Day trips from Mykonos: Delos, Rhenia, and the islands near by

We name the trips and describe them; we do not print boat or ferry times or prices, because they change with the season and a schedule on a travel page dates quickly. Check the current detail with the operators before you build a day around it.

Delos, the sacred island

The essential day trip from Mykonos is Delos, the small uninhabited island a short boat ride from the town, and one of the most important archaeological sites in all of Greece. In antiquity it was a sacred island and later a great trading port; today it is an open-air site of temples, houses, mosaics and the famous row of marble lions, with no modern town at all, reached only by the day-boats and closed once they leave in the afternoon.

It is the complete opposite of everything Mykonos is known for, which is exactly why it is the best possible day out: a morning among ruins with the sea all around and not a beach club in earshot. Because you go and return on the scheduled boats it is a half to most of a day, so treat it as the plan for the day rather than a stop between beaches, and bring shade, because the site is exposed with nowhere to hide from the sun.

Rhenia, the empty island next door

Just beyond Delos lies Rhenia, its larger, completely uninhabited neighbour, which many boat trips pair with the ruins as a swimming stop. It was the ancient burial island for sacred Delos, which is why it was left empty, and today it is a scatter of quiet coves and clear water with nobody living on it.

A combined trip gives you the best of both halves of a day out: the archaeology of Delos in the morning and a swim off an empty island in the afternoon, all within sight of Mykonos. It is the trip to take if you want the ruins but not a whole day of them.

The neighbouring Cyclades, by fast ferry

Mykonos sits in the middle of the Cyclades, and the fast ferries put several islands within a day’s reach. Tinos, the nearest, is the great pilgrimage island of Greece, built around a famous church and quietly beautiful away from it; Paros and Naxos, a little further, trade the party for long sandy beaches and green interiors; even Santorini is a long day out if you have never seen it.

A day-ferry to a neighbour is the trip for anyone whose Mykonos is more about the sea and the scenery than the night, and it previews the island-hop that many Cyclades trips make permanent. The sailing logic for any of these hops is in Greek island ferries.

How to choose

If you take one day out, make it Delos, because it is the trip only this corner of the Aegean can give you and it reframes an island otherwise built around the beach and the night. Add Rhenia to it for a swim if the combined boat suits you, and save a fast-ferry day for a neighbouring island if you want a complete change of pace. Whichever you pick, go on the calmer day and carry your own shade. The island itself is in the Mykonos guide and planned in the Mykonos itinerary.

Quick answers

What is the best day trip from Mykonos?

Delos, without much competition: a short boat ride to an uninhabited island that holds one of the most important ancient sites in Greece, an open-air city of temples, houses, mosaics and marble lions with no modern town on it at all. It is reached only by the day-boats and closed once they leave, so it is a half to most of a day, and it is the complete counterpoint to the island’s party reputation.

Can you visit other islands from Mykonos for the day?

Yes. Mykonos is central in the Cyclades and the fast ferries reach several islands in time to return the same day: Tinos, the pilgrimage island, is the nearest; Paros and Naxos add sandy beaches and green interiors; even Santorini is a long day out. A day-ferry to a neighbour suits anyone whose trip is more about the sea than the nightlife.

Do you need to book Delos in advance?

The boats run to a schedule and the island closes when they leave, so it is a trip to organise rather than to improvise, especially in high season and on a busy island. We do not print times or prices here because they change; check the current boats on the day. Bring water and shade, because the site is completely exposed.