Photo: Michał Borkowski via Google
The verdict
- Best forActive travellers who want wind sports, diving or a powered ride and will follow the meltemi
- Top pickKalafatis for the island's main watersports centre, with windsurfing, diving and lessons in one place
- One thing to knowThe meltemi wind is the engine here, so the breezy bays that are great for kitesurfing are the same ones too rough for calm swimming
Published 24 January 2026. Last reviewed 9 May 2026
Watersports in Mykonos run on the wind, and that changes everything. The island is one of the windiest in the Cyclades, swept by the dry meltemi through the summer, which makes it a genuinely good place to windsurf and kitesurf but also explains why the same exposed bays are no good for a calm swim. Pick your beach by the sport, and let the wind decide the day.
We have ranked the beaches by what they actually do best, from the organised watersports centre on the east coast to the windswept north bays that the kitesurfers love and the south coast beaches with diving and powered rides. We have been honest about the catch, because the wind that powers the kites is the same wind that the calm water crowd are trying to escape.
The short version. Kalafatis is the all round watersports hub, Ftelia is the kitesurfing and windsurfing bay when the meltemi blows, Elia and Paradise have diving and powered rides, and the calm south coast is where you go to paddle, not to chase the wind. Match the beach to the sport and respect the conditions.
The best beaches for watersports
Matched to the wind and the sport.
Kalafatis
The island's main watersports centre, a breezy east coast bay long established for windsurfing, with diving, wakeboarding, water skiing and lessons run from the beach. The reliable wind and the organised schools make it the obvious one stop choice for anyone who wants to get out on the water and learn or improve.
Ftelia
The island's kitesurfing and windsurfing bay, a wide, shallow, exposed north coast beach that catches the full meltemi. When the wind is up it is a playground for kiters and windsurfers, with a school on the sand, but the same exposure makes it choppy and unsuited to a relaxed swim, so it is a wind sports beach first.
Elia
The longest organised beach on the island combines calmer, sheltered water with watersports operators offering diving, jet skis and other powered rides, plus a nearby water park. It suits travellers who want a powered ride or a dive in the morning and an easy, gentle swim and a sunbed the rest of the day.
Paradise
Famous for its party scene, Paradise is also a long standing diving base, with a dive centre and powered watersports alongside the music and crowds. If you can take the lively atmosphere it is an easy place to arrange a dive or a ride, though it is the scene rather than the seclusion that defines the day here.
Platis Gialos
A sheltered, organised south coast beach better suited to the calm water sports, with stand up paddle and kayak hire and an easy shelving entry. As the hub for the south coast boat taxis it is also a practical base for reaching other bays, making it the gentle, flat water counterpoint to the windy north.
The honest read on watersports
The meltemi is the whole engine and the whole catch. This dry north wind blows hard through July and August and is what makes Mykonos a real wind sports island, powering the kitesurfing and windsurfing at exposed bays like Ftelia. The very same wind is why those bays are choppy and why the calm water swimmers head to the sheltered south, so the wind that delights one crowd frustrates the other.
Match the beach to the sport and the wind. For lessons and an all round day on the water, the organised centre at Kalafatis is the easiest choice, with reliable wind and schools on the sand. For serious kitesurfing and windsurfing you want Ftelia when the meltemi is up, while diving and powered rides are easiest to arrange at Elia and Paradise. The calm south coast is for paddling, not wind chasing.
Respect the conditions and the operators. Wind sports here demand real skill or a proper lesson, because the meltemi can be strong and gusty, and powered watersports come with operators and prices that vary and have changed over time, which we mark as to be confirmed. Conditions are typical and never guaranteed, so check the forecast, take a lesson if you are learning, and let the schools and the flags guide you.
A base between sessions
A beach club makes a long day on the water easier, with shade, somewhere to leave your things and food between sessions. The south coast bays such as Platis Gialos and Elia pair watersports with full services, while the windy north beaches lean on the schools on the sand. We never invent a venue, a minimum spend or an opening status, so unconfirmed details are marked to be confirmed. Browse the directory and send one enquiry to check your date.
Book a beach club in Mykonos
Before you go
Is Mykonos good for watersports?
Yes, especially wind sports. Mykonos is one of the windiest islands in the Cyclades, which makes it a genuinely good place to windsurf and kitesurf, with an established watersports centre at Kalafatis and a dedicated kite and windsurf bay at Ftelia. Diving and powered rides are easy to arrange too, so the island suits active travellers well.
Where can you kitesurf and windsurf in Mykonos?
Ftelia on the north coast is the main kitesurfing and windsurfing bay, a wide, shallow beach that catches the full meltemi wind, with a school on the sand. Kalafatis on the east coast is the long established windsurfing centre with lessons. Both rely on the wind, which is strongest in July and August, so check conditions first.
Why is the wind so important for watersports in Mykonos?
The meltemi, a dry north wind, sweeps the island through summer and is the engine behind the wind sports. It powers the kitesurfing and windsurfing at exposed bays such as Ftelia, but the same wind makes those beaches choppy and poor for calm swimming. So the wind that thrills the kiters is exactly what the calm water crowd try to avoid.
Where can you dive or ride a jet ski in Mykonos?
Diving and powered watersports are easiest to arrange at the organised south coast beaches such as Elia and at Paradise, which has a long standing dive base alongside its party scene. Operators, prices and the available activities vary and have changed over time, so we mark the details as to be confirmed and suggest checking locally before you book.
Can you swim and do watersports on the same Mykonos beach?
Sometimes, but not at the windy spots. The kitesurfing and windsurfing bays like Ftelia are too choppy for a relaxed swim when the wind is up, which is exactly when they work for the sports. The sheltered south coast beaches such as Elia pair calmer swimming with diving and powered rides, so they are the best bet for mixing both in a day.