Mykonos: A Greek island where life is celebrated with champagne and glamour

Mykonos, Greece, captivates visitors with a magical atmosphere, especially as the sun dips below the Aegean horizon. "We don't pour beer at sunset – only champagne," a waiter remarked, perfectly capturing the island's spirit of living life to the fullest, expensively and without modesty.

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We don't pour beer at sunset – only champagne

While the whitewashed old town is stunning, and beaches are plentiful, Mykonos's true allure is its unique energy, atmosphere, and people. This island has transformed from a humble fishing village into a bohemian haven for the global elite. Its reputation for glamour began in the 1960s when Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis visited with Aristotle Onassis, attracting stars like Grace Kelly and Brigitte Bardot.

Later, artists and free spirits were drawn to the island's sexual freedom and nudist beaches, solidifying Mykonos's status among luxury destinations like Saint-Tropez and Ibiza. The Santa Marina hotel, one of the island's first luxury resorts, marks its 40th anniversary this year. "Many luxury hotels today look impeccable, but few have a real story. Santa Marina has both – local spirit and Mediterranean glamour," says Aja, the travel editor for "ELLE Lithuania."

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Many luxury hotels today look impeccable, but few have a real story. Santa Marina has both – local spirit and Mediterranean glamour

Christiana Papageorgiou, whose father was a captain who fell in love with Mykonos after arriving to rescue a ship, now runs the Santa Marina. "My father was a captain... He kept coming back. After a few years, he was shown a plot of land where he bought a house. Next to it stood a small chapel called Santa Marina. That's how the whole story began," she explains, continuing a four-decade legacy.

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My father was a captain... He kept coming back. After a few years, he was shown a plot of land where he bought a house. Next to it stood a small chapel called Santa Marina. That's how the whole story began