Tinos is a relatively quiet but beautiful Greek island located in the island region of the Cyclades. It's only a short 30-minute ferry ride from the famous Mykonos, but based on the differences between the two it could be a world away. Where Mykonos is known for its parties and lively nightlife, Tinos is more family friendly and relaxing (also much cheaper). But the dollar difference doesn't translate to missing out on anything - Tinos still has the quintessential Greek vibe just minus the crowds.
The best way to explore everything the island has to offer is by car. Tinos does have a bus that goes all around the island, but for the flexibility the car is worth the expense. If you're like me and can't drive a manual car (thanks parents!) then you'll want to book your automatic car at least a month or two in advance during high season since they're in shorter supply. I rented from John at Koulis Rental Car and he had a great rate. Other popular rental companies are Vitalis and Dimitris.
Now that you have your car, it’s time to explore the island! Start off in Tinos Town (or Chora). Depending on where you’re staying on the island, you might have already spent some time here. This is the port city where the ferries bring you to and from paradise. Built with the typical Cycladic architecture, the buildings are all white and built into the hills. This town boasts the largest Orthodox church on the island, Virgin Mary Full of Grace. Thousands of people or “pilgrims” visit the island each year to visit this site and the most devout walk up their knees from the port to pay their respects. Not an easy feat! The Chora also has excellent shopping and many places to eat so it’s worth wandering around and getting lost in the cobblestone streets.
After exploring for awhile, get back in the car and head northwest to the two traditional villages Kardiani and Isternia, and get ready for some incredible views on the way! They call these two villages the “balconies” of Tinos because they are built so high up on the hills and have fantastic views of the island, which make them the best places to watch the sunset. If you go back for the sunset, head to ΟΡΙΖΟΝΤΑΣ - all day bar for great drinks and views. Here you’ll see some traditional Tinos architecture, which are actually houses made out of gray stone versus the white that you see today. The strategic high placement on the island and this type of architecture were both ways to disguise themselves from pirates in the early days! Now these towns are great places to stop for beautiful views and some good exercise walking up and down the hills.
Next, you’re going to visit Pirgos, the most “traditional” village on Tinos. While it’s a short drive from Isternia, we decided to stop a couple times when we saw something interesting. One stop brought us to an iconic Greek windmill that Mykonos is famous for, but we had it all to ourselves for some admiration and photos! Once you get to Pirgos, grab a parking spot and head into the town to explore. This was the cutest of all the towns we visited and each corner looked like it just walked out of an Instagram post of iconic Greece. The white structures are complimented with arches covered in bright pink bougainvillea and blue roofs popped up around winding corners. If you’re into museums, there are 3 in this town focused mostly on marble art since one of the most famous sculptures, Giannoulis Chalepas, called Pirgos home. If you love shopping in cute artisanal shops, then you can spend hours popping from place to place. Or this could be a great stop for lunch on your trip. Athmar is a cute and delicious place to grab a bite.
Once you’re done here, you’re only a short 5-minute drive away from Panormos, Tinos’s fishing village on the North side of the island. Another stunning village built into the hill boasting white architecture, Panormos is filled with lovely seaside restaurants and a slower pace of life. You drive right along the water into town, literally one sharp jerk of the steering wheel away from being in the sea with the fishing boats. This can be a short stop just to admire the view, or re-up on sunscreen which we took the opportunity to do. The sun is strong here!
Next you’re going to head to the beaches on the North side of the island. Because the wind hits the hardest on the North side, this area is known for incredible surf waves. We opted to check out Kolimvithra, but there are others you can stop at like Apothikes or “Baie de Tourte”. Kolimvithra was awesome and has such a different vibe then the “nicer” beach clubs on the South side. The intricate shade structures on the beach made from driftwood are free to use and the only place offering food and drink is in an old VW van spray painted with a colorful mural. The driver's seat doubled as the DJ booth! You can rent surf boards or stand up paddle boards, but with how strong the wind and waves were I’m not sure how you could stay up.
After a relaxing break here, get back in the car to start making your way back to town. Since we hadn’t yet eaten lunch, we decided to stop at a little village called Komi and grab a bite to eat at a cute spot KOMISSA. Although we stumbled upon it randomly, this was some of the best food we’d had on the island! Then we winded our way back down to Agios Fokas, the charming beach area a short 25-minute walk into the main town where we are staying, happy, sun-kissed and full of love for Tinos.
While this was the route we opted for, there is a ton more to see on Tinos specifically on the East side of the island. But that will have be for another day, for now time to enjoy the sunset
Comments