Travel Yes, you can still do Mykonos without the crowds. Family owned and A-list approved Santa Marina is a charming place to discover the island’s quieter side Decades ago Brigitte Bardot, Grace Kelly, Liz Taylor and Jackie O established Mykonos ’ status as a European hotspot. Come the late 2010s it became synonymous with party-loving celebrity patrons such as Lindsey Lohan, Bella Hadid, and Kendall Jenner — who went viral after posting a video of herself drinking from the bottle on a jet ski.
She was at Ornos Bay ’s Santa Marina resort, which has earned a reputation as a place to both hide out and let loose. A member of the Luxury Collection Resort group, it offers a welcome sense of seclusion, largely because it’s the only resort on the island with a private beach. This makes it a jewel where guests can escape the throngs and experience a quieter side of the island.
Though if you are drawn by the thrum of late night fun, its beach club Buddha Bar is famous for bringing the vibes come evening.Then there’s its attentive yet understated service, which keeps guests coming back to family-owned Santa Marina year after year. In the calm Ornos Bay, with unbeatable views across the Aegean.
It’s one of the only spots on the island with a sandy beach — a welcome rarity on this rocky landscape. It’s just a 15 minute drive from bustling Mykonos town, but Santa Marina feels like a sanctuary from which to explore the rugged nature of the island and its mythological past.
