The boat left for Delos at 10am and returned at 1.30pm.
The trip to the island takes about 45 minutes, and the boat has a lower, closed part and a roof where you can sit out.
Swimming, entering without a ticket, and taking drone footage are not allowed on the island. About 100-140 people arrive or leave on a boat; it is never crowded.
I chose the self-audio-guide option, which works by having the tour company organize the audio for you in the Clio Muse Tours app. I chose this because it allows me to go at my own pace; I understand the original English better than the English spoken by the locals, and because, in addition to the boat and the local guide, there is also a 20 euro entrance fee to the island, the whole package would have cost over 100 euros.
A good two hours is enough to complete the route suggested by the audio guide, and in the scorching heat, that’s just enough. In the middle of the route, it’s worth going into the Museum. There you can see the original statues and mosaics; replicas are placed in the open area of about one square kilometer.
Early Settlers and Athenian Control
The earliest settlers on Delos were fishermen or pirates who arrived approximately four thousand years ago. Over time, the island became an influential place of worship as the birthplace of Apollo. Athens sought control over Delos, using the pretence of an oracle demanding the island’s purification to gain administrative authority. In 426 BC, the Athenians forbade being born and dying on Delos. Despite the rise and fall of empires around the Mediterranean, Delos remained a hub for trade and worship.
Roman Influence and Prosperity
The Romans, like the Athenians, used Delos to defeat their opponents. In 167 BC, they declared its port duty-free and deported the Delians, making way for new settlers. Greeks, Italians, Syrians, Jews, Egyptians, and Phoenicians created a bustling town where visitors could buy anything, including slaves. More than 250 ships could anchor in its port, and many residents displayed their wealth with expensive lamps. The island thrived as a commercial center .
Agora of the Competaliasts
The Agora of the Competaliasts was home to merchants and bankers from southern Italy and Sicily. They were under the patronage of Hermes, the protector of travellers and merchants. Unfortunately, Hermes was also the god of thieves, and in 88 and 69 BC, pirates and enemies of Rome plundered the city. Delos never fully recovered and was eventually abandoned. The ruins became an open-air quarry until the French Archaeological School of Athens began excavations in 1873.
French Excavations
The French aimed to excavate the entire island of Delos. Initially, most resources were dedicated to excavations at Delphi, but in 1903, Joseph Florimond, Duke of Loubat, made a generous donation to the project. Workers from Mykonos dug in harsh conditions, using wagons to dump debris into the sea, inadvertently burying the sacred port. The archaeologists revealed most of the sanctuary and a residential section, but much of the ancient city remains buried
Oikos of the Naxians
The Oikos of the Naxians was built in the 7th century BC and renovated a century later. It may have been an early temple of Apollo or a storage facility for valuable offerings. The building featured eight slim Ionian columns and a massive marble base outside that supported the famous Colossus of the Naxians, a towering statue of Apollo.
Colossus of the Naxians
The statue of Apollo was nine meters tall and depicted him as a kouros, a nude male youth. He held either a bow and arrows or the Three Graces. His long hair was made of bronze and visible from the sea. The statue’s base weighed 32 tons and bore inscriptions from the Naxians. The statue was so tall that its head protruded above every building in the sanctuary.
These pictures were taken from points 1-6 of the route; the museum is located between points 6 and 7.
