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Sunbaked, rock-strewn hillsides sprinkled with wild herb plants, crescent bays lapped gently by an aquamarine sea, and smatterings of low-rise whitewashed houses with sun-blistered blue doorframes. You’d be hard-pressed to find a more archetypal Greek island than Tinos. The difference is that this tiny Cycladic island is, as yet, untarnished by mass tourism.

Tinos retains a sense of time-worn calm and tradition despite it being within an easy two-hour ferry ride from the ancient capital of Athens and just 30 minutes from the bustling popularity of Mykonos and the Cycladic capital of Syros. Historically important as a pilgrimage point for Orthodox Greeks, most of the visitors to Tinos are domestic, but it’s a secret treasure for in-the-know overseas visitors.

You’ll be among this discerning few, staying in one of the discreet hotels on the island. We can arrange tours of its quintessential villages and beaches, as well as the island’s revered marble studios.

Village hopping

The island is known for its multitude of small, whitewashed villages, and we can arrange for you to tour them on a guided adventure, enabling you to find your preferred spot. It might be Kardiani, perched on a mountainside with panoramic coastal views, or Volax, nestled at the foot of Mount Xombourgo and surrounded by a striking landscape of vast granite boulders. Or perhaps you’ll fall for the small seaside village of Ormos Panormou, rich in the traditional architectural style of this Cycladic island.

Keep your eye out for the castle-like dovecotes scattered across the countryside as you explore. Or, pop into one of the small wineries dotted around the island, which are gaining a reputation for their natural wine production.

Marble art

Tinos’ marble industry dates to antiquity, and its sculptors are responsible for some of the most important marble sculptures and restoration projects in the world — not least that of the Parthenon in Athens.

The heart of this industry can be found in the picturesque village of Pyrgos, where you’ll find the Fine Arts School of Pyrgos, focused on marble art.

Beaches and boat trips

Tinos benefits from a coastline with two sides. To the south are calm waters lined with beach bars and cafes. You’ll find long stretches of sand here, many tree-fringed or backing onto the wild mountainous terrain. While in the north, the bays catch the stronger winds and larger swells of the Aegean Sea, leaving the beaches wilder — ideal for those looking to learn how to surf or seeking a more remote experience.

If you’d rather explore by boat, we can arrange for you to circle the island on a small dayboat. You could also pop over to the nearby island of Delos — one of the most sacred of the islands in Greek mythology, considered the birthplace of the deities Apollo and Artemis. Ancient pilgrims to Delos would stop in Tinos on their way, to leave their weapons and change into white clothing.

Best time to visit Tinos

The few hotels on Tinos open from May until the end of September, with visitor numbers and the heat both peaking in the summer months of July and August.