Gay beaches in Mykonos: Elia or Super Paradise

The short answer

Mykonos has two beaches that gay travellers plan their days around, and they do different jobs. Elia is the long, relaxed one with a gay end and a clothing optional stretch. Super Paradise is the beach club day, built around Jackie O' and a party that builds through the afternoon. Most people who spend four or five days on the island end up doing both, on different days. Our own Mykonos guide puts it simply: Elia is the established gay stretch and the calmer of the two, while Super Paradise is the party one.

Elia: the long beach with the gay end

Elia sits on the south coast, about 10 kilometres from Mykonos Town. It is a long stretch of golden sand between rocky headlands, with a waterfront restaurant and rows of sunbeds backed by large resorts. The gay section is at the far end. Walk past the sunbeds, where the rainbow flag flies, and the nude stretch is beyond it.

The rhythm is gentle. Elia tends to be quiet in the morning, fills from around lunchtime and empties in the evening. The beach is well organised, with sunbeds, umbrellas and water sports, and the small rocky cove between Elia and Agrari is a favourite with gay visitors. Elia's appeal is space and quiet; Super Paradise's is the music. It suits couples, readers, swimmers, and anyone who wants a full day on a sunbed with lunch brought to them.

Next door to Elia is Agrari, a mixed sand and pebble beach with sunbeds, calmer than its neighbour and popular with couples. You can reach it on foot from Elia by walking on past the end of the beach. It is a good plan for a slower day, or when Elia is full.

Super Paradise: the beach club day

Super Paradise is a party beach with a clubby feel, and its gay anchor is the Jackie O' Beach Club, which has a pool, food and cocktails. The beach is shared. The right hand side as you face the sea, near Jackie O', is the gayest section, while the Super Paradise Club dominates the left. Jackie O' is known for its drag shows in the evening.

Between the two clubs sits Pink Beach, a champagne bar, restaurant and beach club, and like Elia the whole bay gets busy from lunchtime. Jackie O' also runs a private kaiki, a traditional Greek boat, for day cruises. It suits a social day: arrive after lunch, take a sunbed near the club, and stay for the evening as the music builds.

Where guides disagree

You will read conflicting things about which beach is the gay beach. One Mykonos beach guide says the gay crowd has largely moved to Elia, while Super Paradise stays popular with gay men in the afternoon and at night because of Jackie O'. Another LGBTQ+ travel guide calls Super Paradise the established gay beach. Both can be true on the same day. Elia has the gay stretch of sand, Super Paradise has the gay beach club. Which one feels right depends on what you want from the afternoon.

Getting there

The island is small but the roads are slow. In August, ten kilometres can take forty minutes. Buses to Elia run from the station on the Old Port side of town rather than Fabrika, and boarding points for the Elia route have shifted, so check KTEL Mykonos's current notice before you go. There is also a boat service from Platis Gialos, where Elia is the last stop. By car it is roughly 20 to 30 minutes from town, and there is parking at the beach.

Buses to Super Paradise leave from Fabrika, the southern station in town. Water taxis also run from Platis Gialos and Ornos. If you drive, the last two kilometres down to the beach are very steep. One tip that applies to both: the last buses back run earlier than people expect, so check the return times before you settle in.

During XLSIOR

XLSIOR, the island's big gay festival in late August, changes both beaches. It is the hardest week of the year to book, so flights, ferries and transfers need booking before anything else. Our XLSIOR 2026 guide covers the festival itself.

Doing both in one trip

With four or five days on Mykonos a simple pattern works. A long Elia day, arriving late morning, with lunch on the sand. A Super Paradise afternoon that runs into the evening at Jackie O'. And a day off the beach entirely, on a boat or exploring Chora. Our Mykonos guide suggests June and September as the sweet spot: warm sea, full nightlife, and calmer than August.

How we plan it

Whichever beach you choose, we can sort the right hotel for the nights you want, boat days, and every transfer before you arrive. Once you are in Greece, Theo or Thanasis are on a WhatsApp group for anything from a restaurant tip to a change of plan. For the rest of the island, from the bars in Chora to XLSIOR, start with our gay Mykonos guide.