Where to stay in Mykonos: the best areas and hotels

Mykonos Town, or Chora, is the island's glittering heart: a deliberately confusing maze of whitewashed lanes, blue doors and bougainvillea, designed long ago to baffle pirates and now doing much the same to tourists. Little Venice's sea-splashed bars, the hilltop windmills and the white curves of Paraportiani church are all within a few minutes' walk, and the ferries to ancient Delos leave from the old port.

Hotels in town are small, stylish and expensive. Pick a 1920s mansion turned five-star around a turquoise pool, a contemporary hotel in the centre of town, a 25-room hotel a breath from the windmills, or a bohemian boutique hotel with a pool deck looking out to Delos. Nights are loud; that is rather the point.

Ring the edge of Chora and you'll find a band of hotels on the hillsides and above the little beach of Megali Ammos, close enough to walk into town for dinner but high enough to look down on it. Sunset views over Little Venice, the windmills and the islands of Tinos and Syros come as standard.

This is the sweet spot for many couples. Stay in romantic suites above Megali Ammos with a gourmet restaurant, a boutique hotel 300 metres from the centre where some suites have private pools, a Relais & Châteaux hotel looking over Delos and the town, or a design hotel on top of the Myconian hill.

Ornos is a deep, sheltered bay of golden sand about 3 km south of Mykonos Town, and it may be the most practical place to stay on the island. The water is calm and shallow, the beach has tavernas and water sports, and the town and airport are each about ten minutes away. It's also a jumping-off point for boats to the south-coast beaches.

It suits families and couples equally. Choose a resort of lush gardens and traditional architecture on the bay, an adults-only five-star right by the beach with a spa, a 35-room MGallery hotel a short walk from the sand, or a good-value four-star with views over both Ornos beach and the town.

Just round the headland from Ornos, Agios Ioannis faces west across the water to sacred Delos, birthplace of Apollo in Greek mythology. It's a small sandy bay, quieter than the south-coast beaches, and when the sun goes down behind the islands the whole place seems to hold its breath.

The resorts here are some of the island's most polished: a five-star with three restaurants and a big spa, a whitewashed resort of cube-shaped buildings right on the beach, a Leading Hotels of the World member built in tiers above the sea, and a seafront resort with indoor and outdoor pools. Town is about a 10-minute drive.

Psarou is where Mykonos goes to be seen: a small, perfect bay of fine sand where superyachts anchor offshore and the famous beach club charges accordingly. Next door, Platys Gialos is longer, family-friendly and full of water sports, and it's the main hub for the little boats that hop along the south coast to Paradise, Super Paradise and Elia.

Expect chic, intimate hotels on the hillsides: a five-star boutique hotel a three-minute walk above both beaches, a Relais & Châteaux hotel overlooking Platys Gialos, a beachfront hotel right on the sand with speedboat transfers to the beach clubs, and a 25-room Cycladic hotel above Psarou. Mykonos Town is about 4 km away.

Paradise and Super Paradise are the beaches that made Mykonos famous for partying. Both are golden coves backed by dry, rocky hills, and both have beach clubs where the music kicks off in the afternoon and doesn't stop until sunrise. If you came to Mykonos to dance, this is your base.

Hotels here tend to be adults-focused, stylish and secluded on the slopes above the action: an adults-only five-star on Super Paradise where every suite has a hot tub or private pool, a minimalist retreat on a quiet hillside above the beach, a boutique hotel around a pool above Super Paradise, and a spa hotel within walking distance of both Paradise and Platys Gialos.

Head east along the south coast and the crowds thin out. Elia is one of the longest beaches on Mykonos, a broad sweep of sand in a quiet valley, and Kalo Livadi beyond it is wide, golden and laid-back. The traditional inland village of Ano Mera, with its monastery and taverna-lined square, is a short drive away.

Hotels here have room to breathe: a Relais & Châteaux retreat 100 metres above Elia beach, a collection of villas on Elia itself, a resort with 180-degree sea views above Kalo Livadi, and a traditional amphitheatre-style hotel with a spa overlooking the same bay. You'll want a car or a hotel shuttle, as town is a good 20 minutes away.

North of Chora, the coast curves round past the new port at Tourlos to the small, sandy beach of Agios Stefanos. It's a handy, low-key base: ferries are minutes away, town is a short drive or bus ride, and the sunsets over the bay are a match for anywhere on the island.

Hotels include a boutique hotel 100 metres above Agios Stefanos beach, a design hotel 300 metres from the sand with views of the beach and Chora, a nautical-themed five-star with an infinity pool across from the marina, and a stylish hotel on Agios Stefanos looking back over the town and the sea.