Of all the islands scattering Greece’s part of the Aegean, Mykonos takes the crown for being the socialite. But in a sleepy corner of the island where the thump of a bass is a distant memory, Cali Mykonos has made a name for itself by standing out from the crowd.
More focused on detoxing from the festivities, wellness is the soundtrack here. Possibly the largest pool on the island is a soothing centrepiece flanked by the farm-to-fork restaurant, personal trainers are seemingly on tap and rejuvenating juices sit alongside cocktails on the bar’s menu.
Villa room
Suite
Pool Suite
Private pool with loungers
Bed view
Villa pool
Suite bed
Room lounge
It’s recommended to keep eyes trained out the window on the way here because it’s the transfer that sets the scene. With the bustling towns in the rearview, all that is left is a vast space of rugged beauty punctured with small clusters of white-washed buildings.
Cali is one of these clusters, perched on its own outcrop of privacy that swaps the party scenes for breath-stealing ones. It’s peaceful out here, and while the hotel was only built in 2022, the use of stone excavated from the site and large windows framing the outdoors makes it feel like it belongs.
Quite the revolutionary, Cali has succeeded in putting Mykonos on the map for more than just the clubbing crowd. Honeymooners wanting to avoid the beach clubs but skip the jetlag steal themselves away for privacy on their pool-possessing terraces. While families, who have always enjoyed the idea of the ‘island of winds’ but have been put off by its reputation, pause for thought with the promise of a more subdued side of exploration and time together. And the party alums find their happy place in the form of in-suite spa treatments to recover from the many nights before.
Fans of a calming creamy neutral, the only large shots of colour here come from either the blue of the infinity pool – a 130m expanse stretching the width of the hotel’s lower level – or in the restaurant’s cuisine. Serving up vibrant concoctions of locally sourced produce, authentic Greek-Mediterranean is the inspiration fused with modern influences, with the likes of sushi and burgers featuring on the menu. A post-meal stroll is highly recommended, where the descent down rugged ochre steps to the tealy water ends at a little sandy cove. Lined with a limited number of sun loungers to retain its exclusive feel.
Go a little further and there’s a jetty to stumble upon, occupied by the hotel’s two yachts. The sleek vessels are there to open up the exploration opportunities to include anything from swimming the waters of nearby coves, to setting foot on neighbouring islands in the search for history hidden in ancient ruins. A day’s foray is topped off with a tipple on the bow as the sun meets the horizon.
Surrounded by hills and famed for its glorious sunsets, the soft, sandy beach of Ayios Yiannis is the setting for this exquisite white-painted hideaway facing the sacred island of Delos.
On the periphery of the party scene, this history-laden refuge is the place to return to for a come down from the sightseeing and beach club buzz.
On an island where space is a luxury, there’s a stylish den in the curve of Ormos Korfos Bay that provides plenty of room to breathe.
![Umbraco.Cms.Core.Models.MediaWithCrops`1[Umbraco.Cms.Web.Common.PublishedModels.Image]](/media/cpuocy1t/116_0197_cali_mykonos_gfakaros_20230616-19.jpg?rxy=0.5651195998264901,0.640263970218234&width=480&rnd=133475408757000000&format=webp&quality=90)
