Ftelia Beach

Ftelia is the beach that turns its biggest drawback into its identity. It is a wide, open bay on the north coast that catches the meltemi wind almost daily in summer, and rather than fight it, Ftelia has become the islands home for windsurfing and kitesurfing. If you want flat calm water, this is the wrong beach, and that honesty is the kindest thing we can tell you.

For everyone else, the appeal is the mood. Ftelia is large and natural, with none of the wall to wall sunbeds of the south coast, and the wind keeps the air fresh and the sea moving. Surfers rig up along the shore, kites arc overhead on the strong days, and there is space to lay a towel and watch the spectacle without paying for the privilege.

The social anchor is Alemagou, a rustic Cycladic beach bar and restaurant on the sand that captures the bohemian side of Mykonos better than most. By day it is a relaxed lunch, and as the afternoon turns to evening it shifts into a sunset lounge with music and a stylish, easygoing crowd. It is the reason many people come even when they have no intention of touching a board.

Who it suits: windsurfers and kitesurfers who want reliable wind, a relaxed crowd who like a natural bay and a sunset lounge, and anyone who finds the manicured south coast a little too polished.

Who should skip it: families and anyone wanting calm flat water for easy swimming should choose the sheltered south coast at Ornos or Platis Gialos, as Ftelia is rarely the place for a gentle float.