Panagia Paraportiani, Mykonos

On the edge of the old Kastro quarter of Mykonos Town, a few steps from Little Venice, stands one of the most photographed churches in the Cyclades. Panagia Paraportiani is not one church but five, built against and on top of one another over some two centuries and whitewashed into a single, softly sculpted mass. It is free and can be seen at any time, though the interior is usually locked.

The whitewashed church of Panagia Paraportiani in Mykonos Town, a cluster of chapels with a dome and bell-cote under a blue sky — Panagia Paraportiani: five chapels whitewashed into a single sculpture. Photograph by Jan Tang on Pexels.

Five churches in one

Four small chapels stand at ground level: Agios Eustathios, Agia Anastasia, Agios Sozon and Agioi Anargyroi. The fifth, the church of the Virgin (Panagia) that gives the whole its name, sits on top of them and is reached by an outside stair. They were built in stages between roughly the 15th and the 17th centuries, beginning, according to the municipality of Mykonos, as the central tower on the west side of the medieval castle that enclosed the old town.

The name means “Our Lady of the Side Gate”: the paraporti was a small gate in the Kastro wall that opened towards the rocky shore. The castle has gone, but the church survives, its walls thickened by centuries of whitewash into the rounded, almost organic shapes that have made it a favourite of painters, architects and photographers. Greece’s national tourism organisation calls it a masterpiece of Cycladic minimalism.

The visitor’s cheat sheet

Panagia Paraportiani at a glance
Where	Kastro quarter of Mykonos Town (Chora), beside Little Venice
Opening hours	No set hours: the outside can be seen at any time; the interior is usually locked
Admission	Free
Best time	Early morning for quiet; the hour before sunset for the light
Access	Reached by cobbled lanes with steps; the upper church is up an outside stair
Dress	Cover shoulders and knees if you go inside during a service
Nearby	Delos site €20 (closed 1 December to 31 March); Archaeological Museum of Mykonos €5 (closed Tuesdays)
How long	15–30 minutes

Hours and admission checked against the official site in November 2026. They change; the official site is always the last word.

What to see

The outside

Walk all the way round. From the lane on the town side the church is a jumble of gables, crosses and a pierced bell-cote; from the rocks on the sea side it rises like a white boulder above the water, with the dome of the upper church on top. Look for the outside staircase to the Panagia, and for the small, deep doorways of the ground-floor chapels.

Panagia Paraportiani seen from the rocks of the Kastro quarter, with its dome and the stair to the upper church — From the Kastro side, with the outside stair to the upper church. Photograph by Zde on Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0).

Mykonos Town seen from the sea, with the white mass of Panagia Paraportiani on the rocky shore — From the sea: the church on the rocks at the edge of the Kastro. Photograph by Bernard Gagnon on Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 3.0).

A whitewashed bell-cote and outside staircase of Panagia Paraportiani above a paved lane — The bell-cote and the outside stair. Photograph by Kayalis 9 on Pexels.

Doors, gables and bells

The details reward a slow look: the irregular whitewash, the crosses on every gable, the bells hung in open arches, the grey-and-white paving of the courtyard. Inside, when a chapel is open for a service, you will find a simple whitewashed room with icons and an iconostasis.

A small dark doorway set in the thick whitewashed walls of Panagia Paraportiani — One of the ground-floor doorways. Photograph by AXP Photography on Pexels.

Two whitewashed gables of Panagia Paraportiani topped with crosses against a deep blue sky — Gables, crosses and a bell against the Aegean sky. Photograph by AXP Photography on Pexels.

The whitewashed bell-cote of Panagia Paraportiani rising above its sloping walls — The bell-cote above the upper church. Photograph by drB on Pexels.

Evening light

Before sunset the walls turn pink and then gold, and the crowds drift on to the bars of Little Venice to watch the sun go down. After dark the church is lit up and the lanes empty out.

Panagia Paraportiani lit up at night above the patterned paving of its courtyard — At night, when the day-trippers have gone. Photograph by Andreas Kakaris on Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0).

Panagia Paraportiani in silhouette at sunset, with the sun setting over the sea — Sunset beside the church. Photograph by Whatsinaname (Wikivoyage) on Wikimedia Commons (public domain).

Getting there

Paraportiani is in the Kastro quarter of Mykonos Town, a few minutes’ walk from almost anywhere in town; follow the waterfront west from the Old Port. Ferries from Piraeus take about two and a half hours by the fastest high-speed boats (mainly in season) and five and a half hours by conventional ferry, and arrive at the New Port, a couple of kilometres north of town, from where the Sea Bus (in season), buses and taxis run in. Cruise passengers tendered ashore usually land at the Old Port, close to the church.

Tours and where to stay

The church needs no ticket. Walking tours of Mykonos Town usually include it, and hotels in Chora put you within a few minutes’ walk.

Paraportiani tours Where to stay in Mykonos

These links go to GetYourGuide and Booking.com. This site earns nothing from them at present — they are here because they are the quickest way to check what is actually available.

Don’t miss

The sea side The church from the rocks.
The outside stair Up to the Panagia.
Sunset Then a drink in Little Venice.
The windmills On the ridge just to the south.
Delos A boat ride from the Old Port.

Insider tips

Come early. In July and August cruise-ship groups reach the church by mid-morning, and the hour before sunset is busy too. Soon after dawn you will have it almost to yourself, and the low sun picks out every curve of the whitewash.

Common questions

Can you go inside Panagia Paraportiani?

Usually not. The church is normally locked and opens only for occasional services. Its outside is the attraction, and you can see it at any time.

Is there an entrance fee?

No. Panagia Paraportiani is free, and there are no tickets or set hours for the outside.

When is the best time to visit?

Early in the morning, before the tour groups, or just before sunset, when the walls turn pink and gold. Little Venice is next door for a drink afterwards.

Why is it called Paraportiani?

It means “Our Lady of the Side Gate”. The church stands by the site of a small gate in the wall of the medieval Kastro, the fortified old quarter of Mykonos Town.

Can I see Delos on the same day?

Usually, from April to November, though boats are fewer late in the season, so check times. Boats leave from the Old Port, a short walk away, for the island of Delos (site ticket €20). Delos normally closes from 1 December to 31 March.

More churches in Greece

Hosios Loukas — Byzantine mosaics on gold, near Delphi.
Meteora — monasteries on pillars of rock.
Mount Athos — the monks’ republic.

See all the Greek churches in this guide →