If you haven’t entered any dates, the rate shown is provided directly by the hotel and represents the cheapest double room (including tax) available in the next 60 days.
Prices have been converted from the hotel’s local currency (EUR527.97), via openexchangerates.org, using today’s exchange rate.
Arriving at Cali Mykonos is a narrative experience as the landscape reveals itself piece by piece; an ancient olive tree foregrounds the entrance before the Aegean makes its presence known below. Inside this Cycladic blockbuster, the story is just as alluring. Nature’s the scene-stealer of course, with white-washed walls and picture-perfect windows framing her assets. Though the supporting Cali cast is just as woo-worthy; palettes of muted greys and creams, melodies of marble and a who’s who showcase of contemporary Greek design. Worlds apart from its party island reputation, embrace Mykonos’ quieter coast from the cliff-hugging infinity pool that snakes above Kalafatis beach, get back-to-basics with Lefteris Lazarou’s fresh-from-the-sea fare or pay homage to the gods of yore as you work through the bar’s mythology-inspired cocktail menu.
Smith Extra
Get this when you book through us:
A bottle of Greek wine on arrival, free personal training, yoga or Pilates sessions (worth €50), and those staying five nights or more will get a free one-way boat transfer, too
12 noon, but flexible, subject to availability. Earliest check-in, 2pm.
Prices
Double rooms from £514.07 (€599), including tax at 13.5 per cent. Please note the hotel charges an additional government tax of €10.00 per room per night on check-out.
More details
More details Rates include an à la carte breakfast at the main restaurant.
Also
For American-Greek owner Kyriakos, honouring his heritage is a key part to this family-run venture, and he does so in beautifully understated ways; the hotel is named after his mother, Cali, and guests are greeted by a 750-year-old olive tree transported from the region of southern Greece where his father is from.
Hotel closed
The hotel is open annually from April to October.
At the hotel
Private beach, pool, free town shuttle, golf buggies, gym, spa, (coming summer 2023), boutique, free WiFi throughout. In rooms: Beach bags, hats, slippers, Naxos Apothecary bath products, TV, sound system, yoga mat, bathrobes and slippers.
Our favourite rooms
‘Room’ is one way to put it, but here they’re more like petite houses, each occupying their own white-washed building. In each you’ll find a hearty helping of marble (bathrooms, floors, headboards) CocoMat sleep systems and pieces by all-Greek artists and craftsmen. Honeymooners will love the Cali Suite’s double shower, but for optimum space, the split-level Villa Calliope (with its two pools and terraces, chef’s kitchen and four king-size bedrooms) makes for unforgettable Cycladic memory-making.
Poolside
The snaking 130-metre infinity pool is an aquatic tour-de-force, sweeping the cliff edge as it mimics the curvature of a neighbouring stream. In keeping with Cali Mykonos' penchant for marble, the crystalline structure overlooks the hotel’s private port and – equally crystalline – waters of Kalafatis Beach below. Swimming lessons and flotation devices can be provided for kids, otherwise, cocktails à la lounger call.
Spa
A full service spa will be open in summer 2023. Until then, muscles can be sustained and sculpted at the white-washed fitness centre which, nestled into the cliffside, doubles up as an excellent background for a post-pump selfie. You’ll find a full weights rack, cardio, motion and cable machines as well as a pilates and yoga studio (kitted out with four Basi reformers, no less) and in-house trainers. But, if you ask nicely, the concierge may be able to arrange a bit of in-room kneading, too.
Packing tips
Bring your best airy threads and wind-withstanding hats. If island-hopping is on the menu, a pair of non-slip boat shoes wouldn’t go amiss either.
Also
Common areas are wheelchair accessible and there are elevators and ADA bathrooms throughout the property. Guests with mobility needs should enquire about one of the hotel’s three accessible suites.
Welcome. Cots are free and available on request while extra beds cost €150 a night.
