“I only managed one swim this summer,” says Nikos Daktylidis, the man who, alongside his wife Margarita, turned Cavo Paradiso into one of the best clubs in the world. “I went down to the beach, dived in for ten minutes, came out, changed, and went straight back to work,” he explains without a trace of complaint. The sea can wait—work cannot.

This summer, Daktylidis is especially proud. The story of the rocky cliff that changed the very meaning of clubbing on Mykonos was recently told in a documentary, featuring world-famous DJs describing their experience at one of the globe’s most iconic venues. “This year I booked 85 names,” notes “Nikolaras,” as friends call him. At 60, he still works tirelessly, investing in the next generation of electronic producers.

The only ritual he refuses to compromise on is his unusual sleep routine: “Every day at exactly 7 p.m. I switch off my phone and sleep for four to five hours. Around midnight, I wake up and head to the club. That’s basically my sleep for the whole 24 hours,” he explains. Vitamins, long walks, and discipline keep him going.

Building on a Rock

Daktylidis was born in 1965 and grew up in a very different, more authentic Mykonos, where families often gifted land to their children. In 1992, during a stormy winter night, his father Tasos handed him a rugged plot of land perched on a cliff above Paradise beach. At 27, Nikos had no immediate plan, but within a year the breathtaking view inspired him to open an all-day bar.

He started building his dream with his own hands, alongside construction workers, putting in endless hours. “I always imagined it as a restaurant-club,” he recalls. Each year since, he has added new touches to keep Cavo evolving. But in 1994, a fall from six meters while working on the roof nearly cost him his life. After a life-saving airlift and weeks in intensive care, he eventually recovered. “I must have survived in order to enjoy what Cavo became,” he says quietly.

From Café-Bar to Global Stage

The first parties in 1992, featuring Italian DJs, were a success. Soon, collaborations with Magna Productions elevated Cavo Paradiso into an international hotspot. Eventually, Nikos and Margarita took full control, personally booking some of the world’s biggest names. Together, they grew Cavo into a global brand, regularly ranked among the top 10 clubs in the world.

Over the decades, its pool shaped like Mykonos, its cliffside location, and its sunrise parties made it legendary. Stars like David Guetta, Armin van Buuren, David Morales, and Peggy Gou have all headlined, while the next wave—Meduza, Hugel, John Summit, Dom Dolla, Mau P, DJ Snake, James Hype, and Greece’s own Argy—are now on his radar.

His children Zina and Tasos help when they can, but Nikos doesn’t pressure them to take over. “From April onward, work is nonstop,” he admits.

The Night That Became Day

One of the club’s most unforgettable moments came in 2001, when DJ John Digweed played a historic 12-hour set that ran from dawn until late afternoon. “Over 5,000 people were inside by mid-morning, and more kept arriving,” recalls Daktylidis. Shirts flew through the air, the pool overflowed with revelers, and the atmosphere was electric. By the time Digweed finally stepped down from the decks at 4 p.m., more than 8,000 people had passed through Cavo Paradiso.

“It was one of those unique nights that can never be repeated,” Nikos says with nostalgia.

A Club for the World

Over the years, Cavo Paradiso has welcomed royals, billionaires, and celebrities, including Gerard Piqué and Shakira, who once danced the night away there without being harassed for photos. For Nikos, it was never about rubbing shoulders with famous guests, but about creating a temple for electronic music.

Today, in his sixth decade of life, Daktylidis still doesn’t drink or smoke, save for a glass of wine with his wife or friends. Every night, before midnight, he climbs back up the cliff that defined his life to watch the neon glow of the Cavo Paradiso sign illuminate the Aegean sky.

From Australia to Brazil, people still travel across the world for the ritual: to dance on the cliff until dawn, to dive into the pool as the sun rises, and to experience the magic of a nightclub that grew from a father’s blessing into an international legend.