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Tinos - Unspoiled beaches & villages

Kolymbithra Beach at Tinos

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Tinos, the holy island of Our Lady, it is still unspoiled and unaffected from tourism. Over 600 chapels, thousands of dovecotes and over forty beautiful villages give the island a distinct character. Tinos is the most famous pilgrimage place in Greece because the feast of Annunciation (25th of March) and the feast of Assumption (15th of August). The impressive church of Megalohari was built after Sister Pelagia - a nun at Moni Kechrovouniou - had visions of Virgin Mary revealed where an icon depicting her and Archangel was to be found. Early the next year (1823) the icon was found, close to the ruins of a byzantine church, after 850 years underground. The crypt where the icon was found is now the Chapel of Evresis (discovery). Sister Pelagia has canonised now to Agia (Santa) Pelagia.

Dovecote at Tinos Greece Tinos is famous for its dovecotes all elaborately decorated. They are two-storey fortress like towers decorated with geometric designs.

They are mainly built on slopes at a particular angle towards the wind and the surrounding area, in order to facilitate the takeoffs and landings of the doves. The patterns on their outer side is believed to attract the doves. Their number is not exactly known, however they certainly exceed 600.

Tinos is a wonderful place for walking. Mule paths are crossing the island and offer excellent views of the magnificent landscape and make Tinos a great destination for a walking holiday.

  • Getting There

    There are several ferries a day from Piraeus (4,5 - 5 hours) and from Rafina. Tinos is also frequently connected with Syros, Mykonos and Andros. Ferry links are also to Paros, Naxos, Ios, Santorini, Amorgos. Nearest airport (international) is on Mykonos Island.

  • Getting Around

    The bus service is very good and covers Pyrgos, Kalloni, Steni, Kambos, Agios Ioannis.
    Taxis, car and motorbike rental is also available.

Tinos Beaches

Tinos Map Agios Ioannis Porto, beautiful sandy beach
Agios Fokas, shingle beach
Agios Markos, sand and pebbles
Agios Sostis, wonderful sweeping sandy beach
Isternia Bay, beautiful sandy beach
Kaparia, pebble beach
Kionia, sandy beaches with rocky bays
Kolibithres, bay with fine sandy beaches
Livada, pebble beach, granite rocks
Panormos, excellent sandy beach (sometimes windy)

Excursions & Places of interest


The dovecotes around the island (Tarambados, Ktokados, Karia, Arnados, Tripotamos).
The sanctuary of Posidon and Amphitrite (discovered in 1902) in Kionia.
The picturesque Monastery of Agia Triada, with a church, a library and a mausoleum. The monastery was a secret school during the Turkish occupation.
Xombourgo, the hill behind the port has a Venetian Castle with three churches inside. Ancient Tinos was built in Xombourgo.

Walking on Tinos

Dairy factory - Visilo windmills, Time: 8 min Slope: 10% The trail is paved surfaced in a very good condition. You cross steps of dry stone walls. You reach the Visilo windmills with panoramic view of Kionia (southerly), the valley of Tripotamos (southeasterly), Xinara (northerly) and the Kato Meri. At the end of the route you will see the crossing to Xinara and Xobourgo (to the right).

Visilo windmills - Xinara, Time: 10min Slope: 0-(-5)% The path is earten with lithic steps. You cross cultivations of grapevines and pasture -ground with dry stone walls. Then, you come to the building of the Catholic Archbishopric (where the townhall of Xombourgo, the library, the radio station, the cathedral and the historic archive of the catholic church are housed). You keep going to the village Xinara.

Visilo Xombourgo, Time: 20 min Slope: 12% A narrow path with view to Xinara and the Kato Meri. It ends at "Panagia Thiridia" where it crosses a trail that leads to Tripotamos. Successively, there's a path with view of Tripotamos, the monastery of Kehrovouni and the Tinos town. You cross the ancient ruins (Thesmophorio of the goddess Demetra on the right and stone walis of the "geometric period" on the left) and you reach the crossing to the castle of St. Helen's. Finally you reach the church of St. Menas, the "Sacred Heart" (church) and "Panagia Eleousa" (church).

Sacred Heart - The castle of St. Helen's, Time: 10 min Slope:30% The path is paved in a very good condition. The climbing is rough. You reach the top of Xombourgo. The view of the Tinos island and the other islands is panoramic. You explore the abandoned castle.

Dairy - Smourdia, Time: 5 min Slope: 8% The trail is paved surfaced in a very good condition. You reach the spring Smourdia that dates back to the 15th or 16th century. The lithic bridge is worth visiting. You continue to Ktikados (to the left) or the Tinos town.

Touring Tinos

Tinos
Panagia Megalohari is a typical Cycladic town, with narrow streets and a port lined with restaurants and hotels. The impressive church of Megalohari (Great Grace) is a neo-classical structure with white marble stairs. Among the buildings of the church there is the Byzantine Museum, the Art Gallery of Artists from Tinos and the Sclupture Museum.
In Tinos Town there is an Archaeological Museum which exhibits sculptures of nereids and dolphins found at the sanctuary of Poseidon and Amphitrite. It also displays decorated storage vessels.
Agios Markos and Stavros are the nearby beaches.

Isternia
is a very attractive village (300 meters above sea) with the beatiful gardens and views over the sea. In Isternia is the monastery of Panagia Katapoliani (18th century), and the church of Agia Paraskevi.

Kambos
the birthplace of Agia (Santa) Pelagia, is a nice village with an interesting old church (Agia Aikaterini). Not far away from Kambos is Xobourgo, the ancient capital of the island.

Kardiani
is another beautiful village (250 meters above sea) with views accross Syros island.

Kionia
is the site where the sanctuary of Posidon and Amphitrite were discovered in 1902.

Komi
a nice village famous for its architecture. Around Komi are some beautiful villages such as the impressive village of Volax (or Volakas).

Moni Kehrovouniou
the most important monastery of the island was founded in the 12th century looks like a Cycladic village on the top of the hill. There are several churches and the cell where Agia (Santa) Pelagia lived is preserved.

Pyrgos
the artists' village, lies among trees and vineyards and is one of the nicer villages in Cyclades. Its local artisans are renowed throughout Greece for their skills of fine marble work. In Pyrgos there is a small museum which is also the residence of the 19th century sculptor Yiannoulis Halepas and a School of Fine Arts. There is a beautiful Plateia (Square) sheltered by a plane tree.

Tripotamos
stands in the middle of Tinos and has excellent architecture.

Useful Info

Population: 9,000
Distance from Piraeus Port: 86 Nautical Miles
Medical Center: 22830 22210
Police: 22830 22255, 22830 22100
Tourist Police: 22830 23670
Port Police: 22830 22348

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