Frequent tourist boats from Mykonos, leaving every 45 minutes daily, take visitors to this rocky and arid island, which, according to Greek mythology, was the birthplace of Apollo and Artemis. Apollo's sanctuary attracted pilgrims from all over Greece and Delos was the most important Panhellenic sanctuary. Traces of succeding cultures in the Aegean world, from the 3rd millennium B.C. to the palaeochristian era, have been uncovered around the area of the sanctuary.
Delos was a sacred place with splendid buildings and sanctuaries and as such, it was never forgotten. Numerous pieces of sculpture were transferred to Museums of Greece and abroad, while marbles from the ancient buildings were used as building material by the inhabitants of the nearby islands.

The excavations on Delos started at the end of XIX century by the French School of Archaeology in Athens. Between 1904 and 1914, under the direction of M. Holleaux and thanks to the donation of Duke de Loubat, the most significant sections of the ancient site were uncovered. The excavations are still carried out by the French School of Archaeology, but the religious, political and commercial centre of the island has already been revealed along with many private houses.
Amid other sites, the preserved marble theatre that was built at the beginning of III B.C. and replaced an earlier wooden structure, is to be seen. Much like the Doric Temple of Hera, built around 500 B.C., with the altar of the goddess erected to the south; the Lions Terrace, the exact numeber of lions is not clear, but of those known five are still on site and one was taken to Venice.