The detail of a mosaic from the second century BCE at the House of Dionysus on Delos. [Photo/Courtesy of Lizy Manola]

Today, the austere landscape of Mykonos is still dominated by white houses of pure geometry, dry walls laid stone by stone to mark the boundaries of landowners, and hard-edged rocks. These organic forms always create spectacles of shadow and light under the sun's rainbow; their footpaths remain magically silent despite the surrounding summer noises; the whitewashed stairs are still lined with fragrant pots of basil and bougainvillea bursting over the balconies. Wild plums, reeds, flowers and prickly pears continue to grow in the fields. The moon shines over the rooftops and lizards spring out of nowhere wherever you go. Every single day is a constant reminder of how lucky one is to live on this island, absorb its energy and leave a footprint on its golden sands.

Mykonos has undergone a radical transformation from one of the poorest islands in Greece to one of the most glamorous. Its reputation for unbridled hedonism appealed to playboys, aristocrats and bohemians alike, as the harbour teemed with the yachts of Greek shipping tycoons like Aristotle Onassis, who opened a heliport in 1971, and Jacqueline Kennedy.