Mykonos is about ten kilometres across. Nothing on the island is far from anything else, which leads a lot of visitors to assume that transport will look after itself.

It does not, quite. The island has a small road network, a very small taxi fleet and a bus system with one significant quirk. Understanding all three before you arrive saves a good deal of standing around in the heat.

The buses

The KTEL buses are the cheapest way to move around Mykonos and, on the main routes in summer, genuinely good — frequent, air-conditioned and running well into the night on the popular beach lines.

The quirk is the stations. Chora has more than one bus terminus, and they serve different halves of the island.

• Fabrika, at the southern edge of town, serves the airport, the New Port and the south-coast beaches — Ornos, Platis Gialos, Psarou, Paradise and Paraga.
• The Old Port station, at the northern end, serves the other direction — Ano Mera, the east-coast beaches such as Elia and Kalafatis, and the west coast towards Tourlos and Agios Stefanos.

There is no bus between the two stations. If you arrive at one and need the other, you walk through Chora, which takes fifteen to twenty minutes and is not a pleasant thing to do with luggage at three in the afternoon.

So the practical rule is: work out which station serves the place you are staying, and think of the island as two bus networks that happen to meet in a town.

Tickets are bought from the driver or from the operator’s own channels. Fares and timetables change from season to season — check the current schedule rather than trusting anything published in advance, including here.

Taxis

This is the thing that surprises people most.

Mykonos has around thirty licensed taxis for the whole island. In August, with tens of thousands of visitors, that is not a transport system — it is a lottery. The main rank is at Fabrika, and it empties within minutes of a large ferry docking or a flight landing.

Two consequences. First, do not plan to hail a taxi at the airport or the port in high season without a fallback. Second, arrange transfers in advance for arrivals and departures, particularly early flights and late ferries. Most hotels will organise this and it is worth the modest premium.

Private transfer companies and app-based services operate on the island and fill much of the gap, but they too are stretched at peak times.

The beach boats

One of the more enjoyable ways to get around, and widely underused.

Small boats run along the south coast through the summer season, roughly mid-May to mid-October, connecting Ornos, Platis Gialos, Paraga, Paradise, Super Paradise, Agrari and Elia. The hub is the jetty at Platis Gialos, which has the most reliable service and the easiest bus access from town.

They are slower than the road and considerably better. You approach the beaches from the water, you avoid the car parks entirely, and you can hop between three or four bays in a day without ever finding a parking space.

Two cautions. The service is weather-dependent and stops when the sea is rough, which in July and August it sometimes is. And the last boat back is earlier than you would like, so check the return time when you board rather than after your third swim.

Hire cars, scooters and quads

A hire car changes what the island is. It opens the north coast, the east coast, Ano Mera, the Armenistis lighthouse and the beaches the buses do not reach — Agios Sostis, Fokos and Kapari among them.

If you are staying more than three or four nights, or staying anywhere other than Chora, Ornos or Platis Gialos, hire something for at least part of the trip.

Practical points:

• Book well in advance for July and August. The island runs out of vehicles.
• Take a small car. The lanes are narrow, the surfaces vary and the parking spaces are short.
• Parking in Chora is difficult in high season and largely impossible in the evening. Park on the edge of town and walk in.
• Check what licence your vehicle requires. Rules for quads and scooters in Greece are stricter than visitors expect, and being uninsured on an unfamiliar road is not a risk worth carrying. Confirm with the hire company in writing.
• Some roads to the unorganised beaches are unsurfaced. Check whether your rental agreement permits them.

Walking

Chora itself is entirely pedestrian in its old quarters and best explored on foot. Beyond the town, walking as transport is limited — there are few pavements on the main roads and no shade — but walking as a pastime is excellent in May, June, late September and October.

Choosing a base that reduces the problem

The most effective transport decision on Mykonos is made before you arrive, when you choose where to sleep.

Somewhere close to Chora means dinner without a car and without a taxi hunt at midnight. Somewhere close to the New Port means the ferry is a short transfer rather than an expedition. Somewhere on a bus route means you have an option when everything else is full.

The west coast between Tourlos and Agios Stefanos happens to satisfy all three, which is one of the quieter arguments for staying there — it is on the northern bus line, minutes from both Chora and the port, and far enough out that the evening belongs to you. That bay is worth a closer look if a calm base appeals. Bard de Sol, a small group of suites with private plunge pools looking over the bay at Agios Stefanos, sits on that stretch.

A simple plan

• Pre-book a transfer for arrival and departure. Do not improvise these.
• Use the buses for the main south-coast beaches and for Chora.
• Use the beach boats for a day of bay-hopping from Platis Gialos.
• Hire a car for two or three days to see the north, the east and Ano Mera.
• Walk everywhere within Chora, and park outside it.

That covers the island comfortably without ever feeling like a logistics exercise. If you are still working out the arrival itself, the ferries and the two ports are worth reading first, and the choice of area will determine most of the above.