Sustainability efforts
While the hotel can’t claim to be 100 per cent self-sustaining, it’s remarkably close. Cali’s four natural water sources and purification plant ensure the cleanest water in the island, while their electrical substation and generator means it’s not at the mercy of Mykonos’ power supply (thankfully so, as cuts can be frequent). Solar panels on top of the reception are used to charge golf buggies and re-purposed stones from the initial excavation have been utilised in the resort’s architecture. You’ll find super fresh food from local producers in the hotel’s bar and kitchen, and with up-coming plans for an allotment, you may be able to grow your own some day, too.
Wine connoisseurs should shack up next to the wine cellar for an up-close-and-personal view of the vintages. For a side of sea-breeze, however, the open-air terrace is as balmy as they come.
Dress Code
Dusky linens and a little something to throw on should the breeze pipe-up.
Hotel restaurant
In keeping with Cali Mykonos' indoor-outdoor vibe, you’ll find the hotel’s main restaurant hovering high above the pool with floor-to-ceiling windows that frame the sea beyond. Lefteris Lazarou approaches traditional Greek cuisine with all the haute-gastro pep you’d expect from the first Greek chef to have received a Michelin star; opt for the garlic shrimp with linnio and celeriac cream to sample his artistry at its finest. You can be sure the ingredients are super fresh, too – the hotel gets first dibs on the daily bounty brought in by local fishermen each morning, while most seasonal produce is picked directly from Cali’s garden. Breakfast is a casual affair with pancakes and pastries accompanied by feta-topped omelettes and other regional staples. For something different, head to the al-fresco sushi bar where traditional Japanese bites are rolled out throughout the afternoon.
Hotel bar
For sunlounger sipping, the pool bar – not just any pool bar, that is, but a blue Patagonia marble pool bar – serves cocktail classics with a good-for-you twist. Order a Detox Zombie with an extra lashing of vitamin C to balance out the rum, or a matcha-infused Mai Tai with almond, orange and lime. Of course, if you’re really committed to the detox, the reception’s juice bar may be more suitable – with smoothies and post-workout protein shakes to maximise your gains. Things get a little more Dionysion at the restaurant bar where curated libations inspired by Greek mythology are accompanied by a fully-stocked wine cellar of local grapes. Feeling poetic? Pray to Polyhymnia, the muse of sacred verse. You never know, a majestic mix of, say, mushroom-infused tequila, citrus and marjoram cordial, triple sec and lime may just appear at your table.
Last orders
The restaurant is open for breakfast between 8am and 12pm or dinner between 8pm to 1am, while the pool bar, and sushi kitchen, runs all day from 12pm to 8pm. Clean-living types, by contrast, can get fruity at the juice bar between 10am and 4pm.
Room service
Sure, snack around-the-clock with 24-hour room service.
You’ll find Cali Mykonos’s sugar cube sanctums spread across a clifftop in Mykonos’ sleepy southwestern corner, overlooking Kalafatis beach.
Planes
Mykonos International is a 20-minute drive away. Shared transfers are free, otherwise private transfers can be arranged for €100-150 for up to 14 guests. There are direct flights to here from major cities throughout Europe, but most flights stopover in Athens first.
Automobiles
A car may come in handy for roaming the coast and its more remote beaches – though one of the island’s finest is right on your doorstep. If you do opt for wheels, there’s free valet parking at the hotel.
Other
Helicopter landings can be arranged nearby, though arguably the most authentic way to arrive is by boat. Luckily, the hotel has its own fleet and will pick you up from Athens or any of the neighbouring islands for an additional charge.
