What's a good 3-day itinerary for Mykonos?

Day 1 stays inside Chora, the main town, and it's the only day that needs tight timing. Head to the Paraportiani church by 8:30 AM, before the first cruise-ship tenders arrive around 10. The church dates to 1475 and sits on the Kastro headland where the wind comes straight off the Aegean at about 15 knots on a typical June morning. At 22°C the breeze still carries a chill off the water. From there, walk south through the narrow lanes to the Archaeological Museum of Mykonos, which opened in 1902 and holds pottery from the Rheneia purification graves. Budget 30 minutes. Lunch at Kounelas, a fish taverna near Matogianni Street in Chora. Order the grilled octopus and a half-litre of house white for around €28 total. The octopus comes charred and still smoking from the grill they keep on the lane outside. After lunch, the Aegean Maritime Museum, founded in 1983, is worth 45 minutes if old Cycladic navigation instruments interest you.

By 6:30 PM, take a table at Galleraki or Scarpa Bar in Little Venice. The buildings lean right over the water, and when the meltemi wind picks up, the spray hits the lower windowsills. Cocktails run €14-16 at either spot. Dinner at To Maereio on Kalogera Street, where slow-cooked lamb with potatoes costs about €18 and the room smells like oregano and roasting fat. Day 2 is Delos, and the logistics matter more than the sightseeing plan. Boats leave from the old port at 9 AM and 10 AM. Book the 9 AM departure, about €22 round-trip, 30 minutes across the channel. Bring 1.5 litres of water, a hat, and SPF 50 sunscreen. There is almost no shade on the island and the exposed stone reflects heat that can push the felt temperature past 40°C by noon in late June. The Archaeological Museum of Delos, established in 1904, has air conditioning and makes a good midday stop. The island covers roughly 3.5 square kilometres.

The core Delos loop takes 2.5 to 3 hours on foot. Start at the Agora of the Competaliasts near the harbour, then climb toward the Greek Theatre of Delos for the view west across to Rhenia island. The Stoibadeion, the sanctuary of Dionysus, has the marble phallus monuments you might have seen in guidebook photos. The Delos Synagogue, dating to roughly 200 BC, sits on the northeast edge about 200 metres off the main path, and most visitors walk right past it. The last return boat leaves at 3 PM or 5 PM depending on the month, so confirm the schedule before you board. Back in Chora by evening, dinner at Funky Kitchen on Ioannou Voinovich Street, where the moussaka is €16 and the portions are honest. Mind you, everything on Mykonos costs about 30-40% more than mainland Greece. A beer that runs €4 in Athens is €7 here.

Day 3 heads south to Mykonos's leeward beaches. Take the bus from Fabrika station in Chora to Ornos, a 10-minute ride for €1.80. Ornos has about 300 metres of coarse sand with calm water sheltered from the meltemi. Two sunbeds and an umbrella run €20-30 depending on the beach bar. The water in late June sits around 23°C, still cool enough to notice when you wade past your knees. If you want fewer people, stay on the bus to Platis Gialos, 5 minutes further south, where the sand is finer and the tavernas line the waterfront. Lunch at Yialo-Yialo on the Platis Gialos beach, where the fried calamari runs €15 and you can smell the oil from the kitchen 20 metres away. After lunch, take the bus to Ano Mera, the island's only inland village, about 7.5 kilometres east. The Panagia Tourliani monastery, built in 1542, has a marble fountain in its courtyard where pigeons sit in the spray. The square outside has kafeneia where Greek coffee costs €3. Bus back to Chora by 6 PM for dinner at Niko's Taverna near the old port, grilled sea bream for €22.