Greece is the Best – it’s Official!

A very hectic and exciting August in Mykonos has come to an end, and September is now upon us. The kids are on their way back to school, and the nights are starting to draw in for some – but it’s still summer in Mykonos! We’re still enjoying temperatures in the mid 20s, and a nice lot of sunshine, perfect for swim in the sea and topping up that summer tan! As so many of you will know, we’re truly privileged to be living in such a beautiful island, and to be able to call the wonderful country of Greece our home, so we were especially delighted by the results of a recent poll that have just been announced. Read on for more…

Greece Voted the Best Country in the World

You’re probably already familiar with Conde Nast Traveller Magazine – it’s the byword for high quality travel writing for luxury holidays and holiday destinations. With its prestigious status as one of the top luxury holiday spots in the world, it’s hardly surprising that Mykonos has been featured several times in the magazine over the years. Mykonos has even been named one of their top 10 June holiday destinations – and we couldn’t agree more, except we love Mykonos all year round of course! This summer, Conde Nast Traveller ran their annual Readers’ Travel Awards survey to poll the best advice from their wealth of savvy globe-trotting readers. And now the results are in, and they are stunning. Greece was named The Best Country in the World according to Conde Nast Traveller Magazine readers! And, what’s more, the Greek islands as a whole came 4th in the overall entire list of the Ultimate Travel Top 20, made up of hotels, airlines, countries and destinations. No mean feat at all!

Greece as the Best Holiday Destination

When we think about it (and we don’t mean to brag), it comes as little surprise that so many savvy travellers picked Greece as the best country for a holiday. It just has so much to offer to all sorts of people. We’ve got stunning weather and gorgeous beaches perfect for sunbathing, and beautiful clear blue seas for refreshing swims. Greek cuisine and food is simply out of this world, using fresh sunkissed ingredients that harness the best of the Mediterranean diet (with lashings of lovely olive oil aplenty), not to mention the fantastic health benefits too. It’s a great place to visit for history and culture lovers as well – with a host of glorious archaeological sites and museums. In Mykonos, we’re very lucky to have not only beautiful historic sights like the iconic windmills, Paraportiani Church and Armenistis Lighthouse, but also the Aegean Maritime Museum and Archaeological Museum. Not only that though, but Mykonos is the best location to visit the spectacular island of Delos – a UNESCO world heritage site and one of the most important religious sites in all of Ancient Greece. And with Greece being such a popular choice for holidays for so many years, we’ve become rather experts at offering a wonderfully warm welcome to visitors from all over the world – it’s probably something to do with our hospitality tradition and the ancient spirit of filoxenia (φιλοξενία)! Tourism now makes up almost one fifth of our economy, and we’ve developed a fantastic infrastructure to make sure everyone has a good time. From transport (lots of airports, boats, taxis, and transfer services) to cultural exhibits and museums, as well as an amazing array of restaurants and bars, not to mention a fabulous choice of places to stay – including some particularly lovely sea view villas in Mykonos (if we do say so ourselves)! Our tourist expertise extends to language too – while we use the Greek alphabet, you can expect to find almost all major signs in English too, and you’ll find lots of Greeks are veritable polyglots – at home with speaking English and often French, German and Russian (to name but a few) also.

The Greek Islands as The Best Holiday Destination

With an overall satisfaction score of 93.27% in the Conde Nast Traveller Magazine Awards poll, the Greek islands really show why they are so loved by so many. Each one offers its own unique magic, and, speaking from our experience, Mykonos is the most magical of them all! As the fashionable choice for celebrities for over half a decade, it is the island to be seen on every summer. Where else can you rub shoulders with Naomi Campbell, Valentino and the like, party till dawn on the beach, or watch DJ sets from the likes of David Guetta and Skrillex, all in one place? Wend your way through the pretty cobbled streets of the Chora, indulging in some hardcore retail therapy in all the stylish boutiques. Or take part in some of the best holiday sports and activities on Mykonos, explore the island, or take a boat trip to Delos, or to Tinos. Experience the absolute best in dining and drinking at Mykonos’ top restaurants and beach bars, like Principauté de Mykonos – Panormos right below our luxury sea view villas. Or simply lay back on one of the many beautiful Mykonos beaches, listening to the sound of the waves, and feeling the warm sun on your face. It doesn’t get much better than this, and Mykonos offers the absolute best of the Greek island holiday experience. Despite being an island, Mykonos is easy to travel to as well, and there’s a good choice of low cost direct flights from lots of European cities, as well as cheap connecting flights via Athens, and a range of regular ferries from the ports of Piraeus and Rafina, not to mention luxury private charter options too.

A Fun and Relaxing Time in Greece – Guaranteed!

Most importantly, we know that one of the key choices for a holiday destination is selecting somewhere that you know will be fun, relaxing and safe. Despite some unfounded media drama about the credit controls last summer (which we put to bed in our myth-busting blog post), we’re delighted that so many people have chosen to holiday with us in Mykonos this year. In fact, 2016 is currently forecast to be another record year for tourism in Greece, after visitor numbers in 2015 broke previous records. We’ve been humbled by the kindness and humanity shown by so many Greek people in the face of the migrant refugee crisis throughout the mainland and also many other islands, though our location means that Mykonos has not been affected by the refugee arrivals at all. In the face of the unfortunate political unrest in Turkey and the security issues affecting Egypt and Tunisia, we’re pleased to say that Greece can still offer a safe haven for a relaxing and fun holiday. Here in Mykonos the sun shines, the beach and sea are always inviting, the drinks flow, the people smile, and a warm welcome is offered to absolutely everyone!

A Reminder – Yoga Heaven at Mykonos Panormos Villas

We recently announced the launch of the wonderful Yoga Heaven Mykonos at Mykonos Panormos Villas. Our bespoke yoga week breaks at our luxury sea view villas in Panormos bay will be taking place in September and October this year, and from April 1st into May next year. It seems like lots of you have been tempted by a relaxed week away in Mykonos, filled with yoga courses from top international coaches and held in a stunningly serene location at our luxury villas. We’ve had a great response to our packages so far, with only a few places left on our yoga holiday package starting on September 24th. So, if you’re a yoga buff who fancies an autumn or spring break with us, make sure you drop us an email to find out more!