What Are the Best Hostels in Mykonos?

In the main party hub of Mykonos Town, this simple guesthouse has brilliant-white doubles, twins and triples with perks such as kitchenettes, coffee makers and Netflix-loaded TVs. At just five minutes’ walk from the port, it’s an easy, breezy arrival; and the spot-on location makes it great if you’re wanting to get out, dine, drink and photograph the quaint Cycladic architecture.

The smoothly sculpted, white stucco alcoves containing the dorm beds at Mycocoon call to mind Japanese futuristic pod hotels, with chunks of unpolished wood embedded as ladders to the higher bunks. Sleeping between two and 10, all rooms have shared bathrooms and some have private terraces with charming wicker furniture. It’s a chic, aesthetically pleasing take on the traditional dorm room, right in the heart of Mykonos Town.

This glam selection of simply decorated studios is clustered around two gorgeous turquoise pools in sleepy Platis Gialos, a 15-minute drive from Mykonos Town. Set across several different levels, there’s plenty of outdoor space for loungers, al fresco tables and a chic pool bar, with chunky stone walls, basket chairs and wooden pergolas creating a barefoot, bohemian vibe. In the rooms, pops of lime green, scarlet and sunshine yellow pep up the classic Cycladic whites.

In the sultry south of the island, on the golden sands of its namesake beach, this mini resort has options to suit every budget – from no-frills camping to beachside cabins and fully equipped apartments. Out front is a beach club of bright tangerine- and aqua-cushioned loungers shaded by palm-thatched parasols; in the basic, whitewashed rooms, simple mattresses and bedside tables do the trick for budget travellers. After all, you’ll be living out your days on the sand.

Close to the breezy, golden-shingle bay known as Super Paradise (home to the glam JackieO’ beach club), these smart, blinding-white rooms have a lofty hillside position, meaning great sea views. Soak them up by the ice-blue pool or from one of the generous private patios. Traditional ceramics and circular wall art give the rooms a contemporary and stylish feel. A fabulous restaurant completes the picture: tuck into huge, juicy grilled shrimp or quinoa salad while gazing out over the bay.

With private hot tubs on large sea-view terraces, and sophisticated headboards, coffee tables and mirrors hewn from driftwood, Villa Elina is no standard Greek apartment block. Close to the New Port and walkable to the unspoilt sands of Agios Stefanos, it’s a real looker, with seemingly floating beds and raw-edged sinks carved from hunks of polished stone. Slightly away from the main sights and beach clubs, this one’s best for travellers with a hire car.

Simple but sunbaked, this huddle of white boxy rooms around a basic outdoor pool has all the essentials. The hotel’s eponymous host will help you out with everything from scooter hire to free airport transfers, while you settle into a small but comfy room with powder-blue and beige accents. Slightly inland in Vrisi, you’re a 25-minute walk from main social hub Mykonos Town, and 20 minutes from the swimmable Megali Ammos Beach.

With a great pool and a sundeck right on the waterfront, no-frills Paraga is a sociable spot, with plenty of cafe tables and loungers to mingle at. Sea-view cubes sleep two or three, with slim mattresses and private bathrooms; or you can book bungalows for four, or canvas tents with power points and fans. The overall feel is of a laid-back summer camp, with shingly Paraga Beach a couple of minutes’ walk away.