Today I took a day tour to the islands of Delos and Mykonos from Naxos. First, I did a trip in time to one of the richest cities of Antiquity, and then, I sailed across to a modern-day playground for the rich and beautiful people.
Crossing the Aegean Like Odysseus… Well, Not Quite
I woke up and had an early breakfast at the hotel. By 8:30, I was at the Naxos small port looking for my tour boat, The Alexander. By 8:45, I was boarding the boat. The Alexander was a two story boat large enough for 150 passengers. Perhaps even more. The bottom part of the boat was completely enclosed. It had a snack bar where you could order coffee and buy snacks like chips, cookies, and soda. It also had tables and chairs in front of the snack bar. Further down, there were about 15 isles of seats similar to the seats you would find in a bus or airplane. The upper deck was completely open, except for a small area at the front of the boat, but for the most part, it was completely open. It had some shade at certain seats. Those were the first to become occupied. I was lucky enough to get one. I faced the sea and the wind flew pleasantly… until the boat began to rock and sway.
The wind had picked up and the sea was restless. I was not feeling so great. I was becoming a little dizzy. Perhaps it was not such a great idea to get on this boat. I had a really, strong urge to get off. At 9:00 the whistle blew and our boat departed the port. Too late to get off.
The Alexander sailed out of Naxos town towards Naoussa, Paros. The strong winds blew in my face which helped with my dizziness. The waves crashed strongly against the vessel sending sea spray high up the upper deck of The Alexander. The cold water felt good on my face.
The ship maneuvered around the small islands dotting Naxos. I kept my eyes fixed on the waves that smashed against their rocky shores. About twenty minutes later, we arrived in Naoussa where we picked up a few more passengers. A few minutes after leaving Paros, the waters calmed and my nausea dissipated. Finally, I could enjoy the sea and I imagined I was an ancient Greek warrior like Odysseus traversing the Aegean.
Delos: Ancient Great City
The Alexander arrived at Delos an hour after departing Naoussa. Even from the boat, Delos was impressive. The remnants of the old city lined the hill. There were columns, walls, stone steps lining the hills and large structures that were once great temples.
Delos is uninhabited, by law. Since it is the Greece’s largest archeological site and an ancient temple, it is forbidden to live or stay the night in Delos. Only the caretakes and archeologists are allowed to sleep there. Swimming in Delos is also forbidden since part of the ancient city is now underwater.
Delos is the mythical birthplace of the god Apollo (god of light, balance, and moderation) and his twin sister Artemis (goddess of the moon and the hunt). In ancient times, the island was considered sacred and temples to Apollo and Artemis were erected here. It was also an important city for trade and commerce. Delos was a rich, free city in ancient times. Unfortunately, in 88 BC, the island was raided by enemies of the Romans. Later raids destroyed the city and if was finally abandoned.
A Very Hot Tour
I descended the boat and made my way to the entrance to purchase a ticket. At the same time, other boats arrived and deposited their passengers onto the island. As I waited in line for a ticket, a short lady approached the line and announced that for a fee of $23 euros, she could give a tour of the city. Entrance ticket included. I agreed. After all, I knew nothing about Delos and a tour would be extremely helpful. I left the line and followed her. The tour guide, Yolanda, hustled up more clients. After she collected a group of about 15, she proceeded to purchase our tickets and took us through the sites.
Yolanda was a great tour guide. Very knowledgably. We followed her through the labyrinth of streets, houses, and temples. I became friends with a gay couple from Maryland. Their names were Alonso and Jake (“Jake from State Farm,” Jake had said when he introduced himself so I would remember him). “But I don’t work at State Farm,” he clarified. “I do hair.” His partner Alonso was a Southwest flight attendant.
The thing to know about Delos is that there is no shade. Absolutely none. When the Greeks designated this as an ancient sacred archeological site, they meant it. There is no store, no roof of any kind. Just some toilets and a museum that was closed for renovations. You cannot buy water or refreshments or even souvenirs. You need to come prepared.
The sun was killing me. It was so hot and relentless. Absolutely no shade, no passing cloud of any kind. My shoulders and back were burning up.
After about an hour, Yolanda’s tour ended. Alonso, Jake, a Scottish man named John, and I toured the rest of the island together.
Mykonos: Windmills, Good Food, and Instagramers
Three hours after we arrived in Delos, The Alexander came back to pick us up. I was getting a headache from the heat. Even though I had brought water with me, the sun had been too much. I stayed in the lower deck of the boat and drank a coke to get a sugar boost. The trip to Mykonos only took 15 minutes. When we arrived in the town of Chora, I was exhausted from the sun. I had no desire to go explore the town in the mid-day heat with my headache. So I did what I do best. I found a restaurant facing the port and got some food.
The Veneto was an Italian restaurant with chic décor and a gourmet menu (what isn’t gourmet in Mykonos?). I sat at a table with direct view of the water and plenty of shade. The seafood linguini I ordered was out of this world. It had a sauce made from the broth of the seafood that I cannot even begin to describe. It was by far one of the best pastas I’ve ever had in my life. I’m craving seafood pasta now, yet I don’t dare order it because I know it will not be as good as what I had in The Veneto.
The food helped me recuperate and after all the rest and full belly, I began to explore Mykonos. I walked to Little Venice. The heat was relentless. Mykonos was also suffering from strong winds. As I walked through Little Venice, the waves crashed against the walls and the sea splashed some of the tables. I visited the windmills and sat for a while admiring the sea and the beautiful town composed of white buildings and random windmills on the hills.
I began to explore the maze of alleys. They were similar to the ones in Naxos. The typical white washed buildings with windows and banisters painted in blue tones and reds. But unlike Naxos, the storefronts and alleyways of Mykonos looked more refined. The people here looked more glamourous. Beautiful women in cute dresses filled the alleyways. You heard more Americans than in Naxos. And everywhere you turned someone was posing for a picture or taking a selfie. In fact, I had to watch where I walked, not because I risked tripping on something, but rather because you ran the risk of photobombing or accidently end up in someone’s glamourous shot. To be frank, it was beyond annoying. At one point as I was looking at a church, I was told, rather rudely by someone if I could please get out of their shot. I was so pissed! I answered, “in fact, I was going to ask you the same thing. Do you mind getting out of the way?” Seriously?
After being in Naxos for a few days, Mykonos looked a little “fake.” It’s like when you go to Main Street in Disneyworld. Yes, it looks like an American main street, but it’s not really a main street, you know? No main street in America is that nice. Same with Mykonos. In no way am I bashing Mykonos. I actually wish I would have spent at least two days here so I could experience the nightlife that it is so famous for.
As I walked back to The Alexander, I noticed all the mega yachts. They were impressive! With large pools that were visible from the port. I had never seen anything like that.
Flamingo Bar and Greek Dancing
The Alexander arrived back at the Naxos Small Port at 7pm. Overall, it was an amazing tour. I went back to the hotel to shower and take some headache medicine. I went out to a rooftop bar called Flamingo Bar. It had live Greek music. I ordered a cocktail and listened to the group. At some point, one of the singers asked me to dance. We did a Greek dance in front of the bar and I had a lot of fun! It was a fabulous way to end the night.