The research focused on the south-western part of Mykonos, which has been the most developed area to date. Through the study of bibliographical sources and maps, the historical development of the island is presented with emphasis on the period from the end of the 19th century, when the first visitors appeared, until today. It analyses, decade by decade, the times of the beginning of tourism in Mykonos and its expansion, and the major projects and investments to meet the needs that arose. Reference is made to the factors that played an important role in the development of tourism in the area, such as the old and the new portand the airport, the first hotel units, as well as how both the urban and natural landscape of the island and the life of its inhabitants were affected. Then there is an extensive survey of the most developed areas of the southwestern part of the island, resulting in the current decaying landscape of the island. Finally, an examination of the evolution of the spatial development of tourism infrastructure over time is made through comparative photographs of characteristic points of the island, taken from a distance of several decades. In conclusion, an attempt is made to answer the questions posed during the research, in order to clarifythe factors that influenced the intense tourist development of Mykonos, the elements that allowed it and to give a typology of urban development due to tourism.