The Aegean is seldom a bare expanse of sea. Islands float on the horizon faint and distant as outlines begin to take shape on closer inspection.

Just a short boat Journey from the island of Mykonos, you will arrive at the most important mythological, historical, and archaeological site, the island of Delos. A small rocky island in the center of the Aegean Sea. According to the legend, it was here that Apollo-Sun, god of daylight, and his twin sister Artemis-Moon, goddess of night light, were born. The island was first settled in the third millennium BC.

Terrace of the Lions built around 600 BCE by the people of Naxos. Facing east toward the sacred Lake of Delos where Greek scholars believe Apollo was born.

Apollo’s sanctuary attracted pilgrims from all over Greece and Delos was a prosperous trading port. The island bears traces of the succeeding civilizations in the Aegean world, from the 3rd millennium B.C. to the palaeochristian era.

The archaeological site is exceptionally extensive and rich and conveys the image of a great cosmopolitan Mediterranean port. The excavations in the island are among the most extensive in the Mediterranean; ongoing work takes place under the direction of the French School at Athens, and many of the artifacts found are on display at the Archaeological Museum of Delos and the National Archaeological Museum of Athens. In 1990, UNESCO inscribed Delos on the World Heritage List, citing it as the “exceptionally extensive and rich” archaeological site which” conveys the image of a great cosmopolitan Mediterranean port.

The monuments that have been excavated are a powerful statement for the magnificence of the revered island and illuminate a past civilization. The entire island is an archaeological site, which, along with the neighboring islands of Rheneia, Greater and Lesser Rematiaris, constitutes an immense archaeological site.

Mosaics and cistern, Delos

Delos Cistern with rope markings

The island had no productive capacity for food, fiber, or timber, with all necessary items imported. Limited water was exploited with an extensive cistern and aqueduct system, wells, and sanitary drains. Various regions operated agoras (markets). Delos was preserved through the centuries due to the fact that it remained uninhabited since the 7th century AD due to its remote location. Nowadays, the entire island is designated as an archaeological site.

It includes the remnants of the Terrace of the Lions, also dedicated to Apollo by the people of Naxos shortly before 600 BCE. It originally had nine to twelve squatting, snarling marble guardian lions along the Sacred Way; one is inserted over the main gate to the Venetian Arsenal. The lions create a monumental avenue comparable to Egyptian avenues of sphinxes. There is a Greek sphinx in the Delos Museum. Today only seven of the original lions remain.

Terrace of the Lions built around 600 BCE by the people of Naxos. Facing east toward the sacred Lake of Delos where Greek scholars believe Apollo was born. The originals are in the small museum on Delos.

Ferries cross the Aegean to Delos multiple times a day from Mykonos Harbor- I recommend a late afternoon ferry to avoid midday heat and then a sunset return. We have guides and options for private boats to the enchanting Delos.

Delos

Delos

Delos