Windmills of Mykonos

The Kato Mili, or Lower Mills, are a row of cylindrical, whitewashed stone towers standing on a low ridge at the edge of Mykonos Town. Built starting in the sixteenth century during Venetian rule, these mills catch the powerful northern meltemi winds that sweep across the Aegean. In their prime, they were the backbone of the island’s economy, grinding wheat and barley into flour for local bakeries and for the hard, long-lasting rusks known as paximadi. Sailors relied on these biscuits as a vital food source on long maritime voyages, making Mykonos a prosperous and essential stop on trade routes between Europe and Asia.