The incredible abandoned Greek island you're not allowed to stay on
Census stats say 14 people live on Delos, all working to preserve it, and there are no hotels to accommodate visitors. Yet for long stretches of history, this World Heritage site was one of the most important places in the Greek world. Pilgrims, traders and monument builders flocked to the island that has been regarded as the centre of the Cyclades group for centuries.
To my shame, I had never heard of Delos before browsing through the excursions list aboard the Majestic Princess. The ship was calling at Delos' much better-known – and far more crowded – neighbour, Mykonos. A 40-minute side trip by ferry to the mythical birthplace of Apollo sounded intriguing.
In legend, the god of light, archery, music, healing and about a million other things is the extramarital offspring of Zeus – king of the gods – and the Titaness Leto. Zeus' furiously jealous wife, Hera, forbade any lands from giving the pregnant Leto shelter, so she ended up on the supposedly floating island of Delos.
After Apollo's birth, Delos was finally attached to the ocean floor with Zeus' diamond chains, and it's fair to say that Leto wouldn't be the first visitor.
As it turns out, the story of humans on the island is far more fascinating than the one of the gods. It is most comprehensively told in the island's museum, but more atmospherically understood by walking through the extensive ruins.
The remains of a giant statue give an idea of what Delos once was. Only the hips, torso and base of Colossus of the Naxians are still present – although the left foot has been predictably snaffled by the British Museum.
In around 600 BC, however, it was a nine-metre-tall statue, with copper hair so that the sunlight would bounce off it and swathe its surrounds. It was built by the people of Naxos, ostensibly as a tribute to Apollo, but realistically to show off to the other Greek city states.
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