Kato Mili
The windmills on the hill just south of Little Venice.
Mykonos · Chora & the west coast · Μικρή Βενετία
Little Venice, where Mykonos watches the sun go down
At the south-western edge of Chora a row of tall old houses stands with its feet in the water, wooden balconies painted red, blue and green hanging over the waves. They went up from the middle of the 18th century for captains and merchants. Today their ground floors are bars and cafés, and every evening the whole island seems to squeeze onto their terraces to watch the sun drop behind the windmills' hill and the sea, cocktail in hand and spray on the ankles when the wind is up.
Captains' houses built straight onto the sea, and the island's sunset ritual
The story of Little Venice
The first houses of Little Venice were built in the mid-18th century by wealthy captains and merchants, who wanted their homes as close to their ships as possible. Their cellar doors open directly onto the sea, and that was enough for a rumour that has never quite gone away: that the owners were secretly pirates, unloading their loot straight into the basement.
Painters have long set up their easels here, and the name, given for the resemblance to the palazzi on the canals of Venice, stuck. Be honest with yourself about what it is now: the most famous sunset spot on one of the most expensive islands in Greece. A drink here is not cheap, the best tables go early, and it is worth every euro once.
Where to eat
Tables we love in Little Venice
Bar & restaurant
Kastro's
Little Venice · Chora & the west coast
A restaurant and cocktail bar at Little Venice, with tables at the water's edge for the sunset.
Within an easy drive
Around Little Venice
Panagia Paraportiani
The white heap of five churches in the old Kastro, a few lanes away.
Good to know
Before you go to Little Venice
Getting there
Walk through Chora from the old port, following the crowds an hour before sunset.
When to go
Arrive an hour before sunset for a table. When the north wind blows, the waves splash the front terraces, which is half the fun.
More of Mykonos
Villages you'll want to see next
Chora & the west coast
Chora (Mykonos Town)
A white maze said to have been built to confuse pirates, now confusing everyone after midnight
Chora & the west coast
Kato Mili, the windmills
Venetian windmills on the 'Island of the Winds', the first thing you see from the boat
Delos & Rhenia
Delos
The birthplace of Apollo, where nobody was allowed to be born or to die
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Every stay we recommend across Mykonos, from village guesthouses to rooms on the sea.
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