Gay Mykonos: guide to the best gay bars, clubs and beaches

Super Paradise used to be the sole exclusive gay beach of Mykonos, but today draws quite a mixed crowd. The far end is the gayest part, especially after 4pm around the Jackie O’ Beach Club and the Super Paradise Club. During the summer months, the beach clubs usually host some of the best gay parties – the hot muscly chiselled beach boys will no doubt be handing out flyers for these during the day. We'll be honest, this used to be the best gay beach for us in Mykonos when we first started coming here many (many!) years ago but more recently it has become overrun with straight crowds and families. Now we usually skip Super Paradise and head straight over to Elia beach.

Elia is not only the most popular and largest gay beach on Mykonos island, it's one of our favourite gay beaches in Europe. We love it here! There is always a convivial vibe, full of hot guys of all shapes and sizes. On the one side is a beach bar with restaurant, where all the action congregates (this is where you're gonna get all your drinks from). Towards the other end, things are more chilled, more nudey and more cruisey! The only downside is that its popularity has caught on, so each year we see more and more straight crowds and families spilling over here from the other beaches, particularly in July/August. Put it this way, the further to the end of the beach you go, the gayer it becomes!

Agrari beach is the next beach along from Elia. A rocky outcrop separates the two (where a lot of hanky panky goes on!). As Elia beach becomes more popular, more and more gay guys head to Agrari. As it's more low key and remote, it's also a nudist haven. The sand on Agrari beach is a bit more coarse than on Elia, but as Elia grows more popular each year, we think this is the next big gay beach in Mykonos to head to. We suggest basing yourself at the far end of Elia beach which borders Agrari beach and head here if it gets too crowded. In terms of facilities, it starts to get remote here, but there is a restaurant at the Agrari Hotel to get food and drinks from.

Kalafatis is one of the more remote beaches we love coming to when we want to completely avoid the party crowds on Elia and Super Paradise. Kalafatis is located further east from Elia and Agrari beaches and has a long sandy stretch. The public bus does come here, but only a few times a day, which means it draws far fewer crowds – part of its charm we think! However, if you want to come here, we strongly advise renting your own car/moped and avoiding the public bus. Also note, the wind can get quite strong over here, which is ideal for windsurfers. Luckily the beach is protected from the wind by a line of pine trees, so you can sunbathe without fearing loads of sand blowing all over you. And of course, with all those pine trees creating lots of privacy, nudism and other wonderful outdoor activities discretely take place along Kalafatis beach!

Panormos is the only gay beach of Mykonos not in the south of the island. It is located 7km north from the main town. The public bus recently started coming here, which led to increased interest in Panormos beach. We found that the straight crowds and families tend to stick to the entrance side of Panormos where all the umbrellas and sun-beds are. If you continue heading to the far end of this beach it gets completely remote with lots of nudism. We recommend coming here as an alternative to the other beaches, particularly when there is a strong southerly wind creating waves in the south.

Former First Lady (and major gay icon) Jacky Kennedy Onassis famously visited Mykonos back in 1961 and fell in love with the island. She returned every summer, bringing with her a troupe of gay fans each year, turning Mykonos into the LGBTQ mecca it has now become. So strong was her mark on the Mykonos gay scene that this awesome bar is named after her.

Jackie O' is, today, the main gay bar of Mykonos and definitely our favourite. We especially love watching the drag shows here which happen every evening. They crack us up every time! Most come to Jackie O' to come the evening and will then head over to Babylon next door to dance the night away.

Elysium is the most famous gay hotel on Mykonos. The Elysium Sunset Bar, one of the hottest gay hangouts. Every evening from around 8pm, the Elysium bar hosts its “Sunset Cabaret Show” with hysterical international drag queens, sexy GoGo dancers and a live DJ set.

As well as being a fun gay night out in Mykonos, it's one of our favourite spots to watch the sunset early in the evening before things heat up here. Due to its large pool area, the Elysium Sunset Bar becomes one of the main gay pool party hotspots during XLSIOR.

Porta is a more lowkey chic gay bar in Mykonos, the sort of place to come for a cocktail in a chilled environment while the party animals are getting warmed up in Jackie O's. The music sets the atmosphere beautifully – a mix of jazz with some upbeat dance tracks thrown in.

