Despotiko

Despotiko is empty now except for goats, but in the seventh and sixth centuries BC it held one of the major sanctuaries of the Cyclades, dedicated to Apollo and Artemis and connected to the network centred on nearby Delos. Excavation since 1997 has uncovered a temple, an extensive complex of halls, dining rooms and workshops, and thousands of votive offerings including Egyptian scarabs and Corinthian pottery that show the reach of its contacts. Since 2013 the team has been re-erecting columns and walls from the original blocks, so the site now has standing architecture rather than foundations alone, unusual for a dig of this kind. Boats cross from Antiparos in twenty minutes, and there is nothing else on the island.

What you actually see

• The re-erected temple - columns and walls rebuilt from original blocks.
• The sanctuary complex - halls, dining rooms and workshops in plan.
• The empty island - open ground, goats and no development at all.
• The crossing - a short boat trip through shallow turquoise water.

When to go

Late spring and September, when boats run and the heat is manageable; the site has no shade whatever. Excavation seasons in summer sometimes restrict access to working areas.

Honest expectations

Access depends entirely on boats, which do not run in wind and are seasonal. There are no facilities, water or toilets on the islet. The site is unguarded and unsigned in places, and archaeological work can close sections.

Nearby

Antiparos town and its cave are across the strait; Paros lies beyond.