Tinos

About two and a half hours by boat from Rafina, or 15 minutes from Mykonos – and often overlooked because people are fixated on the Party Island.

CHORA TINOS - View of the port at Chora, Tinos capital
From http://www.photographia.gr/greece-pictures/area.php?area_id=21

Known for its wonderful, diverse villages (about 40 of them), Venetian dovecots (protected by UNESCO), as a place of pilgrimage to the Virgin Mary (avoid the 15th August and 25th March unless you like being swamped by religious experiences), as well as its aromatic scents of gorse, rosemary and oregano, Tinos is a great island, though not a party place like the adjacent Mykonos.

Greener than much of the Cyclades, because it has water, Tinos also has great local produce (sheeps cheese, honey) and a number of top class restaurants, as well as lovely walks and some good beaches, particularly on the west side.

One of the village gems is the exquisite little Kardiani (one of the prettiest ever) perched above the little bay of Aghios Nikolaos.

For restaurants, other than beach tavernas which can be found on most “organised” beaches, in town ChI particularly likes Tarsanas, at the end of the harbour (tel 22830 24667) which is open all year round, offering world class food in a laid back, casual atmosphere, where its multi-lingual Greek-Egyptian host, who speaks with an Oxbridge accent in English, explains the dishes and menu of Cycladic and Cretan dishes, with cosmopolitan verve and true care. Good wine cellar too.

 

Where to Stay

Stay at the Tinion, in the main town, or the 60s Tinos Beach Hotel, which has a slightly run-down air externally but a faded charm.