We like coming to Porta as a sort of respite from the heaving party scene. Although having said that, Porta does get quite busy from around 1am, especially in the summer months.

A cutesy quaint gay bar in Mykonos we recommend checking out – if anything, for the very cute and friendly staff who make delicious Espresso Martinis! Dimitris and his partner Gilles are the owners who are the heart and soul of Lola, welcoming everyone with open arms, making it feel more like one big happy gay family!

Although the crowd is predominantly over 40s, we recommend Lola to people who want to make new friends in Mykonos. It's always a warm and personable atmosphere here which is hard to resist.

We love this small resto/bar because of the picturesque balcony area. It's our little hidden gem we share with you if you're looking for a place to impress your Grindr date! It's one of our favourite spots for dinner and/or a romantic drink because of the backdrop of the Aegean sea behind you.

Although not exclusively a gay bar, Kastro's attracts a lot of gay couples like us who are looking for some downtime. The food at Kastro's is also bloody good and definitely worth trying out.

Babylon is the most popular gay club of Mykonos, located next door to Jackie O’. We always have a ball here – there's always a lively, fun atmosphere going strong until around 6am. Inside there is a dancing area with drag shows and GoGo dancers. Outside it has a really pretty terrace to hang out (complete with ocean spray!) where you can people-watch and gossip about who's gone to the Church cruising ground next door!

During XLSIOR, Babylon hosts some of the best gay-themed parties. Whether you come to Babylon during XLSIOR or at any other time, we can definitely guarantee you'll have a really fun night out here!

Also called @54 or 54Bar, this is a lounge, terrace, bar and club, attached to the TownHouse boutique hotel. Whilst we love coming here for a few romantic sunset cocktails on their terrace, for us, the real highlight of At54 is their pop diva club nights. We love to boogie to Kylie, Britney and Abba, and At54 gives us that dose of gay pop disco we so crave on our holiday!

At54 also give us our dose of Greek pop gay anthems from the most famous local divas like Anna Vissi, Elena Paparizou, Tamta and Eleni Foureira. And if one of those Greek divas are in town, this is the spot they're likely to perform just like Kelly Kaltsi did in 2016.

This is THE famous mega-club of Mykonos and often rated as one of the best in the world. It is located just above Paradise Beach (ie the beach on the west side of Super Paradise Beach), perched up high on a 150-foot high cliff overlooking the Aegean Sea. During the summer months, Cavo Paradiso hosts some of the biggest parties, which reminded us of some of the mega-club parties in Ibiza. The crowd is usually a mix of both gay and straight guys – and those in between!

If there's a big gay party happening on Mykonos, such as the WE Circuit Party, then it's likely to be at Cavo Paradiso. Our advice is to be on the lookout for the (oiled-up stuff-muffin perfectly-chiselled) GoGo dancer boys giving out flyers and discount bands on the beach during the day.

During the peak summer months, there are always large ad hoc parties happening throughout Mykonos at various venues such as the Fou Club, Zenit and others. The biggest ones will be happening during the XLSIOR festival in August (like WE at Cavo Paradiso mentioned above).

The best advice is to look out for the sexy speedo-clad GoGo boys who will be advertising any parties during the day at Super Paradise and Elia beach.

The Jackie O' bar in the Chora was so popular that they decided to expand, opening a gay beach club and restaurant at Super Paradise beach. Not only can you enjoy the beach here, there's also a pool, Jacuzzi, bar and restaurant. We love coming to the restaurant in between sunning and swimming on the beach. Perched above the beach you can dine on a huge variety of sumptuous seafood dishes along with flavourful salads, pasta and fresh fish. There's even a cigar menu to end off your meal – yes, a cigar menu…this is the first time we've ever seen a cigar menu in a restaurant! If you come for dinner, make sure you also stick around for the drag show afterwards.

We've already mentioned Elysium as a place to stay and a place for a drink, but it's worth mentioning again as a restaurant as well, trust us! The resto/bar in the gay Elysium hotel is highly rated for its food, which you can, of course, enjoy alongside the stunning views. They serve simple yummy sandwiches and burgers along with ‘fancier' dishes. We especially enjoyed the prosciutto and melon salad, as well as some super-fresh seafood – but the gay ambience is the real drawcard here. If you come for dinner you have to stay for the nightly drag show, a couple of cocktails and, of course, the jaw-droppingly stunning sunset view!

