DELOS ARCHAEOLOGICAL SITE
Second great archaeological site of the Mediterranean inscribed on the Unesco World Heritage List.
Huge field of ruins of 3,5 km2, here is the second biggest archaeological site of the Mediterranean after the one of the Valley of the Temples (13 km2), in Sicily. All the island is classified "archaeological museum" by Greece and registered with the world heritage of UNESCO since 1990.
The island has been excavated by French archaeologists since 1873 but only a third of it has been cleared. However, this should keep you busy for a full day, or even two if you don't want to rush through everything like some tourist groups who rush through the whole thing in 3 hours (this allows their guide to do two rotations in a day). In order, we suggest you visit Delos from the port to the Inopos district with, in addition, if you have time, the Cynthe mount and the Stadium district. You can easily get to the archaeological museum from the sanctuary of Apollo, the Lake district or the Stadium district.
1 - Port. Inevitably unavoidable: this is where you will arrive and where you will leave (be careful not to miss the last boat!). It is a place full of history.
2 - Agora des Compétaliastes. This market is the first monument you will see.
3 - Sacred way. For the pilgrims in the past and for the tourists today, it is an obligatory passage towards the north of the island (sanctuary of Apollo, district of the Lake, museum, district of the Stadium).
4 - Sanctuary of Apollo. Immense, it shelters only few speaking vestiges. But it was the heart of the religious activity and it allows to reach the districts of the Lake and the Stadium as well as the museum.
5 - Lake District. A must-see, since this is where the most famous monument on the island is located, the Terrace of the Lions.
6 - Theater district. South of the Agora of the Competaliastes. It is the oldest and densest ancient residential complex of the island. Its narrow streets and high well-preserved walls hold some surprises and lead to the ruins of the great theater.
7 - Inopos neighborhood. Between the Theater district and Mount Cynthe, it houses the most beautiful mosaics of the island.
8 - Mount Cynthe. We can make the dead end. But all the same, the ascent is worth it for the view and it is also where the myth of Apollo began.
9 - Stadium district. In the north-east of the island, this is not a must-see either. But with its sports facilities and its synagogue, the oldest outside of Palestine, its history is rich.
Did you know? This review was written by our professional authors.
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