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Tinos in Greece

Tinos lies in the northern Cyclades, between Andros and Mykonos. The island has about 8,600 inhabitants spread in about fifty villages. The surface area is 197 km2, and Tinos is the fourth largest island in the Cyclades, after Naxos, Andros and Paros. The two main villages are Tinos town, or Chora (4,760 inhabitants) and Panormos (340 inhabitants). The three nearest neighbouring islands are Andros, Mykonos and Syros. The highest mountain is Tsiknias, measuring 724 meters above sea level and is located on the eastern side of the island.

 

Kolymbithra beach is the best beach on Tinos in the Cyclades.

Kolymbithra is best beach on Tinos.

 

Tinos is an exceptional island in many ways. Among other things, here is a live attraction that is changing every day. I think of Panagia Evangelistra, the church whose holy icon is said to heal sick people. Not only sick people is healed, some miracles is also said to be caused by the icon. Many people crawls all the way to the icon, all the way from the port. You can only imagine what a great pains it is.

I think that I can say that I have never witnessed anything like this spectacle that each day takes place in and around this church. Then I have travelled a lot in India, and there it really happens strange things.

 

Panagia Evangelistria on Tinos is Greece's most important church and is visited by pilgrims from all over country.

Panagia Evangelistra is one of Greece's most important churches.

 

But Tinos has not only remarkable attractions to offer. It is a colourful island where the Greek everyday life comes first, and tourism in second place. The island is visited mostly by Greeks who come to visit the church. As a result Tinos is almost completely untouched by foreign tourism and is therefore one of few Greek islands that still feels genuine. Tinos means: Welcome to Greece!




Are you looking for the genuine Greece, then you do not need to search anymore. Tinos is also a lush and green island with an amazingly inviting landscape. Many say that Naxos is the greenest island in the Cyclades, but I venture to say that Tinos is in the same class.

 

Greece's finest villages can be found on the island of Tinos in the Cyclades.

Nowhere else in Greece are there so many beautiful villages as on Tinos. Photo from Exobourgos.

 

What most distinguishes Tinos from other Greek islands are the picturesque villages. I've been to 65 Greek islands, nowhere else have I seen so many lovely villages, like on Tinos. Certainly there are islands with nice villages, Chora on Amorgos and Chora on Ios are two of many examples, but there is no other island with so many lovely villages like Tinos. It is said to be around 50 villages on Tinos, and with a few exceptions, they are very, very wonderful.

 

Read about the 15 best beaches on Tinos here »

 

Not only that, many villages are completely pedestrianized. The beautiful scenery, the picturesque villages and the characteristic dovecotes makes Tinos one of the most exciting islands in the Cyclades. It is a paradise for those who want to experience the genuine Greece. If you like beaches, you will of course find it too, like the beaches of Kolymbithra that you see at the top of the page.

 

Tinos town is like Athens but in miniature.

Tinos town (Chora) is like Athens in miniature format and here you can eat very good food.

 

Tinos is also an island for those who like to explore the Greek homely fare. Really good Greek food is available on all islands, otherwise it would be strange, but it is not so easy to find it. Especially not on islands where the foreign tourism is the most salient. To just serve tourist food like mousaka and souvlaki on Tinos would never work. Many Greeks come here for the day, they have time for two things: visit the church and eat food.

Restaurant Malamatenia in Chora is one of Tinos best restaurants and tavernas.

At Restaurant Malamatenia in Chora you can eat very good Greek food.

 

Lunch is for the Greeks as holy as a visit to the church, and then you can not serve any half measure. It benefits us foreign tourists, and it is just to accept it and be thankful. Some of the island's specialties is smoked pork (louza), sausage (loukaniko) and artichoke. Capers from the island is also common in the cooking.


You can read more about Tinos via the links at the end of this page.

A very short summary of the information comes here:

 

It is easy to travel to Tinos. Either you fly to Athens and continue by ferry from Piraeus or Rafina. (Buses to Rafina and Piraeus starts out outside the arrival terminal at the airport.) Or you go by air to Mykonos and continue by ferry to Tinos from there.

Tinos has, as said, been endowed with amazingly beautiful villages. In principle all are worth seeing. The ones I like the most is Chora, Kardiani, Agapi, Tarabados, Volax, Smardakito and Pyrgos.

 

Smardakito is one of many genuine villages on Tinos in the Cyclades.

Smardakito is one of many genuine villages on Tinos.

 

I do not think that anyone travels to Tinos just for the sake of beaches. It is the villages that attracts. But there are a lot of beaches, and some of them are really good. Agios Fokas, Agios Sostis, Livada and Kolymbithra (see photo on top) are my favourites. Other beaches are Agios Ioannis, Agios Romanos, Pachia Amos, Kionia, Kalivia and Gianaki.

 

Agios Fokas is the beach closest to Tinos town.

Agios Fokas is the beach closest to Tinos town.

 

Tinos largest sight is obviously the church of Panagia Evangelistria. Other interesting attractions are the magnificent scenery, the nice villages, the dovecotes, the fortress of Exobourgo and the abandoned village of Monastiria.

The range of hotels and pensions are very large, especially in Tinos Town. Are you coming in August, and especially around the 15th, when many comes to visit the church, you have to pre-book in good time. Room owners usually meets up all ferries and if you have not booked in advance, it is a good idea to follow one of them.


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