Unknown to many, a paradise island lies next to Mykonos and directly opposite Delos.
Rhenia, a small island with pristine beaches, remains unknown to many despite its proximity to famous Mykonos. It is an uninhabited islet, covering 14 sq. km and with a coastline of 43 km, lying directly opposite Delos, the sacred island of the ancient Greeks.
Rhenia is Delos's 'big sister' (the two islands together are usually called 'Diles' by Mykonians), from which it is separated by a small strait. The island consists of two sections, which are connected to each other by an isthmus.
On this little islet, in the heart of the Cyclades, time seems to have stood still. Here you'll find only a handful of tiny chapels and scattered farmhouses. Mykonians cultivate the 'partides', the agricultural plots they lease from the Municipality of Mykonos.
Those with their own boat will find on Rhenia very beautiful, secluded, sandy beaches with emerald waters. Alternatively, you can visit the island on a boat excursion by caique, that is combined with a visit to the archaeological site of Delos.
An island with a rich history
Rhenia shows traces of habitation from the 5th millennium BC. Despite the fact that Rhenia is larger, historically it was always in the shadow of smaller, neighboring Delos. In 530 BC the tyrant Polycrates of Samos seized the island and dedicated it to the sanctuary of Apollo on Delos. When the Athenians imposed purification on the island of Delos, in the early years of the Peloponnesian War, and decided that no one should be born or die on the sacred island, Rhenia was turned into a vast necropolis. At the same time, a sanatorium operated on the island to which the gravely ill were taken, as they were no longer allowed to remain on Delos. After Delos's decline, Rhenia was abandoned.
