Introduction
Hi, I am Lena Korres, co-founder of KORRES. I am an engineer in mind, entrepreneur at heart, and a Greek soul who is completely in love with Greece, its energy, light, landscapes, and people. Tinos grabbed my attention in particular because a close friend has a house there, and I ended up going multiple times feeling like a local, doing things as locals do. I passed this love to other friends, and a bunch of us shared some of our best vacations on the island. A couple of years ago I bought a beautiful piece of land on the island, and so my grand plan is to retire on Tinos together with close friends!
Tinos for the Adventurous and Refined
Tinos is an amazing destination if you love a more adventurous vacation. It is not the right place if you just want a beach, a tavern, and everything at walking distance. It is a Cycladic island, so be prepared for the iconic dry, blue-and-white Aegean landscape. Also, be prepared for strong winds; it is truly the most wind-battered of the islands. It has magnificent beaches, mountains, and many idyllic villages. You definitely need a car to explore the island. In a few words: it is wild, adventurous, and traditional but also elevated.
Getting to and Around Tinos
Ferries to Tinos are 4 hours from Athens.
- Best port to depart from is Rafina: Use Ferry Scanner for schedules and fares.
- Rent a car through Vidalis
Where to Stay
Where to Eat
Tinos is an amazing gastronomic destination. There are a huge variety of options, from the simplest traditional food cooked by a yiayia, to the most elevated cuisine. Some of my favorites below:
- Tarsanas: Tinos Town (fish and seafood, overlooking the sunset)
- Ntinos: Kardiani/ Giannakis Bay (fish and seafood)
- Marathia: Tinos (on the water, elevated cuisine, fish and seafood)
- Douar: Steni Tinos (great meat and Mediterranean food)
- Tereza: Myrsini Tinos (tiny little tavern, traditional food)
- Thalassaki: Isternia (on the water, fish and seafood)
- Exo Meria: Isternia (great view at sunset, food and cocktails)
Where to Beach in Tinos:
The list below has a little something for everyone:
- Kalyvia: This beach is located in Kardiani and is organized, cool and relaxed, with a beach bar.
- Bianco: In Vourni, this one is also organized with a great bar & restaurant.
- Livada: This is a great destination for when the wind turns south, but it gets very wavy with a north wind. It has magnificent rock formations where you can lie down with your towel and a book. It’s a difficult road to get down to this beach, and when you arrive there is nothing there. So, bring your own food, water, and shade.
- Apigania: An isolated beach with amazing waters! You need to walk about 20 minutes to get there. Again, bring your own food, water, and shade.
- Kolympithra: This beach has California vibes; it’s very laid back. You can take surf lessons here. There is a cute beach bar with nice music and great vibes. Nighttime parties also happen!
Sports Activities in Tinos
- As with all the mountainous islands, Tinos offers great trekking & hiking options. I definitely recommend the hike to Exomvourgo, the iconic, rugged mountain rock. But my favorite is the hike to the lighthouse on Cape Papargyras.
- Definitely a must-do is to visit Volakas, the iconic extra-terrestrial landscape of Tinos with the huge rocks that landed there in mysterious ways.
- Check out the yoga retreat Sunset Bar. They host great classes, views and cocktails!
Cultural Activities
Tinos is a multi-cultural destination, known for its 750 chapels and churches, both Orthodox and Catholic, along with its 600 dovecotes that decorate the entire island.
Temple of Poseidon: You are in Greece, so of course there are several exciting ancient sites. My favorite is this temple where the ancients used to purify before visiting the sacred island of Delos. It has stunning views of the Aegean Sea and sunset.
Must-visit museums:
- The Tsoklis Museum in Kambos dedicated by the famous artist to the people of Tinos. Beautiful paintings and art.
- Halepas Museum in Pyrgos: The former house of the top contemporary Greek sculptor.
Domaine de Kalathas: Another jewel to visit is this organic-certified, biodynamic, and all-manual winery created by Jerome Binda.
Panygiri: Last but not least you cannot miss the many and most fun panygiria of Tinos. Most villages host their own Panygiri in August, the most famous being at Ysternia, Kardiani and Tripotamos where the dancing takes place on the terraces of the houses!
Where to Experience Nightlife:
With so many things to do during the day, exploring Tinos will probably leave you exhausted by nighttime. However, for those of us who love nightlife or just want to enjoy a mastiha, here are some good suggestions:
- To truly experience the island nightlife, hunt down the panygiria and beach parties, check out the island’s local news publication: http://www.tinostoday.gr/
- Kaktos Bar for good music, crowd, and vibes.
- OMMA: All-day bar, great cocktails
- Koursaros: For the hard-core local-wannabes. I don’t exactly recommend this but it is a cult-classic place to see!
