Mykonos has long been Greece's lively party island, and its image as a destination of attractive poseurs and young, dance-till-dawn Eurotravelers either lures or discourages potential first-timers. Chora, the picture-postcard capital, is clean, blindingly whitewashed, and well maintained. Cosmopolitan clubs, gay bars, and wonderful (often nude) beaches populate a barren island where few of the old Greek traditions remain. The charm of the dry, rugged landscape dotted with retired windmills, some 400 churches, chapels, and shrines and the main town's stacked sugarcube houses with splashes of sky-blue doors and domes and brilliant red and pink bougainvillea can be all but obliterated by the high-season crowds. The warren of narrow streets was meant to defy the wind and confuse pirates, who plagued Mykonos in the 18th and 19th centuries; they still bemuse nonislanders, who enjoy getting lost among the tavernas, upscale boutiques, and Mykoniot homes. The resident pelican is a tame but curmudgeonly mascot who parades the waterfront and seems to have the run of things. The smallest of the Cycladic group, Mykonos is a mere 10 by 7 miles. You can escape the cruise ship crowds by heading to a secluded beach 2 miles out of town and checking in to the intimate Kivotos Clubhotel, Mykonos's best.