The first thing you’ll see you come into the harbor of Alefkandra are the windmills of Mykonos. Seven of them are standing above the hilltops of the town called Chora. The iconic landmark suits the nickname Mykonos as “the island of the winds.”
Five of the windmills are closest to the harbor.
It is located Southeast of Chora nearby an area called Little Venice.
The windmills were built during 16th century by the Venetians, who dominated the island until 1718. It operated until the late 19th century when flour production came to an end. The power from the windmills essentially milled wheat and barley. Then, the flour produced were sold to local bakeries, farmers, or transported abroad. Today, there are only 16 old windmills standing on Mykonos. Some were turned into houses and the others serve as a historical monuments.
Fun fact: Mykonos was the main provider of 'rusk'- preserved bread, which was given to the sailors passing
by the Cyclades Islands.
The stone white color and bright blue windows perfectly blends in with the buildings from Chora. The building size of the windmill may look small from far but it's actually three story levels high. However, the wind contraptions are massive pieces made from wood. The wind contraptions rotated the direction the wind comes from.
Each of the of windmills have 12 wooden antennas.
The windows are small and painted a bright colored blue.
The colors are great contrast with the Aegean Sea and the sky.
Some of the windmills were turned into vaults as a way to keep local heritage on the island.
If you walk towards the farthest windmill, you’ll get a stunning view of the Aegean Sea and the rest of the surrounding hilltops. It is probably one of the best places on the island to watch the sunset.
The view of the sunset from the windmills.
Many visitors gather near the windmills to watch the sunset.
Looking back into the island’s history, the windmills of Mykonos represents one of the earliest manufacturing units in Greece. Not only did this create an advancement to milling wheat, but it also provided a source of income to the inhabitants during its operation. It shows a great effort of financial growth during its time. The windmills continue to be place for photos for many visitors. If you’re lucky, you might catch an evening festival that will make the experience worthwhile.
A local sitting outside of a gift shop called Mythos.
The gift shop also sells evil eye merchandise.
