Rhenea

The Island of Gold

Golden Sceneries and Emerald Waters that will Seal your Memory

An endless world of deserted land lies just a few meters away from the sacred island. This paradisiacal illumination glows under the stars. Even beyond paradise. Just before dawn, the first rays of the sun reflect on the fiery gold coast of Rhenea. Invisible chains seem to unite the island of Rhenea with Delos.A journey to Rhenea will remain unforgettable, as the opportunity to explore a place untouched from human presence is one in a million! You can even call it your own corner of paradise. Will you flirt with in the goldish colours of nature? Even yourself bets that you will! And as the sailors say, the sceneries of Rhenea will seal your memory forever and ever!

Rhenea

Best of Rhenea

Rhenea is an uninhabited island extending over an area of fourteen square kilometers with a coastline of fourty three kilometers. A strip of land of just one kilometer seperates the islands of Rhenea and Delos along with the rocky islets of Mikros Rematiaris and Megalos Rematiaris. On the northeast side of the island, there is a rocky isle namely Kounelonisi with the charming chapel of Agios Georgios. As the island is uninhabited, the sole sights of interest include some scattered farmhouses and five churches. The majority of the farmhouses are located close to the church of Agia Triada in front of a beautiful sandy beach. Remnants of a Hellenistic town along with the relics of the sanctuary of Hercules are still preserved on this site. A beautiful path framed from stone walls starts from the harbour of Kassaris and leads to the deserted settleemnt of Agia Triada. Also, relics of a Hellenistic sanctuary and remannts of an early Christian basilica are preserved on the islet of Megalos Rematiaris. On the southern side of the island, there is a lighthouse that is considered to be a replica of the notorious lighthouse of Alexandria while the ancient cemeteries lies on the south side of Rhenea. Rhenea is accessible either by private boat or by excursion boats from the island of Mykonos.

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About Rhenea

General Information about Rhenea

Rhenea is an uninhabited island extending over an area of fourteen square kilometers with a coastline length of fourty three kilometers. A strip of just one kilometer seperates the islands of Rhenea and Delos along with the rocky islets of Mikros Rematiaris and Megalos Rematiaris. Rhenea has many coves, bays and isolated beaches ideal for those who own a private boat. The island of Rhenea along with the island of Kounelonisi and the rocky isle of Htpodia have been declared as a special protection area from the European Network of Natura 2000. Discover Rhenea through a photographic journey of Google!

Historical Information about Rhenea

Archaeological excavations show that the island has been inhabited since the 5th century BC. According to the historical texts of Thucydides, the tyrant of Samos, Polycrates, dominated Rhenea and dedicated to God Apollo of Delos tying in with a chain to Delos in 530 BC. The remnants of the ancient town of Abelonas on the northwest side of the island were abandoned in late 5th century BC, when a part of the town was precipitated into the sea. It is very likely that the period that Delos retained the exclusively sacred nature, Rhenea was the original city of Delos and whoever was not directly related to the operation of the Sanctuary of Apollo lived here. In 426 BC, the Athenians decided to purify Delos for reasons of piety. To this extend, they opened all the graves of the island and moved the bones and the funerary offering to Rhenea. At the same time, they dedicated that no one could be born or die on Delos, as it was the sacred island and the birthplace of God Apollo. For this reason, pregnant women and people close to dying were carried to the neighboring island of Rhenea, accepting the uniqueness and sacredness of the island, during the years of the Delian Alliance. The first curator of Antiquities in the Cyclades namely Dimitrios Stavropoulos discovered and excavated the archaeological site of Rhenea. Important findings are exhibited in the Archaeological Museum of Mykonos.

Travel Information about Rhenea

By Boat (5.2 Nautical Miles): Rhenea is accessible either by private boat or by excursion boats from the island of Mykonos.

Emerald, Sapphire and Turquoise Waters

Rhenea has numerous beautiful beaches with turquoise waters. These include Ampelia, Agia Triada and Lygia in the west, Kassaris, Karantines, Nataliotis and Stena in the east and Skinos in the south.

Organized Excursions to Rhenea

The Friends Association of Delos and Rhenea was established in 2000 with the intention of protecting, preserving, restoring and promoting the monuments of Delos and Rhenea. To this extend, the association organizes excursions, exhibitions and toursf. You can contact the association by calling 0030 22890 27791.

Millions of Daisies in Spring

The best time to visit the island by boat is just before dawn in spring. One will have the opportunity to witness the moment when the sun comes through in vermillion colors out the deep blue of the Aegean. Rhenea is covered with millions of daisies in spring!

Sailing and Yachting in Rhenea

Rhenea is one of the best destinations for the lovers of sailing and yachting. Ideal spots for anchorage include the bays of Kassari and Generali.

The Lady of Rhenea: Katerina Santorinaiou

One of the legendary figures of the Cyclades was Katerina Santorinaiou known as the Lady of Rhenea. She was the last permanent resident of Rhenea who lived there until her death in 1990. Katerina and her husband were engaged in agriculture and cattle breeding. She used to take care the churches of the island, and today her son supports the church of Agios Georgios.