Delos, Greece
What is probably the biggest attraction when visiting
Mykonos is not even actually on Mykonos.
The archaeological site of Delos, a UNESCO World Heritage site and the
mythical birthplace of the twins Apollo and Artemis, is just a short boat ride
away. It’s naturally very popular with both those staying on Mykonos and cruise
ship passengers as part of a day’s shore excursion from the ship.
Cyclades roughly translates to circle in Greek, and the island
chain nicely encircles now unpopulated Delos, once the most important political
and religious center in the island chain. Settled in the third Millenium B.C.,
Delos became important in the eighth century B.C. as a shrine to Apollo. Athens
gained control of the island in the fifth century B.C. and created the Delian
League of allied city states which maintained its treasury on Delos. The island
reached its height during Hellenistic times when it was one of the three most
important religious and commercial centers in Greece. Delos faded away in the
latter centuries of the Roman Empire and became a hangout for pirates during
the Middle Ages.
So where to go when you get off the boat and want to avoid
the tour groups following their guide around?
The Delos site is big enough that that’s not much of a challenge. There are three suggested routes around the
site on the map provided at the site entrance.
Supposedly they take five to six hours in full, but Rodrigo and I
managed to cover almost all of it in the three and a half hours we had on the
island before having to return. I could well have spent longer at Delos,
unusual I’ve found for archaeological sites, but if you come on the morning
boat you can’t return on the evening boat. The allotted time would definitely
have been insufficient if the site museum, closed for renovation at the time,
had been open. There are also no restaurants or snack bars on the island beyond
a few vending machines at the entrance.
I found Delos to be one of the most impressive of the
ancient sites in Greece. It doesn’t have big crowd pleasers like a mostly
intact temple or large theater, but it covers a huge area and the remains all
date from the Roman era or earlier. There was no Frankish, Byzantine, Ottoman,
or modern city built over the ruins, enabling them to be excavated in full. Supposedly,
though, new finds are often made. The residential areas of the town with houses
with impressive mosaic floors even reminded me a little of Pompei.
My favorite part of Delos was the Terrace of the Naxian Lions,
a unique line of stone carvings of lions. Someone I know posted the question, “All
but one of the Naxian Lions are on site (originals in the museum). Where is the
last one?” I initially guessed the Louvre,
but the correct answer is Venice.
2025-05-23