Tinos: The Cycladic Gem That Keeps Drawing Me Back
Duncan Greenfield-Turk, a British travel consultant with 30 years of experience, has visited as many as 14 Greek islands over the past two decades. Yet when asked for a lesser-known island that truly rewards the journey, his answer is always Tinos. Just 30 minutes by boat from Mykonos, Tinos offers a stark contrast to its famous neighbour, combining elegant Venetian-influenced architecture, a living tradition of marble carving, and a landscape of granite hills, dovecotes, and charming villages that have remained largely unchanged for generations.
A Sacred Island with Deep Roots
Tinos was once a centre of worship for Poseidon. In 1823, a famous shrine to the Virgin Mary was established in the main town, and the grand Orthodox church Panagia Megalochari now stands above it, decorated with red satin like an Edwardian wedding cake. Pilgrims still visit year-round for the Church of Panagia Evangelistria, some crawling on their knees from the ferry along a carpet leading up to the church.
An Emerging Food Destination
Tinos has quietly become one of the most exciting food destinations in the Aegean. A handful of restaurants focus on local ingredients, with chefs hanging octopus tentacles to dry outside tavernas and plates being smashed through the door. According to Greenfield-Turk, the island has not yet reached the point where the experience has been 'managed away.'
Why Visitors Are Leaving Mykonos for Tinos
People who once owned homes on Mykonos are now selling up and relocating to Tinos, drawn by its 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. A cheaper but more arduous alternative is flying direct to Athens from airports including Heathrow, Gatwick, Stansted, Luton, Manchester, Edinburgh, and Bristol, then taking a five-hour ferry from Piraeus.
Accommodation Options for Every Budget
Tinos offers a range of places to stay. Odera, a five-star Autograph Collection hotel in a converted neoclassical mansion, features a pool and views of 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 provides well-considered four-star villa-style digs that blend into the landscape.
Other Hidden Gems Beyond Mykonos and Santorini
If Tinos does not appeal, Greenfield-Turk recommends Ikaria, a Blue Zone island in the northern Aegean where villages run on nocturnal hours, panigiri festivals start after midnight and last until dawn, and geothermal springs flow into rock pools at the sea’s edge. Other suggestions include Milos, Porto Heli, Hydra, Dokos, Ermioni, and Nafplio. 'It’s the kind of place that reminds you what the Greek islands were before they became a product,' he says of Ikaria.