Noa is one of the most highly-rated Greek restaurants on the whole island. We love to come here when we're craving some authentic Greek food, especially Stefan – this is, after all, staple comfort food for him. Noa attracts a mixed crowd including lots of gay boys because it is a few minutes walking distance to the gay bars. Not only is the restaurant gorgeous, with amazing views, but the food here is sooooo goood! We could have stuffed ourselves with gyros, kebabs, lamb chops, grilled octopus, souvlakis, tzatziki and baklava all day long, but then we'd need to roll back home! As excellent as Noa restaurant is, we also like the fact that it's not too expensive either (at least for Mykonos standards!).

Lalala is one of the most popular places in Mykonos to go for a gay brunch! We certainly rate it as our favourite breakfast/brunch spot. Why? Their pancakes are famous for being the best on Mykonos (trust us!), the coffee is superb and if you want something a little healthier, we recommend the Greek yoghurt with fruit and honey. Like Noa, Lalala is close to the gay bars and hotels in Chora, which makes it a popular choice for the gay boys looking for a place to grab a bite to eat before heading down to Elia beach. It's owned and run by two (super cute!) brothers, who are just the loveliest guys you'll ever meet!

The number-one thing all travellers to Mykonos will (and should) do is, explore Chora. Chora is Greek for “town” and is a way to specify whether you're talking about the island Mykonos or the main town which is also confusingly called, ‘Mykonos'! Here you will find picturesque white buildings (think Meryl Streep in Mamma Mia), the famous windmills, the main harbour and the pretty area known as Little Venice. If it's your first time on Mykonos, we highly recommend joining this gay tour which will take you to all the main sights, and, bring you face to face with Mykonos' most famous resident: Pedro the Pelican! Doing a gay tour is also a fantastic way to make a fantastic new group of friends who you can then party with for the rest of your trip.

Right next to Mykonos is another small island called Delos. It is considered one of the most important mythological, historical and archaeological sites in the whole of Greece. According to Ancient Greek mythology, Delos Island was the birthplace of Zeus two children: Apollo (the God of sun and music) and Artemis (the Goddess of hunting and chastity). Today Delos is a UNESCO listed World Heritage Site and in our opinion, a very worthwhile day-trip from Mykonos in order to explore the archaeological remains of this sacred place. There's a museum filled with artefacts from all around the island, but just walking around is like being in an open-air museum. Also, look out for the famous phallus column at the Terrace of the Lions. It's literally half of a (giant!) penis perched atop the column!

For something completely different, away from the crowds, we recommend this authentic Mykonos tour. It's easy to think that Mykonos only exists for the large swathes of foreigners that visit in the summer season, but there is in fact a large local community living on the island throughout the year (honestly, this surprised us as the island is super touristy, crowded and expensive!) This tour includes visits to remote villages like Ano Mera, hidden harbours like St Ioannis port and secret secluded beaches. One of the highlights for us on this tour was visiting the Mykonian Spiti farm where we got the chance to try a bit of local cooking and lots of wine tasting.

Most visitors will include Mykonos as part of an island-hopping adventure in the Greek islands. We definitely agree that sailing between the Greek islands is a top Bucket List must-do item! Other nearby highlights in the Cyclades include Santorini, Paros, Naxos and Ios. If you're already in Mykonos, we suggest joining a full-day sailing excursion on a catamaran to visit the best beaches on Delos and Rhenia islands. The catamaran also passes lots of beaches, which he can stop off at if the group wants – these include Agios Ioannis, Ornos, Psarou, Platys Gualos, Paraga, Paradise and Super Paradise. This tour also includes the chance to go snorkelling and stand-up paddleboarding.

Another great idea to impress your date or if you're a couple visiting Mykonos and want to celebrate with something special is to go on a romantic sunset cruise. This five-hour cruise includes unlimited drinks and a light snack, as well as lots of stops for swimming along the way. You'll get to visit many of the island's best beaches, go swimming and snorkelling or just work on your tan. Lying in the sun on a catamaran is a very relaxing way to spend some time together, and on the way back to Mykonos you'll get to enjoy the stunning colours as the sun sinks back below the waves. As I said above, when Seby and I argue, a few drinks and a stunning sunset backdrop is usually enough to win him over!