Once in Mykonos you instantly get it: a special ‘je ne sais quoi’ feeling in the air, an uplifting sense of freedom mixed with an explosive energy that gets in your system just like the warmth of the sun gets under your skin.
[dropcap font=”” size=”1″ background=”” color=”” circle=”0″ transparent=”0″]Y[/dropcap]ou are in one of the world’s rarest gems; a true paradise surrounded by the deep Aegean blue, with gorgeous beaches, delicious food, spectacular sunsets, and a rocking nightlife. No wonder it is a dream destination for millions of people around the world. Among them Hollywood celebrities, royalties, chiefs of states, tycoons, famous fashion designers, sports stars and an ever-growing list of the people who usually appear on the front pages around the globe. There are very few members of the international jet set who do not show up in this blessed place, at least once every summer.
Even now as we “speak”, luxury villas and resorts on the island are getting ready to welcome them and help them forget the past strenuous months of the almost global quarantine.
Celebrities are one of Mykonos’ trademarks, ever since the ’50s. It was then when upper-class Athenian families discovered this hidden paradise of the eastern Cyclades, not very far away from the port of Piraeus. It was a fishermen’s island with amazing beaches untouched by human presence. Seduced by its unique atmosphere, they started bringing guests from all over the world and the party kicked off.
Little by little, Mykonos became home for rich and famous Greek ship owners like Onassis and Niarchos, who in their turn started bringing their celebrity friends. Soon the narrow alleys of the island’s town were crowded by “la crème de la crème” and became the love place for legendary personalities, such as Maria Callas, Aga Khan, Grace Kelly, Richard Burton, Marlon Brando, Elisabeth Taylor, Jackie Kennedy, Rita Heyworth, Mick Jagger and so many others.
By the mid ’60s, Mykonos had become the “it” place to see and to be seen; a truly unique spot where the words luxury and fun find their true meaning.
So, next time you are here, having a drink at a small bar in Little Venice neighborhood or sunbathing at Psarrou beach, don’t be surprised if the person sitting next to you was starring in the block buster you were watching last night!