The main town of Mykonos, known as Chora, is one of the most beautiful in the Cyclades. The layout is famously confusing — the streets were deliberately designed as a maze to disorient pirates — and getting lost in the whitewashed alleys is one of the island's best activities. Every street looks like a postcard: blue-painted balconies, terracotta pots of geraniums, small domed chapels tucked between houses, and the occasional pelican.
The town wraps around the harbour and climbs the hill behind it. The commercial zone concentrates around Matogianni Street and the waterfront; the quieter residential lanes require more wandering to find. The best time to explore is either early morning before the day-trippers from cruise ships arrive, or in the evening when the light turns golden and the bars at Little Venice start to fill.