Rineia #268

Description

Rhenia is a Cycladic island of the Aegean Sea. It is located near Mykonos, while its area is 13,904 sq.km. The length of its coast reaches 43 kilometers. Rinia today is uninhabited and belongs to the Municipality of Mykonos.

Rhenia has traces of habitation since the 5th millennium BC. In historical years the island was in the shadow of neighboring Delos.

In 530 BC the tyrant Polycrates of Samos occupied the island and dedicated it to the sanctuary of Apollo of Delos. This fact is also the first historical reference we have for Rhenia.

When the Athenians imposed purification on the island of Delos, during the first years of the Peloponnesian war and decided that no one should be born or die on the holy island, Rhenia turned into a vast necropolis.

At the same time, a hospital operated on the island where the seriously ill who were no longer allowed to stay on Delos ended up. After the decline of Delos, Rhenia was abandoned.

In modern years the island is used as a grazing ground for flocks from the neighboring island of Mykonos.

Rhenia, separated from the island of Delos by a small strait, has wonderful beaches with exceptionally clean and clear waters.

On the island there are four lonely sandy beaches, named Glyfada, Stena, Lia and Abelia, protected by two bays.

The sea has a very beautiful blue-green color that changes as you approach the coast.

There you will have time to swim in the crystal clear waters, sunbathe on the fine sandy beach or take walks around the coast.

The best and most beautiful way to visit the beaches of Rhenia is by boat. For those who do not have a boat, they can visit it by cruise ship, usually combining it with a visit to neighboring Delos.