Tinos

Tinos (Τήνος) is a mountainous island in the northern Cyclades, between Andros and Mykonos. It is a major centre of Greek Orthodox pilgrimage and also has a long Catholic tradition. Above Tinos Town stands the Church of Panagia Evangelistria with a revered icon of the Virgin Mary. On the feast of the Assumption in August, pilgrims come from all over Greece.

More than forty villages are scattered across terraced hills. Pyrgos is the home of Tinian marble carving, a craft on the UNESCO list of Intangible Cultural Heritage, with its own Museum of Marble Crafts. Volax lies among giant granite boulders, and Kardiani and Isternia cling to green slopes above the sea. Ornate dovecotes with geometric stone patterns dot the countryside, and Exomvourgo carries the ruins of a Venetian fortress. Beaches include Kolymbithra, Agios Fokas and Pachia Ammos, and Panormos is a fishing harbour in the north. Show more

Tinos has a strong food culture built on artichokes, local cheeses and cured meats. Dry-stone paths link the villages and suit hiking. Ferries from Piraeus, Rafina and Lavrio reach Tinos Town, and Mykonos is a short crossing away.