Delos: The Perfect Day Trip From Mykonos

Feb 22

Feb 22 Delos: The Perfect Day Trip From Mykonos

The island of Delos is an important historical, mythological and archaeological site, and it is located very close to Mykonos. It is the birthplace of Artemis and Apollo, and was even a cultural and trading center. If you love archaeology or hiking, this is the perfect place for you. Take either the ferry from the old port of Mykonos or a private boat and explore for the day. When you arrive you will feel like you have stepped back in time to ancient Greece.

Around 8AM I walked to the old Mykonos port to get our tickets to Delos. There was a short line, but we were able to get our tickets very easily. I think it cost about $20 USD round trip per person. While we were waiting for our ferry, we stopped to get crepes at Trio Bambini in Mykonos port. The crepes were made fresh to order and were the perfect start to our long and hot day.

After a short ferry ride (about 15 minutes) we arrived at the sacred port of Delos and purchased tickets (about $15 USD) to enter the open-air museum. We immediately noticed how much there was to see, with ruins in both directions with Mount Kynthos in the distance. Even though I wasn't prepared to hike this day, we decided to give Mount Kynthos a try. The trail was located past the ruins, so we got to take them in on our way up to the top. One of my favorite parts of visiting Delos were the poppies and other flowers that were growing everywhere. It definitely made it a great place to take some photos for instagram!

The hike up was not that bad, even though I was very unprepared and was wearing a dress and sandals. Make sure to bring sneakers since the way up is pretty rocky. A hat, sunblock and water are also extremely necessary since there is little to no shade on this island. We visited in late May, and the heat was almost unbearable. The views from the top of Mount Kynthos are definitely worth the trek though. After taking some pictures at the top, we made our way down to view more of the ruins.

We spent another hour or so wandering through the ancient temples, agoras and buildings. I was truly in awe about how well some of these structures survived until modern time. Even mosaics on the floors of some of the buildings were still visible. Before heading back to the port to catch our ferry, we made sure to visit the iconic Terrace of the Lions. 3 hours had passed by this time, but we had accomplished so much. We took the ferry back to the Old Port, made it back to our Airbnb by 1PM and even had time to go the beach by ATV in the afternoon.

Koinon of the Poseidoniasts and Statue of Roma

With so much to see on Delos, I think it is a day trip that should definitely be considered if you are visiting nearby Mykonos. Both history and beauty are abundant here and offer a break from the parties and nightlife of Mykonos. Also, how often do you get the chance to walk through intact ruins like these? Delos is truly incredible!