It’s a rare find when you discover a excursion that incorporates sea kayaking, snorkeling, and the local cuisine. Mykonos kayak had all three, and even brought visitors to multiple islands. The overall experience was inspiring, exciting, and full of adventure.

We hopped into our tandem sea kayaks after getting a briefing on best practices for paddling. As a seasoned kayaker, I thought I knew it all, it’s just about paddling right? Not so much. There are subtle techniques the team taught us that I’ll hold on to forever and will use when racing my family in kayaks this summer. Watch out Dad! 

After pushing off the sandy beach shore, we dipped our paddles into the crystal clear aqua colored water and headed toward Old Port, a town designed as a labyrinth to prevent pirates from pillaging it. This town is breathtaking and although you won’t get the opportunity to encounter its maze on this excursion you should save several hours to explore it during your visit to Mykonos. After a chocolate drizzled granola bar on the beach, we left Old Port and paddled along the shoreline eventually arriving at a deserted island. There is not much on this island besides a old house an Italian Rock band built in the 70’s, a white painted cross at the highest point of the island jammed into a pile of rocks, and a little white church. It truly feels like you’re on your own private island. 

The island had the clearest snorkeling water we’ve ever experienced. Even at the deepest points snorkelers could follow white sandy trails under the sea winding gracefully throughout rocks as colorful fish danced about. Make sure to bring your underwater camera here. You’ll want to take photos of the epic scenery.

Next came the most unique part about Mykonos Kayak, the traditional Greek picnic lunch on the private island. Nikos laid out an assortment of fresh ingredients, which were all grown from his parents farm, and then walked us through how to create the perfect gyro type sandwich. There was an assortment of locally grown cherry tomatoes, tsaziki sauce, olives in olive oil, sliced cucumbers, red onion, green peppers, salami, turkey, and freshly baked bread. The most stunning part of the ingredients were their extreme freshness and ability meld well with each other; both complimenting each other and expanding the flavor profile of the other ingredients. Sitting on top of the private island with our homemade gyro was paradise. 

Our way back to the main island was lovely. As we paddled about the blue sea, the guides shared stories about the island. Did you know that Greek houses legally must be painted white? Originally the reason for the white houses was to keep cool in the hot sun and because the material used to paint the houses white ensured a sanitary home. There were tons of fun facts shared throughout the tour. 

As we pulled our kayak onto shore with smiles on our face, we had the feeling of a great adventure under our belts. If you’re in Mykonos, be sure to give our friends at Mykonos Kayak a shout. They’ll be sure to treat you well!