Mykonos, Greece — I thought I knew myself. At least, I thought I knew what kind of vacation I like — a topic that occupies an enormous chunk of my waking hours.

Point me toward the Uffizi or some other vast museum and I'll be happy for days. Hand me a ticket to a London West End theater or some tragic Italian opera and I'll think I'm in heaven.

Jen Christensen / Special (ENLARGE)

The courtyard of the Hotel Petasos features the classic white walls and blue doors of buildings on Mykonos

Jen Christensen / Special (ENLARGE)

A pelican takes in some late-night window shopping in Mykonos

Jen Christensen / Special (ENLARGE)

On Mykonos, lunch at a Cliffside cafe comes with a view of Super Paradise Beach.

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My vacation philosophy until now? Give me a lively city and let me cram in as much culture as possible. I'm happy to let others soak up the scenery and show me their pictures later.

So why am I utterly content to be stretched out on Super Paradise Beach doing absolutely nothing?

Yes, there's a book beside me, some ancient Greek mythological something-or-other I should have finished by now. Instead I skim the same sentence over and over, then drift into a reverie as deep as the deep blue sea, pondering the absolute rightness of this beach's name. "Super Paradise" sounds so indulgent, I'm almost embarrassed to say it.

I scoop up the tiny pebbles around my beach chair and let them slip through my fingers as I squint into the setting sun.

I listen to the sound of the wind and the surf give way to pulsing dance music that drifts over from a nearby bar, a not-so-subtle hint that happy hour has arrived.

And from behind my dark glasses, I wrestle with that unavoidable "Look! Don't look!" awkwardness that comes from visiting a nude beach.

I swear I'm not staring, but it's hard to ignore those hardy Germans who refuse to stay covered simply because there's a chill in the air.

Yet who can blame them? After all, we're on Mykonos — seductive, decadent and the perfect island antidote to the noisy, polluted, culture-packed city of Athens that my partner Jen and I have just left behind.

Our hotel balcony overlooks a shimmering swimming pool. The thought of visiting another musty museum suddenly loses its appeal.

Instead, I'm mesmerized by a perfect Mykonos landscape of white buildings on a craggy hillside surrounded by aquamarine water.

In an instant, I see how Mykonos earned its reputation as a magnet for famous and infamous jet-setters, from Jackie O. and Maria Callas to the Shah of Iran.

And in an instant, my nagging concern that there's nothing to do here disappears.

There are shops to explore in Mykonos Town, a whitewashed warren of narrow cobblestone streets. I didn't purchase anything from its expensive designer stores, but I did buy a lovely silver ring inlaid with coral, and I followed a pelican as he wandered through a quiet alley and comically peered into shop windows.

There are discos to dance in and restaurants to sample late into the night, from casual cafes to upscale spots where the people-watching rivals the food.

Our favorite place for cocktails was the Kastro Bar. Show tunes played in the background while through an enormous window we watched as the sun slipped into the sea. Our favorite restaurant was El Greco, where we feasted on stuffed zucchini with Mykonos cheese and fennel; grilled vegetables; bread with olive and tomato spreads; chicken with honey, ginger and lemon; and a delicious bottle of local white table wine — all for 38 euros ($56).

There was so much food that whenever our waiter turned his back, we'd slip a few bites to one of the island's ubiquitous cats.

There are ruins to tromp through on the island of Delos, a popular excursion for day-trippers. Our guided tour, which cost 30 euros ($44) each, left from Mykonos' old port area. After we disembarked, we spent half a day gawking at the giant phallic sculptures scattered around Delos and photographing the crumbling stone lions that guarded its long-empty buildings.

And there are beaches to explore, filled with sun-drunk teenagers, typical Greek families and gorgeous gay men. Five euros ($7) buys a round-trip taxi boat ride to Paranga, Paradise and Super Paradise beaches, each with a different feel and different degree of debauchery.

Our boat captain wore a battered Greek fisherman's cap and gnarled leather sandals that complemented his equally leathery face. He spoke not a word of English. But as I stepped off his boat, he slipped a piece of shiny, foil-wrapped candy in my hand and gave a smile.

Oh, yeah, I remembered, as our ferry pulled away and the island disappeared behind me. There's some kind of archaeological museum on Mykonos, too. I didn't go.

IF YOU GO

Getting there

For me, committing to a lazy island vacation was half the battle. Figuring out how to get there was the other. Ferries to Mykonos — with their complicated timetables, seasonal adjustments and weather variables — are confusing to sort out online. There are daily flights that shuttle passengers between Athens and Mykonos, but that held less appeal.

We flew nonstop on Delta Air Lines from Atlanta to Athens (expect to pay $1,600 nonstop during peak season), and we then asked our hotel desk clerk the best way to Mykonos. He steered us to a nearby travel agency, where an equally helpful, English-speaking local sold us round-trip ferry tickets to Mykonos for about 80 euros each ($117) on the Hellas Flying Dolphin line.

For 70 cents each, Athens' sleek subway system zipped us from a stop near our hotel to the port of Piraeus to catch the ferry.

Taxis are a more expensive way to get to Piraeus. If you catch a cab in Athens, do what I failed to do: Find out ahead of time what the fare should be and make sure the driver agrees to it before you hop in.

Our hydrofoil pushed off from Piraeus at 7:30 a.m. For the next few hours I watched histrionic Greek soap operas and impossible-to-follow TV game shows onboard, then studied the sea and the people around me until we landed in Mykonos at noon.

Because our Athens hotel had called ahead with our travel plans, a free shuttle bus to our Mykonos hotel was waiting at the dock. The morning we checked out, it dropped us at the same spot.

Visiting Mykonos

The island of Mykonos, only 12 miles across, is easy to negotiate without a car. Taxis and buses are inexpensive, and more adventurous souls can rent scooters, bikes or Jeeps to explore.

During the peak months of July and August, the narrow streets of Mykonos Town are crammed with beautiful people. High-season rooms should be booked far in advance.

Where to stay

We chose the Hotel Petasos, in the Platis Yialos beach area, based on its online reviews. That entire scenic area is filled with reasonably priced hotels, and it offers easy access to beach shuttle boats. A bus ride into town, less than four kilometers away, costs 1 euro ($1.50). Check the handwritten timetable posted on a small chalkboard. Our room, with a balcony, pool and sea views, and spectacular breakfast buffet, was 138 euros ($202) a night.

Information

Mykonos tourism: www.greek-tourism.gr/mykonos .