The south coast & Delos

The south-facing bays are where Mykonos put its beach economy, and the logic is meteorological: the meltemi blows from the north, so these beaches stay calm while the north coast whips up. Each bay is its own decision. Psarou and Platis Gialos are the polished end, with sunbed rows booked in advance and bills to match. Paraga and Paradise are the loud end, where the music starts in the afternoon and does not stop. Agios Ioannis and Ornos, at the western edge, are the quietest and the most family-tolerant.

Prices here are the reason people say Mykonos is expensive, and they are not wrong: a front-row set of sunbeds at the better-known clubs costs more than a night's room on most other Cycladic islands.

Off this coast lies Delos, the island Apollo was said to be born on and the religious centre of the Aegean for centuries. Boats run from Mykonos, open season roughly April to October; entry to the site is €20 (€10 reduced) and the boat is separate. Nobody may stay overnight and nobody may swim there — go early, take water and a hat, there is almost no shade.