Kato Mili windmills above the sea in Mykonos

Kato Mili on Mykonos is the best-known cluster of the island’s historic windmills, standing in a row on a low hill above the sea and the quarter known as Little Venice. From this ridge south of Mykonos Town, seven white cylindrical towers trace a clear outline against the Aegean, a reminder of the sixteenth-century grain trade that once powered the island.

White towers on the ridge above Little Venice

The windmills of Kato Mili rise just south of Chora, the main town of Mykonos, between the Alefkandra and Neochori areas on a hill that looks over the harbour and Little Venice.The famous Mykonos windmills are south of Mykonos town Their whitewashed stone walls and pointed roofs form a line that can be seen from many parts of the waterfront and from boats approaching the bay.The Mykonos windmills are an established feature of the island’s skyline

Most of the island’s windmills were built under Venetian influence in the sixteenth century, with construction continuing into the early twentieth century as the grain trade remained important.Most of them were built by the Venetians in the sixteenth century There are 16 windmills on Mykonos, of which seven stand on this landmark hill in Chora, their forms echoing the low, white houses which spread out below them.There are currently 16 windmills on Mykonos of which seven are positioned on the landmark hill

From working mills to protected island symbols

For centuries the Mykonos windmills ground wheat and other cereals, driven by the strong winds that sweep across the Cyclades from the northern Aegean.Mykonos harnessed strong winds to grind barley and wheat Their role as industrial buildings faded by the middle of the twentieth century, when they stopped operating and the island’s economy shifted towards tourism and services.Their use ceased in the middle of the twentieth century

One of the island’s windmills, Boni’s Windmill above Chora, now houses the Agricultural Museum of Mykonos, which presents traditional machinery and tools connected with the mills and local farming.One of these windmills has been transformed into a museum Even where the interiors are not accessible, the preserved exteriors of the towers at Kato Mili stand as protected monuments and as a visual shorthand for the island’s past as a grain-processing stop on Aegean trade routes.Kato Milli refers to a row of traditional windmills on the outskirts of Mykonos Town

Cycladic architecture facing the Aegean

The towers of Kato Mili follow the Cycladic pattern: compact, round structures in white plaster over stone, with small openings and pointed roofs that once carried broad wooden arms with canvas sails.Their architecture is described as round, white and topped by a pointed roof Inside, these mills were built over several levels, with mechanisms that once transferred the power of the wind down to millstones on the lower floor.The constructions featured several storeys and a pointed wooden roof

Most of the windmills around the island face towards the north, where the prevailing winds hit the hill directly and turn the sails.Most windmills face towards the north where the island’s strongest winds come from From the crest at Kato Mili, there is a clear view over the clustered houses of Chora and across the strait towards Delos, underlining how closely the mills were tied to sea routes passing this part of the Aegean.The whole village of Chora and part of the harbour are visible from this point

Visiting Kato Mili: what travellers from Western Europe should know

• Kato Mili stands on a hill immediately south of Mykonos Town, above the quarter known as Little Venice, and is reached on foot from the harbour streets.
• The approach from Little Venice involves a staircase and short uphill paths on paving and rock, and the area around the mills is exposed to strong winds.
• The island of Mykonos lies in the Cyclades in Greece, where the official language is Greek and the currency is the euro.

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Frequently asked questions about Kato Mili

Where is Kato Mili?

Kato Mili is a group of historic windmills on a hill just south of Mykonos Town, above the harbourfront quarter known as Little Venice on Mykonos in Greece.

What can visitors expect at Kato Mili?

Visitors find a row of white cylindrical windmills, stone and plaster under pointed roofs, with views over the clustered houses of Chora and the Aegean Sea.

What makes Kato Mili distinctive compared with other sights on Mykonos?

Kato Mili combines Cycladic windmill architecture from the sixteenth century with a ridge-top position above the sea, forming one of the clearest silhouettes on the island.