Kato Mili and the white windmills above Little Venice

Kato Mili is the name given to the row of white windmills standing on the low hill above the waterfront quarter known as Little Venice in Mykonos Town. Rising between the Alefkandra shoreline and the Neochori district, these “lower mills” form one of the clearest encounters with how wind, sea and trade converged on this Cycladic island in the early modern period.

White towers on the edge of Chora

The windmills at Kato Mili stand on a slope at the southern edge of Chora, the main town of Mykonos, between the lanes of Alefkandra and Neochori and looking out towards the sea and the harbourfront houses of Little Venice.Situated in between the picturesque Alefkandra and Neochori areas The low rise lifts the mills just enough above the waterfront for them to read as a continuous skyline, their white forms lining the ridge above the quarter below.The famous Mykonos windmills also known as Kato Miloi are situated on a small hill overlooking the sea

Each structure is a stout cylindrical tower, whitewashed and capped by a conical roof, with long wooden arms reaching out to carry the sails when the mills were in use.These cylindrical towers with thatched roofs stand on a hill in the Chora district The cluster at Kato Mili represents a remnant of a wider network: across Mykonos there are reported to be around sixteen windmills preserved in various states, with a group on this hill forming the most recognisable ensemble, while other mills stand in different parts of the island.

Venetian-era mills and the grain trade

The earliest windmills on Mykonos are associated with the period of Venetian rule in the Aegean, which extended into the sixteenth century.Built by the Venetians in the sixteenth century the windmills powered the economic heart of Mykonos Construction of further mills continued from the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries and into the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, creating a network of structures that served both local farmers and passing ships.Most of them were built between the fifteenth and the sixteenth century but construction continued from the late eighteenth century into the early twentieth century

Across the island, estimates suggest that as many as twenty-eight mills were once in operation, with around ten grouped in the Kato Mili complex alone.The Kato Mili complex originally consisting of ten mills formed part of an estimated twenty eight mills scattered across the island Together they ground wheat and barley from Mykonos and from other islands, taking advantage of the strong meltemi winds that sweep across the Cyclades during the summer months.The windmills were built by the island’s Venetian rulers from the sixteenth century and used until the early twentieth century to grind wheat and barley into flour By the early twentieth century, with steam and later electric milling replacing traditional mechanisms, the mills fell out of commercial use and their sails were removed, leaving the white towers as preserved landmarks.

From working machinery to coastal viewpoint

The mills at Kato Mili no longer operate as part of the grain economy, but they retain their internal structure in varying degrees of completeness, and at least one windmill on Mykonos has been adapted to house an agricultural and folklore collection.One of the mills functions as the Bonis windmill museum under the Mykonos Folklore Museum Around the hill the ground is compacted and in places paved, forming a broad open platform, and from this plateau the view takes in the sea, the clustered roofs of Chora and the terraces and balconies of Little Venice just below.

Some mills across the island have been restored as heritage monuments, while others have been converted into private homes or accommodation, maintaining the outer form while changing their interiors.These windmills have been restored as heritage monuments and a museum At Kato Mili the alignment of towers along the ridge makes the place function as both a piece of industrial history and a straightforward vantage point over the coastline, where the relationship between the mills, the harbour and the town fabric is easy to read in the landscape.

Visiting Kato Mili: what travellers from Western Europe should know

• Kato Mili stands on a small hill at the southern edge of Mykonos Town, above the Alefkandra waterfront and Little Venice, and is reached on foot from the lanes of Chora.
• The terrain around the windmills is a gently sloping rise with a firm surface, and there are low steps and changes of level between the town streets and the open platform.
• The island lies in Greece in the Cyclades, 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 in Mykonos?

Kato Mili is the cluster of windmills on the low hill between Alefkandra and Neochori at the southern edge of Mykonos Town, overlooking the waterfront quarter known as Little Venice.

What can visitors expect at Kato Mili?

Visitors encounter a row of white cylindrical windmills on an open platform above the sea, with views over Chora and the waterfront, and paths and low steps connecting the hill to the town streets.

What makes Kato Mili distinctive among Aegean landmarks?

Kato Mili combines an early modern network of Venetian-era mills, preserved as whitewashed towers on a coastal ridge, with a clear visual link between wind, town and harbour in a single compact panorama.