Delos

The island of Delos, the birthplace of the immortals is very close in Mykonos and it is one of the most important mythological, historical and archaeological sites in Greece. According to mythology, Delos is the birthplace of Apollo, god of  light, and his twin sister Artemis, goddess of hunting.

Getting to Delos

The island is accessible on a daily basis by boat from Mykonos. Overnight stay on Delos is forbidden. The only "inhabitants" of the island are security personnel and archaeologists. The closest accommodation options are in Mykonos.

In ancient times was an important religious center in the Archaic and Classical periods. The island was also a major commercial and trading center in the 2nd and 1st centuries.

In Greek mythology, Leto who was the lover of Zeus , wanted to  escape from the wrath of Hera. So she found sanctuary in Delos, in order to give birth to Apollo and Artemis. In some versions of the myth, Zeus (Leto’s lover) called on his brother Poseidon to create the island with a thrust of his trident, hence the name Delos, which signifies ‘appearance’ or ‘apparent’ in ancient Greek.

Archaeological sites

Archaeological sites cover almost the entire island.  The most important ruins in this district are:

*The Temple of the Delians, dedicated to Apollo.

*The Altar of Dionysos: remains of a huge monument.

*The Terrace of the Lions also dedicated to Apollo by the people of Naxos.

*The sacred lake: the place where Apollo was born;

*Cleopatra’s House: a building (2nd century BC), which took its name from the two headless statues of Cleopatra that found in it.

*The theatre: built in 2nd – 3rd century BC, it could seat 3,000 to 5,000 spectators;

House of Dionysos and House of the Dolphins, all of which contain marvelous mosaics.

The Museum of Delos has sculptures of the Archaic, Classical, Hellenistic and Roman periods, together with a collection of vases from various periods.

**The island of Delos became part of the World's Cultural Heritage and is protected by UNESCO.