a typical Mediterranean climate
The sun shines for up to 300 days a year
The rainy season lasts from October until March
Vegetation follows the typical pattern for the region and grows around mid-autumn and ends in the beginning of the summer
Temperatures can rise as high as 40 °C (104 °F) in the summer months
Average high temperature is around 28 °C (82 °F)
Because of the seasonal cool “meltemi” wind, summer days are dry, sunny and pleasant
In the winter, average high temperature is around 15 °C (59 °F)
The winters in general are mild and wet
With many sunny days still even in mid-winter
Snow is infrequent and doesn’t stay long on the ground when it falls
Being a Greek island, the economy of Mykonos has close relationship with the sea
However, with the rise of tourism, it plays a minor role during summer
Some of its most known landmarks are the following
Municipal Library – an 18th-century mansion housing over 8,000 volumes and a vast collection of 18th- and 19th-century photographs, documents and Cycladic coins and old seals as well as sketches and books from the personal library of American artist John Ratekin. The Municipal Library is located on Ayia Kyriaki Square in the main town of Chora
Petros the Pelican – an old celebrity of the town’s waterfront, “Petros” has been the official mascot of Mykonos for over 60 years. He took up permanent residence on the island after a storm in 1954 and after his death the islanders elected a successor to carry on his legacy until today
Mykonos windmills – The windmills are a defining feature of the Mykonian landscape. There are many dotted around the island, but most are concentrated in the main town of Chora. The famous “Kato Mili” in Chora, stand in a row on a hill overlooking the sea to harness the strong northern winds. Capped with wood and straw, the windmills were built by the Venetians in the 16th century to mill flour and remained in use until the early 20th century. Many have been refurbished and restored to serve as homes to locals and vaults to numerous Mykonian heritage documents
Little Venice – rows of fishing houses line the waterfront with their balconies hanging over the sea. The first of these was constructed in the mid-18th century. They originally belonged to rich merchants or captains and the little basement doors that provided direct access to the sea and underground storage areas led people to believe that the owners were secretly pirates. Some of the houses have now been converted into bars and cafes and little shops and galleries. Little Venice is considered one of the most romantic spots on the island and many people gather there to watch the sunset. The area attracts many artists who come to paint the picturesque coastline
Armenistis Lighthouse – is a testimony to Mykonos’ maritime history, as well as a fully functioning lighthouse. It is located in Fanari, which means lantern in Greek, 6.5 km (4.0 miles) from Chora
Tria Pigadia – are three identical wells standing in a row in the middle of the main town, Chora. They were built in 1722 to provide the town with water. Unlike most modern wells which are over 30 metres deep, the Tria Pigadia are only 5–6 metres deep as they were dug into sand where water was more easily accessible
Archaeological Museum of Mykonos – was built in 1905 to house the findings from the Putrefaction Pit of 425/426 BC, discovered in 1898 on the islet of Rheneia by D. Stavropoulos. It is one of the oldest museums in Greece and was designed by Alexandros Lykakis and funded by the Ministry of Education and the Archaeological Society of Athens. The land as donated by the Municipality of Mykonos
Aegean Maritime Museum – was founded in 1983 by the Mykonian George M. Drakopoulos and it opened in 1985 with the goal of preserving and promoting the study of Greek maritime history and tradition, in particular the evolution and activities of the merchant ship in the Aegean Sea. Drakopoulos has been awarded with the Athens Academy Award and with the World Ship Trust’s award for Individual Achievement for his work with the museum. The museum was the first in Greece that rescued and restored living historical exhibits to operate as they were originally designed and built. In addition to original pieces, there are also replicas of famous historical ships and collections of coins with nautical scenes from the 5th century BC to the 4th century AD and a variety of elaborate shipping instruments
Folklore Museum – the oldest house on the island houses a collection of 19th-century furniture, jewellery, ceramics embroideries, marble sculptures, tombstones and a variety of other trinkets. The museum also pays tribute to Mykonos’ traditional nautical roots with models of 19th-century Mykonian ships, maps and an anchor and canons used during the Greek War of Independence
Lena’s House – this 19th-century traditional Mykonian residence belonged to a wealthy shipping family and the original furniture is still preserved. The house now operates as a museum
Agricultural Museum (also known as the Bonis Mill) – old tools and machinery are displayed in one of Mykonos’ famous windmills and, located above the main town of Chora in Ano Myloi (meaning Upper Windmills), it offers a spectacular view
In Mykonos, there is also an abudance of churches to visit
In 2013 the Mykonos Biennale was inaugurated offering theatrical, cultural, cinematic, artistic, and musical productions
The island has also a historical presence with many historic figures being from Mykonos
The most notable ones are Manto Mavrogenous, Ioannis Svoronos, archaeologist and numismatist, Mary Paraskeva, early amateur photographer, Ioannis Toumbas, naval officer, Nicholas Pettas, professional martial artist, kickboxer, and actor, Karolina, painter of Mykonos of US origin
Mykonos is among several Greek islands mentioned in Kenneth Koch’s poem “Sleeping with Women”
Scenes of Mykonos are featured in the 2003 Indian movie Chalte Chalte
“Mykonos” is a song on the American folk-rock band Fleet Foxes’ EP Sun Giant
The film Island of Death (1975), directed by Nico Mastorakis, was shot on the island of Mykonos
In 2015, Mastorakis returned to the island to revisit the locations
Apotos, the first stage of the video game Sonic Unleashed is heavily based upon the region