Things to Do in Mykonos in April

The sacred island of Delos, birthplace of Apollo in Greek mythology, sits a 30-minute ferry ride from Mykonos's Old Port. The site covers 350,000 square metres of ruins spanning from 3000 BCE through the Roman period. In April, visitor numbers are a fraction of summer's 3,000-plus daily cap. You can stand alone in the Terrace of the Lions or wander the mosaic floors of the House of Dionysus without navigating tour groups. The on-site museum holds sculpture and pottery finds from ongoing excavations.

Booking tipBuy ferry tickets at the Old Port kiosk or online 2-3 days ahead. Morning departures (around 9:00 or 10:00) give you the most time on-site before the last return boat.

This roughly 7 km footpath crosses the island's undeveloped northeast, passing dry-stone walls, abandoned farmsteads, and hillsides of wild thyme and poppies. Fokos Beach at the end is a windswept cove with coarse sand and no development beyond a single seasonal taverna. The trail is mostly flat to gently rolling, with a few rocky descents near the coast. No shade, so an early start helps.

Booking tipNo booking needed. Start from the main square in Ano Mera. Bring water, as there are no stops along the route.

If your April trip overlaps with Holy Week, the experience is unlike anything else on the island. Good Friday's Epitaphios procession carries flower-covered biers through Chora's lanes, past whitewashed chapels lit with candles in every window. Saturday midnight mass at Panagia Paraportiani ends with fireworks over the harbour and the congregation sharing the Holy Light, flame passed candle to candle. Easter Sunday is an open-air feast. Strangers invite strangers to eat lamb.

Booking tipBook accommodation at least 6-8 weeks ahead if your dates overlap Easter. Greek domestic travelers fill Mykonos for the long weekend.

Mykonos Town's narrow lanes, blue-domed churches, and the Little Venice waterfront are among the most photographed scenes in Greece. In July and August, every angle includes 30 other people with cameras. April mornings in Chora are genuinely quiet. You can set up at the Kato Mili windmills or along the Little Venice waterline at golden hour and work without anyone walking through the frame.

The 19th-century lighthouse at the island's northwest tip sits above a rocky coastline with open views toward Tinos. The drive from Chora takes about 20 minutes on a paved road. In April, the surrounding headland is green and dotted with wildflowers rather than the brown scrub of late summer. Sunset from here, with Tinos silhouetted across the channel, is quieter and arguably better than the crowded Little Venice sunset.

The island's second settlement, about 7 km inland from Chora, centres on a wide plateia (square) shaded by trees. Panagia Tourliani Monastery, founded in 1542 and rebuilt in 1767, has a carved marble fountain in the courtyard and a collection of 16th-century vestments inside. In April, the square's tavernas are open and relaxed, serving grilled octopus and local cheese without the wait times of summer. Ano Mera feels more like a working Cycladic village than a resort destination.

A few small-scale producers on the island offer tastings that are more intimate in April than during the packed summer schedule. The local grape Assyrtiko, also grown on neighbouring Santorini, produces a crisp, mineral white. Pair it with kopanisti cheese and louza (air-dried pork seasoned with pepper and clove, a Mykonian specialty). April visits tend to be more conversational, with the owners present rather than seasonal staff.

Booking tipContact estates directly by email or phone at least a week ahead. Walk-ins are unreliable in April since hours vary.