The Greek island with beautiful views just like Mykonos but without hordes of tourists
Visiting this small island in the Cyclades allows you to discover a quiet and authentic corner of Greece, still protected from mass tourism.
A beautiful Greek island located just 20 minutes by boat from Mykonos, its chic neighbour, can boast the same stunning views – and has much fewer tourists to share the beach with.
Tinos allows visitors to mix with the most genuine Hellenic life and to understand what Greece is.
This Cycladic island has more than 60 villages and as many beaches and is an unquestionable gastronomic destination.
The town of Tinos, also called Hora, is the first place you will see when you arrive on the island and is also the main docking port for ships arriving from Athens.
Tinos is mainly renowned for being an important tourist and religious site for Orthodox Greeks as every year thousands of pilgrims go there for the Assumption of the Virgin Mary.
During this pilgrimage, people walk on their knees to the church of Panagia Evangelistria, the most important pilgrimage site for Orthodox Greeks as well as the most emblematic monument of Tinos.
The church, around which the town is developed, is worth a visit for travellers. The neoclassical building is really interesting, with its vast esplanade entirely in white marble.
Following the south coast westwards, visitors immediately come across the village of Kionia, famous for its long and sandy beach, the summer neighbourhood par excellence.
More than a classic village distorted by tourism, Kionia has managed to maintain the pleasant sensation of being only the seaside, relaxed and cosmopolitan counterpart of Tinos city, given that you cannot swim in the latter.
The verdant Karyani and Isternia are two oases of greenery amid a desolate landscape, lime alleys, churches, prickly pears and aromatic herbs.
A few kilometres away is Pyrgos, the capital of marble and sculpture, an artistic tradition that dates back to ancient times.
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Marble manufacturing still has many followers and skilled artisans, and many of the inhabitants of the northern part of the island work in the sector.
The local marble industry led to Pyrgos developing its port to transport the material to nearby Panormos.
A magnificent village, all sea and beach and truly picturesque with its fishing boats and taverns, sunset and tamarisk trees that encourage holidaymakers to laze in their shade.
Local products are part of the culture of Tinos - seafood, meat, vines, fruits and vegetables.
Many products have festivals in their honor and don't leave without trying all the local specialties.
As a profoundly authentic Cycladic island, Tinos can claim to be truly self-sufficient when it comes to its produce.