Part of the Cyclades, Tinos flies under the radar among international holidaymakers compared to its popular neighbours – but that’s changing
At about the time the beach clubs of Mykonos were pumping out their first tunes of the day, the bells were chiming at the Church of Panagia Megalochari, on the island of Tinos.
The faithful were walking up the hill from the waterfront to the church in their Sunday best. And the truly committed were on their knees, inching their way along a ribbon of carpet laid down to cover the marble flagstones.
It was the weekend of the Pentecost, the Christian holiday marking the 50th day of Easter, and Tinos was a world away from life on its party-loving sister island.
Among the Cyclades, there are still islands that still, miraculously, fly below the radar. And Tinos is one of them – for now.
It’s a place of dry, wind-whipped hills peppered with whitewashed villages, where remote sandy beaches are tucked into protected coves.
In the fifth century BC, it became an important religious centre, with a waterfront temple dedicated to the worship of Poseidon. Its treasures are now kept in the small but fascinating Archaeological Museum.
In 1823, a seventh-century icon of the Virgin Mary praying was found, and the Sherbert-lemon Orthodox church was built around it. Tinos became one of Greece’s most important pilgrimage sites and remains so. In recent years, more than just the faithful have been visiting this quiet island. They come to explore the villages and relax on unspoilt beaches. Last year, the first big-name hotel opened – Marriott’s Odera Autograph Collection. But Tinos maintains its quiet charm.
When I booked, two months ahead of my June trip, there were still plenty of smart but simple hotels for less than €150 a night. Prices will drop back down to similar levels as the heat subsides in September. I stayed in the Chora – the name often given to the main towns on the Cyclades – although it’s also known by the anglicised Tinos Town.
Set back from the port on a quiet street, family run Onar Hotel & Suites is built in the traditional style and set around a cobbled patio with a little pool. I upgraded to one of the top-floor suites for poured concrete interiors, and a balcony with views across the rooftops to the sea.
Tinos Town itself is lively, with yachts mooring up outside waterfront cafés and boutiques and restaurants tucked down colourful streets, tables scattered beneath vines and unruly bougainvillea.
But there is plenty to explore, with more than 40 villages sprouting from hillsides and numerous hidden beaches. So, I rented a tiny Smart car to snake my way along the quiet roads between them. To the north, marble has been mined since the fourth century BC, with pieces by the island’s stonemasons adorning the finest buildings of the ancient world and many structures in Athens and beyond today.
In Pyrgos, the Museum of Marble Crafts displays beautiful marble artwork, and there are colourful little shops selling marble handicrafts.
Further south, the landscape changes, scattered with vast, rounded granite boulders. Tucked within them is the village of Volax, renowned for basket-weaving.
I travelled the Greek way: slowly. Pausing in one village for an iced coffee, another to find a taverna. Then an afternoon on the sand, having dipped down to the nearest cove.
My favourite beach spot was Kolympithra. The sand was scattered with low-lying straw parasols, fanning out from a little bar in a converted VW campervan.
A little further on, Drakonesi taverna was perched over a second beach, where I enjoyed fresh black sea bream and crisp island wine. It was a world away from Mykonos and all the better for it.
How to get there
Fly to Athens and take the 2.5-hour ferry to Tinos (from €38.50), or fly to Mykonos and take the 30-minute ferry (from €10). ferryhopper.com
Where to stay
B&B doubles at Onar Hotel and Suites from €125. onar.eu
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