Barren and hilly, measuring only 11½ by 9½ mls, the island is made up of grey-green rocks, prickly pear cacti and small fertile patches of wild flowers. Its mixed history includes occupation at various times by the Romans, Venetians and Turks until finally uniting with Greece in 1832. It has a permanent population of approximately 15,000, but this swells drastically in the summer months with the arrival of thousands of tourists, making it by far the most popular, overcrowded and lively of the Cyclades islands. The narrow, winding roads can become very busy - and dangerous - with countless hire cars, mopeds and motorbikes. The main holiday resorts hug the W and S coasts, except for Ano Mera near the centre of the island. MYKONOS TOWN (also known as Chora) on the W coast is the island's hub and commercial centre - a picturesque town with clean, white houses, lots of little churches in winding, narrow and sometimes steep lanes and a busy, modern port. Although traffic (and parking) can be a problem, cars and motorbikes are banned from the centre making it particularly pedestrian-friendly. At night it comes alive with a plethora of bars, tavernas and clubs drawing in the crowds from other resorts. AGHIOS STEFANOS, backed by hills on the NW coast, is relatively undeveloped and slightly tatty, consisting of just 1 narrow row of holiday properties facing the beach. People staying here travel to Mykonos Town for nightlife and shopping. PLATYS GIALOS on the S coast is a fairly low-key development in an area encompassing the beaches of Psarou, Paranga, Paradise and Super Paradise. AGHIOS IOANNIS sits on the SW coast in a rare sheltered spot with good sunset views but very little to do. ANO MERA is 1½ mls inland in a central hilly area. It is made up of a dusty sprawl of buildings including a cluster of apartment blocks around a 16th-century monastery. It also offers a choice of fashionable restaurants. KALAFATIS on the SE coast is in a flat, exposed area. Nearby Aghia Anna sits above a couple of small coves on a steep incline. Kalafatis itself is less a village than a crescent of development lining the bay with a few houses up in the hills and a handful of fairly large holiday establishments. It offers peace, sun, sea and a beach to laze on. KALO LIVADI on the S coast is on a small, exposed and undeveloped bay and consists of a handful of large holiday properties and a couple of beachside tavernas. ORNOS is a sprawl of tourist development built on flat ground around an unsheltered bay on the SW coast and rises up a steep hill behind. It also possesses plenty of mooring space for cabin cruisers. TOURLOS is a quiet resort on the W coast backed by mountains. It serves primarily as a mooring for cruise liners.

Cosmopolitan and relatively upmarket, Mykonos is one of the more expensive Greek islands. It has a growing jet-set clientele, especially Greeks, but all ages, singles, couples and families come in droves. Ano Mero most suits middle-aged, middlemarket couples wanting to escape mainstream tourism; Tourlos is for the more budget-conscious. Still a gay destination, the island is known for its tolerance.

The full range from hotels and villas to apartments, simple rooms and campsites. Abundant A-category (4-star) hotels, 1 de luxe hotel.

Rocky and inaccessible in the N; good on the W, S and E coasts. Quiet beaches are found at Kalafatis, Aghios Ioannis, Aghia Anna, Kalo Livadi, Tourlos and Megali Ammos. Mykonos Town beach is small and windy with gritty sand and forms part of the harbour. The Platys Gialos area has some of the island's best beaches, which get crowded in peak season as a result; good for swimming, they are large and sandy and provided with parasols, sunbeds and a full range of water sports. There are campsites at Paranga and Paradise. Note that slippery rocks are a danger at Paradise and Super Paradise in the early months of the season; these beaches are known for nudism and Super Paradise is popular with gay visitors. Aghios Stefanos has water sports on a wide, curving sandy beach where the sea is shallow by the shore but becomes suddenly deeper farther out. Kalafatis and Ornos have long, sandy beaches with parasols, sunbeds and water sports; Kalafatis is the more conservative beach, popular with surfers. Kalo Livadi is long, sandy, windswept and undeveloped. Tourlos Beach is small, sandy, not as clean as it could be and subject to the Meltemi wind which scours the island. The island has several scuba-diving centres although diving is restricted in environmentally sensitive areas.

Most resorts have just a couple of souvenir shops and a few everyday shops and a minimarket. Mykonos Town has the island's main shops with everything from souvenir tat to posh clothing and jewellery outlets. Local weavers sell traditional rugs and blankets directly from their workshops; work by local artists is also plentiful. A seafront market offers fresh fish.

Daytime: beach and water sports, including diving, windsurfing, water-skiing, jet-skiing and sailing; exploring Mykonos Town, its archaeological museum, Parapotiani church complex, "Little Venice" area and picturesque windmills; Platys Gialos has a 6th-century BC ruined tower and Temple of Lazarus; Ano Mera with nearby monasteries and convents; hill walking; fishing; water park near Elia on the S coast. Nightlife: concentrated in Mykonos Town, an energetic choice from cheap music bars to upmarket cocktail bars, Greek evenings, all-night discos and nightclubs. Outside town it's mainly local bars and tavernas; beach bars with music and dancing; a well-known, outdoor "Ibiza-style" club at Paradise Beach.

Best selection is in Mykonos Town, from pleasant waterside tavernas to attractive garden restaurants in the centre. A variety of cuisines including Italian, Mexican, Chinese, fish and chips as well as Greek souvlaki bars and kafenia (coffee shops).

Bus station in Mykonos Town for frequent buses to the popular resorts. Taxis available at set fares. Plentiful car and motorbike hire; bear in mind that some roads are rough - even dangerous - and traffic can be heavy at times. Ferries dock at Mykonos Town or Tourlos for Piraeus, Rafina, Paros, Naxos, Ios, Santorini and Crete.

Half day: beach barbecues (evening). Full day: various boat trips, including holy island of Delos (daily, weather permitting), round-island trips and to nearby Tinos. Two days: islands of Ios, Paros or Naxos.

In the Aegean Sea, off the SE coast of the Greek mainland. 4 mls SE of the island of Tinos. 20 mls N of the island of Naxos. Mykonos Town is 2 mls NW of the island's airport.

Member of the Cyclades group of islands, forming a ring with the islands of Naxos, Paros, Syros and Tinos around the holy island of Delos.

Telephone Area Code: 22890
Website: www.mykonosgreece.com

Airport : Mikonos
Airport Code: JMK
Flight time from ther U.K.: 3 hrs. 30 mins