Sitting in the heart of the Cyclades, Tinos is an island that beautifully blends history, culture, and natural beauty. While it may not be as widely known as its glamorous neighbours, Mykonos and Santorini, Tinos offers an authentic and enchanting Greek experience. You’ll find charming villages, stunning beaches, marble marvels, and deeply rooted religious traditions.
Tinos
Village
Village
There’s no airport, the main reason why it’s so unspoilt, so you need to arrive by sea, Regular ferries run from Athens, with the journey from Rafina the shortest, taking under two hours on a high-speed ferry. Tinos is also well-connected to the other Cycladic islands, so you could fly to Mykonos with boat trip taking around an hour.
Tinos Town
Ferry
Chora
Chora
Tinos Town, or Chora, is the bustling heart of the island. It boasts a lively waterfront lined with cafés, tavernas, and shops selling local crafts and souvenirs. Its narrow streets are lined with neoclassical buildings opening into beautiful courtyards, and tiny chapels. For art lovers, the Tinian Artists Museum showcases works by local sculptors and painters, reflecting the island’s artistic heritage.
Panagia Evangelistria Church
Panagia Evangelistria Church
Panagia Evangelistria Church
Panagia Evangelistria Church
The big attraction in Chora is the Panagia Evangelistria Church, also known as the Church of the Annunciation. It was built to house a miraculous icon of the Virgin Mary, discovered in 1823. It’s a major pilgrimage destination, particularly on August 15th, when thousands of Orthodox Christians arrive. Pilgrims crawl on their knees up a long red carpet from the port to the church to show their devotion.
Ursuline Convent
Ursuline Convent
Ursuline Convent
Ursuline Convent
The Ursuline Convent was established in 1862, in the village of Loutra, and its school attracted students from Greece and abroad. It closed its doors in 1993 but has been preserved exactly as it was. Explore eerie empty classrooms, still with their wooden desks and dormitories where the students and nuns lived. There’s also a collection of religious artefacts, including beautifully embroidered vestments, sacred vessels, and rare manuscripts that date back centuries.
Villages of Tinos
Beyond Chora, Tinos is dotted with white villages, each with its unique charm and character. Pyrgos, one of the most famous, is an open-air museum of marble art. Its central square, adorned with marble fountains and surrounded by traditional cafés, bears witness is a gallery of the marble craftsmanship. There’s also a Marble Museum showing the stone’s journey from raw material to refined masterpiece. .
Village
Abandoned Windmills
Dovecotes
Volax, a surreal village set amidst giant granite boulders, offers a completely different landscape. The village is known for its basket-weaving tradition, and you can still see artisans at work and purchase their baskets as souvenirs. Terraced hillsides, topped with defunct windmills are a reminder of Tinos’ agricultural past. Another memento are the hundreds of ornate two storey turreted dovecotes, like miniature fortresses, that go back to Venetian times. The pigeons not only provided meat but also their droppings were used as fertiliser.
Beaches
Tinos boasts some of the most beautiful beaches in the Cyclades, ranging from bustling seaside spots to secluded coves. Agios Fokas, the island’s longest beach, near Chora, is a favourite because of its golden sand and clear waters. Another is Kolymbithra Beach which is divided into two sections – one side is popular with surfers, while the other provides calmer waters for swimming.
Cove
Livada Beach offers a wilder, unspoiled landscape with dramatic rock formations and stunning turquoise waters. Other notable beaches include Pachia Ammos, known for its golden dunes, and Apigania, a hidden gem accessible only by foot or boat.
Gastronomy
The island’s cuisine is built on the foundation of local, seasonal ingredients. The terrain of fertile valleys and terraced hillsides is perfect for the cultivation of vegetables, herbs, and olives. Artichokes are a celebrated ingredient, with the island producing around 600,000 annually. They appear in stews, pies, and even desserts, and there’s an annual Artichoke Festival.
Artichoke
Charcuterie
Cheese
Dessert
Louza is Tinos’ answer to prosciutto, cured pork loin seasoned with spices and herbs, then air-dried. It’s thinly sliced and often served as a meze. Cheeses are also special – Kopanisti is a soft, peppery cheese with a distinctive spicy kick, while Volaki is a mild, round cheese often preserved in olive oil. Many chefs work closely with local farmers and fishermen, delivering a farm-to-table offer in the tavernas and restaurants.
Factfile
GO: Sky Express flies to Athens from London Gatwick.
Regular ferries run from Athen’s ports, Piraeus and Rafina.
INFO: Tinosecret has tourist information.
STAY: Vicenzo makes a comfortable base in Chora with tasty breakfasts.
EAT:
- Maistrali, on the seafront in Chora, has traditional dishes.
- Marathia, in Chora, has excellent local fish and seafood fine dining.
- Taverna Kounaria, in Aetofolia, serves authentic local food.