Amazing Greece Team Located in the heart of the island of Mykonos, Ano Mera is an authentic village that has retained its Cycladic architecture with scenic streets and whitewashed houses, adorned with beautiful bougainvillea. Ano Mera is actually the second biggest town on the island, with Mykonos Town being the largest. Even though tourists do make their way here, this isn’t one of those places that is completely overrun by them. In fact, it is a quiet little village that offers visitors a simple way of life, beyond parties and crazy all-day clubbing.
The village is centered around a public square, dominated by the 16th century Monastery of Panagia Tourliani. This monastery with its impressive bell tower and marble fountain was founded in 1542 and is nowadays the village’s main attraction. Moreover, there are two ruined windmills, the Gyzi Castle perched above the village and the Monastery of Paleokastro on the opposite hill. The main square is surrounded by traditional cafes and taverns, renowned for their excellent Mykonian grilled meat. Worth tasting is the local spicy cheece known as “Kopanisti”, accompanied by local delicacies. The village hosts the “Kopanisti” workshop where you can discover how this tasty cheese is made.
Wandering in the narrow lanes, you can buy souvenirs and local products or you can just have a traditional sweet in one of the several pastry shops. Besides that, you can easily spend your time walking the scenic streets and see how the islanders live and go about their days. Ano Mera is one of the few remaining unspoiled parts of the island, but under a constant buzz of the nearby highway leading from Mykonos town to some of the eastern beaches like Kalafatis, Kalo Livadi and Elia. The village is fairly accessibly through public transportation, taxi, or in your own car and truly worth spending some time here whilst in Mykonos Island.
