Tinos is the island of miracles!
This Cycladic island has a magical energy that will magnetize you. The north, the marble, the stone and a divine aura have sculpted the land of Tinos.
Infinite small traditional villages, excellent gastronomy, pristine beaches and hospitable inhabitants are waiting for you as soon as you get off the ship.
It is characterized by many as the island of Megalohari, as Tinos is the most important pilgrimage destination in Greece.
Thousands of people flock to the Holy Temple of Evangelistria every year to fulfill a vow to the Virgin Mary.
However, religiosity is scattered throughout the island. Catholicism and Orthodoxy coexist harmoniously and you will notice white chapels everywhere.
For others, Tinos is the handmade island with the barren beauty, the stone dry stones and the elaborate doves that compose its beautiful landscape.
By and large, however, Tinos is the island of artists.
The birthplace of the most important Greek sculptors and painters, such as Giannoulis Halepas, Nikiforos Lytras, Nikolaos Gyzis and Giannis Gaitis, Tinos continues to this day its artistic tradition especially in marble and in every corner you will find works of art!
If we piqued your curiosity then do not be late, Tinos has so many beauties to discover and explore that we are sure will not disappoint you.
The capital and port of Tinos is Chora, a modern settlement with Cycladic elements where you will find everything you ask for.
Accommodation, hotels, countless cafes and bars with modern aesthetics, restaurants, taverns and shops for endless hours of walking and relaxing!
In Chora you will also find the church of Panagia at the end of a picturesque cobbled street with tourist shops that is full of life every summer.
Villages
But if you want to get to know the real Tinos and its authentic beauty, start immediately the tour of its picturesque villages that are over 45 and spread all over the interior of the island.
In Exomeria, you will find the villages of marble and artists. Pyrgos is one of the most beautiful villages of the Cyclades and is essentially an open-air museum as art is all around you.
From here begins the tradition of Tinian marble and in its picturesque alleys you will find the School of Fine Arts, marble sculptures, art museums and traditional cafes under the shade of a century-old plane tree to relax and steal some of the inspiration that this generous village offers. .
If you continue after Pyrgos you will find yourself in the quiet and picturesque port of Panormos that looks like a movie set with fish taverns, colorful boats and the island of Planitis with its lighthouse.
Other villages of Exomeria that are worth visiting are the amphitheater Ysternia with the amazing view of the sea and the orange sunset and Kardiani with the rich nature, the springs and the picturesque alleys!
In Kato Meri, as the villages around Mount Xomburgo are called, the landscape changes and huge granite boulders are scattered everywhere on the hills, composing a lunar landscape.
In the village of Volax, among the picturesque alleys you will find Cycladic houses built on the huge rocks that sprout from everywhere, flowery courtyards, poems and verses on the windows and local basket weavers still practice their art in the workshops of the village.
Volax is the most photographed village of Tinos and as soon as you arrive you will understand why!
In Kato Meri you will meet other traditional villages such as Tarabados with its countless pigeons, Loutra with the School of Ursulines and the imposing church of Ag. Joseph and the small village of Koumaros with the community cafe and the theater.
The list does not stop here, Kampos, Xinara, Agapi, Krokos, Skalados, Steni, Komi, Aetofolia all have something special and unique!
Beaches
The beaches of the island are scattered along the coastline and show great alternations.
Others organized with shallow waters and golden beaches and other pristine, ideal for relaxation with spooky landscapes of incomparable beauty and seabed full of mystery.
Among the most popular beaches of the island is Kolimbithra. On the long coast you will find an alternative beach bar and infrastructure for surfing in the wild waves while in the small creek right next door you will enjoy swimming and the beautiful sandy beach!
In Exo Meria you will find Rochari with the pillows and the hammocks for endless relaxation and the enchantment The Holy Sea with Kavalurko.
In the latter you will admire the islet of Planet and the waves crashing on the rocks that have carved the figure of Aeolus, the god of the wind.
