British travel consultant Duncan Greenfield-Turk, who has visited up to 14 Greek islands over 20 years, names Tinos as the lesser-known island that genuinely repays the effort of getting there. Just 30 minutes by boat from Mykonos, the contrast with its famous neighbour is one of the most interesting things about it.
Why Tinos Stands Out
Tinos is a little off the beaten trail — no bad thing in the ever-popular Cyclades. It features elegant Venetian-influenced architecture, a tradition of extraordinary marble carving that survives in working ateliers, and a landscape of granite hills, dovecotes, and charming villages that have remained largely unchanged for generations.
The island was once a centre of worship for Poseidon, and a famous shrine to the Virgin Mary was established in the main town in 1823. A grand Orthodox church – Panagia Megalochari – settled over it, swagged in red satin like an Edwardian wedding cake. Tinos still receives pilgrims year-round for the Church of Panagia Evangelistria, some of them literally crawling on their knees from the ferry along a carpet flowing up to the church.
Food and Accommodation
Tinos has quietly become one of the most exciting food destinations in the Aegean, with a handful of restaurants doing serious work with local ingredients. It’s the kind of place where you’ll see chefs hanging octopus tentacles to dry outside tavernas, and plates being smashed through the door.
People who long owned homes on Mykonos are selling up and relocating to Tinos, drawn by the slower pace of life. From the UK, the most elegant route is a direct flight to Mykonos from London Gatwick or Luton with easyJet, or from Heathrow with British Airways, followed by a high-speed ferry. The cheaper (more arduous) alternative is flying direct to Athens from a wider range of airports including Heathrow, Gatwick, Stansted, Luton, Manchester, Edinburgh, and Bristol, then connecting via Piraeus on a ferry of approximately five hours.
Accommodation options include Odera, a five-star Autograph Collection hotel in a converted neoclassical mansion with a pool and views across the town and harbour. For more local character, Pnoēs Tinos is a small three-villa property in the hills with a quiet atmosphere. Under the Sun Cycladic Village offers four-star villa-style digs that sit more naturally within the landscape.
Other Recommendations
If Tinos doesn’t tickle your fancy, Greenfield-Turk points to Ikaria, a Blue Zone island in the northern Aegean with villages that run nocturnal hours, panigiri festivals that start after midnight and last until dawn, and geothermal springs that flow directly into rock pools at the sea’s edge. It’s the kind of place that reminds you what the Greek islands were before they became a product. You can get there via Athens with a connecting flight or overnight ferry.
Other places he encourages people to explore instead of Mykonos and Santorini include Milos, Porto Heli, Hydra, Dokos, Ermioni, and Nafplio. Milos is being positioned as Santorini’s successor right now by many travel magazines. Porto Heli is a well-protected deep-water marina in the Peloponnese region. Hydra is a neoclassical harbour town (and birthplace of five Greek prime ministers). Dokos has one of the oldest known shipwrecks in the world in its waters, with outstanding anchorage for yachts for an overnight stay. Ermioni is a mainland port town with an authentic fishing village feel, excellent for a lunch stop. Nafplio is accessible as a day excursion from the Argolic Gulf stops, and proof that the mainland rewards the detour.