Worth getting out of bed for
Slather on that SPF, outdoor pursuits are plenty on Mykonos’ glamourpuss pastures. Top of the Cycladic list for pleasure-seeking A-listers, you’ll find your fair share of prestigious beach clubs and dance-till-dawn establishments too, but along this sleepy southwest corner life tends to beat its own (remarkably mellow) drum. With 130 metres to paddle in at Cali’s cliffside pool, you’ll spend a fair amount of time submerged, but deep-sea splashes come just as easily; a private bay lies at the foot of the resort for uninterrupted tan-topping while Kalafatis beach – one of the island’s best – is a short stroll away. Ask the concierge team to arrange a day of water-based activities if you’re feeling sporty. You’re not limited to one island, either: the hotel’s fleet of boats run excursions to the surrounding islands, including Naxos or Paros, Mykonos’ nightlife-loving neighbours. For something less hedonic and more, well, historic, opt for a cruise to Delos, once the ancient centre of the world (and the birthplace of Apollo) which is home today to a sacred archaeological site of crumbling temples, amphitheatres and houses. Rhenia is another fine choice, an uninhabited paradise where you’ll find a handful of tavernas, a herd of grazing goats and some of the most idyllic beaches and nature trails in the whole archipelago.
Local restaurants
Find the who’s who of Mykonos rubbing elbows at cliffside hotspot Spiliawhere seafood is served on the shores of Kalafatis beach. The sea urchin pasta is a must, best accompanied by a side of fresh polpo and a chilled bottle of rosé. Tradition reigns at Rizes, a family-owned farmstead where you won’t find a Champagne bottle in sight. Instead, Rizes (meaning roots) honours authentic island culture and carries it forward in their food; home-grown salads, oven-cooked pies and all the ouzo you could ask for.
Local cafés
There’s not much in the way of cafes, at least not here in the island’s sleepy southwestern pocket, but if you’re venturing inland keep an eye out for Coffee Island, a fair-trade spot where you’ll find speciality Arabic pours, herbal teas and – quite remarkably for the feta-loving state – a range of vegan options, too.
Local bars
In the summer months, Principote’s private beach club is the place to be for lovers of chic, coastal design (in this case, courtesy of iconic Greek architect Athanasios Kyratsous) and barefoot glamour on the foot of Panormos Beach. Stick around long enough and you’ll see the club’s wild side emerge; in true Dionysian fashion, table-dancing isn’t unheard of. For more mellow vibes, the sun-worshippers over at Alemagou take things nice and slow. Self-described as a ‘beach for the soul’, head here for peaceful days and more, well, pared-back parties – it’s holistic, darling.
Every hotel featured is visited personally by members of our team, given the Smith seal of approval, and then anonymously reviewed. As soon as our reviewers have returned from this Cycladic hotel in Kalafatis and unpacked their ‘Made in Greece’ trinkets from the hotel’s super-chic boutique, a full account of their cliffside break will be with you. In the meantime, to whet your wanderlust, here's a quick peek inside Cali Mykonos in Mykonos…
They say time is cyclical, and that’s certainly true in Mykonos, whose Aegean-bound lifetime encompasses mythological battles, counter-cultural yearnings and – lest we forget – Lindsay Lohan’s surrealist beach club dance moves. But here at Cali Mykonos, guests are transported back to a more docile version of the island’s past, all the while preserving just the right amount of glamour. Perched on the edge of a craggy cliffside, Cali’s cool sense of calm is ushered in through white-washed Cycladic architecture, dusky colour palettes and sea-facing communal spaces where simple pleasures are summoned with a meticulous eye for detail. By day, shack up at the 130-metre infinity pool which snakes its way across the cliff’s edge as it mimics the curves of a neighbouring stream, or bend and stretch your way through the morning at the fitness centre’s reformer pilates and yoga studio. A private beach lies at the foot of the resort for sun salutations of a different kind and Cali’s fleet of boats allow guests to experience the island and its neighbours the old-fashioned way. By night, the bar’s mixologists get rather mythological with their offerings and Greece’s first Michelin-tipped chef Lefteris Lazarou helms the main restaurant where traditional Greek fare takes a contemporary turn and the spirit of Dionysus looms over the curated wine-cellar of local grapes.