You will find dunes and clear blue waters in Pachia Ammos and Santa Margarita.
Rocks that have taken all kinds of shapes and white pebbles compose the landscape in the beautiful Livada and Lychnaftia.
While if you are looking for all your amenities we suggest the beaches of Agios Fokas, Kalivia, Agios Romanos and Agios Ioannis of Porto with the countless beach bars and taverns! Some of the most beautiful beaches of Tinos can be reached only on foot from small paths.
Apigania whose waters look like a pool and Vathi, the small fishing village will definitely compensate you!
Activities
If you are a fan of hiking then you are welcome to one of the most ideal destinations for your favorite activity.
Tinos has a large network of marked trails, excellently organized with routes of lesser or greater difficulty that cross the entire island.
Go through villages, rural houses, strange rock formations and monuments of nature and man and reach beautiful beaches or a village to sunbathe!
Intertwined in recent years with surfing, the beach of Kolimbithra is an earthly paradise for the riders of the waves.
Climbing routes have been created on the rocks of Exomburgo. Climb the granite rocks and admire the view of Tinos from above at the castle of Agia Eleni!
If, nevertheless, you have identified your vacation with fun, then get ready because during the Easter and summer months you will find daily parties and traditional festivals in the villages for spree until the morning.
The summer is organized on the island and the Exombourge Festival which hosts cultural events such as concerts, theatrical performances and speeches in various parts of the island. Do not miss it!
Sights
Tinos is a whole open-air museum as everywhere you will see works of art by marble, by local artists.
On the island, however, there are more than 30 museums with separate collections that preserve the history of the island.
The Museum of Marble in Pyrgos, the Archaeological Museum of Tinos, the Gallery with the important works of the 19th century, the Museum-House of Giannoulis Halepas are some of the most popular.
In almost every village, however, you will find folklore museums that, at the initiative of the inhabitants, preserve samples of the daily life of the island in the past.
Tinos is considered, among other things, a destination for religious tourism.
Apart from the Evangelistria of Tinos in Chora, the catholic Agios Nikolaos is of great interest, the chapels that are mushrooming everywhere, the incomparably beautiful church of Agios Joseph in Loutra, the Monastery of Agia Pelagia in Arnados and the Monastery of Ierfos in Karygos Kard .
In many of them you will also find church museums with rare collections.
Finally, in Tinos it is worth admiring the works of man and nature that converse in a magical encounter.
The ornate pigeons and the solid dry stones become one with the landscape and the barren areas of wild beauty.
And for an unforgettable experience, visit Volax and Falatado and feel the primordial aura among the huge spherical boulders.
In recent years, Tinos has developed into one of the top gastronomic destinations in Greece.
In the restaurants of the island the chefs combine the local products, the pure ingredients and the traditional recipes with techniques of high gastronomy creating unforgettable flavors while in the traditional taverns that you will find in all the villages the recipes with meat and local cold cuts will drive you crazy.
The land of Tinia gives birth to countless delicacies! Try the artichoke in various recipes and salads with local capers and string beans.
Choose to combine them with sausage and louina of Tinos and local cheeses such as the local gruyere, the volaki and the special cariki that matures in pumpkins.
The traditional recipes are dominated by furtalia, omelette with potatoes and sausages, lamb, bebum karum with sausage and garlic macaroni!
Although on the island you will find mainly meat specialties, you will also find amazing taverns by the sea with fresh fish and seafood.
You can accompany your meal with the wonderful local wines from the wineries and the local award-winning beer of the microbrewery of the island.
However, in every village someone will be found to treat you to a “strong” raki for the welcome!
You can end the journey of flavors in Tinos with exceptional macaroons but also a special recipe of sweet cheese pies with the lacy shape.
Extra tip: Every year on the island is held the Food Paths Festival where visitors from all over the world arrive on the island to get to know the Tinian gastronomy and the food of its production through a tour of the countryside and the villages of the island!
