Welcome

Travel around the beautiful and authentic Cycladic island of Tinos, where nature and artistry intertwine. The island that nurtured the famous Tinian marble sculptors who left their indelible mark—not just on local villages but also on Athens and across Greece. Here, the island itself is a masterpiece, fashioned over the centuries both by its people and by the wind and the sea. You can visit Volax with the remarkable spherical granite boulders, explore the ruins of the Frankish castle at Xobourgo or marvel at the rugged beauty of Livada’s windswept landscape and its lighthouse. Make time to become acquainted with the beautiful villages of Kardiani, Ysternia, Pyrgos, and Panormos with Planitis island, not forgetting Loutra where the echoes of history linger in the Ursuline monastery-museum and the Jesuit Catholic monastery. Wherever you go on Tinos, you are never far from one of its seemingly countless marble-paved villages, both small and large, with their shady squares, fountains and wonderful Cycladic houses.

You can walk or drive to some of the island’s 1000 famous stone dovecotes with their elaborate geometric designs. You’ll see whitewashed chapels dotted on the island’s steep slopes, along with old threshing floors and rustic stone shelters once used for livestock. And then there are the beaches with their turquoise waters and golden sparkling sands. Or, if you want to go for a longer walk, you can follow paths along the countless dry-stone walls that weave like ribbons across the hillsides, tying the land together. Tinos is best explored slowly, so walk as much as you can. This is the best way to truly experience the island’s folk history, following the old farm tracks that connected each village to its neighbors. Savor authentic island products, enjoy traditional local recipes and sip Tinos raki and the exquisite wines from the vineyards in Volax.

Finally, talk to the friendly villagers who will welcome you with the phrase “kalostous”, or “welcome”. Chat to all the people who have come to stay and work in Tinos in recent years and who have adopted it as their homeland. Take time to discuss things with those who are involved in the island’s culture, working to highlight its true identity and trying to protect it from the onslaught of ill-conceived development…