It’s hard to find a person among us that has not heard of the ever popular Greek island of Mykonos, but for those who are looking to add a little historical spin on their island trip I recommend the nearby island of Delos.
Ferry tickets to this UNESCO World Heritage Site can be purchased at the Old Port in Mykonos Town on the same day as your visit. We chose to do a self guided tour of the island, paying 22 euros for the round trip ferry tickets at Mykonos and 8 euros at the entrance of Delos. For those who want a guided tour, they were available for purchase at the port in Mykonos for 60 euros inclusive of the entrance fee.
Just a twenty minute ferry ride from Mykonos, Delos is a island of unparalleled historical and mythological significance. It’s less a museum and more like walking through a slice of history- there are ruins in every direction as far as the eye can see.
Since we didn’t have to stick with a guided tour, we were able to go at our own pace and really explore. It was a little overwhelming to see all of the stacks of white stones and long lines of broken pillars scattered around the island, behind neither glass nor rope. There was so much to look at, we didn’t know where to start!
After spending a day on the island, I’d suggest heading straight over to the Temple of Athena and Zeus. These ruins are on the highest point on the island and the demanding inclined hike ended with a stunning view of the island, it’s ruins, and the surrounding water. We came right up to the Temple of Isis on our way up the mountain, and it ended up being my personal favorite ruin.
If this hike is a little too intimidating, there are plenty of flatter areas to explore- though none of which I’d recommend to someone who struggles to navigate uneven footing.
I also really enjoyed wandering through the market quarter. There were many partial walls and fairly intact mosaics to look at, so it was easy to imagine strolling down these very same streets thousands of years in the past.
The Terrace of the Lions was probably the most popular and the most famous attraction on the island. The seven remaining lions tower over the surrounding ruins, partially rounded by time and weather but impressive nonetheless.
It’s a good idea to keep an eye on the time- only a few return ferries to Mykonos run per day, so missing a preferred departure time can get incredibly inconvenient.
Overall, this day trip takes about four hours- or longer if desired- so there’s plenty of time to squeeze a visit into a trip to Mykonos. While I enjoyed the island itself, the trip to Delos was something really special and I can’t recommend it enough.
I have always wanted to go to the lesser known Greek islands so I will have to keep this one on my list!
I highly recommend a try- especially if you don’t spend much time in Athens!
Wow! Delos, Greece looks beautiful. It’s like a walk back in time. Obviously, you had a wonderful vacation. Great post
Thanks, Zeal! I think Delos was one of my favorite parts of the trip so far!
I can see why. Every square kilometer is filled with a lot of history. Maybe one day I might pay a visit… just one day.
Excellent, you gave me a memory nudge.
Happy to help!
Beautiful Delos thanks for sharing your tour experience with excellent photos! 👌👌
Thank you for reading!
It’s my pleasure 🙂 visit my blog 😁 also.💐
Wow, Delos looks beautiful. I love the ruins. It really is like time travel!
It was such a great experience!
It looks pretty cool! thanks for sharing )))
I had an amazing time, and really recommend it! Thank you for reading!