Tinos lies very close to the southern tip of Andros. This is the holy island of Our Lady, which in August is swamped by pilgrims, who go there to pray in Her church or in fulfilment of a vow.
As Our Lady.s feast day on 15 August approaches, the church and the town of Tinos become crammed with people, and religious services take place next to the commercial fair held in the surrounding streets. A mountain range, whose highest peak is Mt Tsiknias (in the myths, the home of the wind-god Aeolus), runs the length of the island. On its lower slopes, walls like the fortifications of old castles divide the terraced fields. The coast of the island is mostly steep, but there are also numerous coves with sandy or pebbly beaches. Among the special characteristics of Tinos are its dove-cotes. These structures developed from simple roosts for pigeons into works of art - and the stone-built fountains to be seen in the villages evolved in a similar manner.
Tinos, capital of the island and its port, is where most of the population lives. A broad street leads from the harbour to the low hill on which stands the magnificent church of Our Lady. Built in 1823 in marble from Paros and Tinos itself, the church stands overlooking the town on the site where a miraculous icon of Our Lady was discovered. Next to the church is the Gallery of Tiniot Artists and Modern Greek Painters, which has a very interesting collection. Close by is the Archaeological Museum of Tinos. It houses finds from the temple of Poseidon and Amphitrite (at Kionia beach) and from the Geometric burials of Exo Meria. At Xombourgo, we can admire the ruins of the medieval castle, on the south side of which is a sanctuary of Demeter and Persephone.
The interior of the island has been little affected by tourism, and the 45 villages have retained much of their traditional character and distinctive vernacular architecture. Amongst others, it is worthwhile to pay a visit to the villages of Volax, with its peculiar boulders that make it a unique phenomenon, Kardiani and Isternia, with a wonderful view of the sea, and Pyrgos, one of the most picturesque of the Cyclades. The latter boasts a museum dedicated to the great Greek sculptor Halepas, the Pyrgos Museum of Tinian Artists, a branch of the School of Arts as well as numerous marble-sculptors’ workshops. Among the monasteries of the island, many of them built on superb sites, we could single out that of Our Lady of the Angels at Kehrovouni (Panagia ton Angelon) (in the area of a village called Steni) which has the appearance of a Tinos village in medieval times. Also, in the village Xinaria you will find the island.s Catholic Cathedral (Our Lady of the Rosary). There are plenty of good beaches, too, notably at Agios Fokas near the town, Kionia, Porto, Panormos bay, Kolimbithra, Agios Sostis and Pahia Amos. The beauties of Tinos are gradually making a name for themselves.
Useful telephone numbers
Police: 22830 22.255, 22830, 22100
Municipal Offices: 22830 22.234
Port Authority: 22830 22.348
Archaeological Museum: 22.830, 29.063
Holy Foundation of Our Lady: 22830 22.83