I visited Delos right from the overnight ferry between Samos and Mykonos. The ferry was supposed to arrive at 7.35, got an hour’s delay, and with the necessary hop on the SeaBus from Mykonos cruise/ferry port to the Old Port I arrived just in time to pick up my pre-booked tickets for the 10 a.m. departure. The Delos Tours boat was fully packed, I think there were at least 200 people on board for the half-hour crossing to the island of Delos. Once at Delos, you still have to buy an 8 EUR entrance ticket at the ticket office (which also holds the UNESCO plaque). I knew this was coming, so made sure I was one of the first off the boat.

There’s some restoration going on at the moment at Delos: the on-site museum is closed and the South Stoa is covered by a huge iron construction. There is still more than enough to see though: I spent 2.5 hours there, combining the blue and green itineraries that are scarcely signposted at the site itself and much easier followed from the useful map they give you at the entrance. I started from the end, as to further avoid the crowds. To give an idea of how large the site is: the map has 100 numbered entries!

From the north of the settlement (with the famous Lions Terrace) I walked 'upwards' towards the eastern part. I found that area, covered by the green route, the most interesting. As it is located on a hill, you have beautiful views over the entire site and you can see how densely built up it was.

In this area, you’ll also notice the ‘foreign’ influences that Delos is known for. The temple for the Egyptian goddess Isis is the best one still standing. The Phoenician owner of the House of the Dolphins had a Tanit mosaic placed in his vestibule.

There is also a large theater with seating for 6,500 spectators, of which the 'normal' seats have now almost completely disappeared. Only the seats of honor – with backrests – in the front row are still there. Next door is an impressive reservoir to store rainwater and feed it to the theater. Cisterns and large pitchers are common elements on this dry island anyway.

Near the theater, the most beautiful houses were located. Their walls are usually still standing. Many have a large mosaic in their courtyard. At the rest of the site many of the mosaics are covered with pebbles or plastic, but luckily they can still be seen here in their full glory. There is, among others, the House of the Masks (with images of masks used in the theater), the House of Dionysus (with a courtyard surrounded by columns), and the House of the Trident (with a picture of a dolphin with an anchor).

The strength of the site, and it is really above average, also lies in its numerous statues and sculptures. Most (or all?) are replicas now, but I enjoyed the depictions of bulls and lions. There even is a grand display of Erotic Art along one of the main roads, showing two huge phalluses.