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| Tinos |
| Venetian dovecotes and religious cohabitation |
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| The church of the Virgin Mary in Tinos Town. |
Tinos is a typical Cycladic island, with a twist or two.
Although sunbaked, year round, and surrounded by beautiful sandy beaches, like the rest of the Aegean islands, Tinos is not a one-town island, like most of the Cyclades. Its interior is dotted with dozens of whitewashed hamlets and about a thousand dovecotes, the fascinating legacy of almost 500 years of Venetian and western rule that ended in the early 18th century.
This history of western European influence has created one of the least Orthodox societies in Greece, a country where 97% of the people declare to be Greek Orthodox. Tinos is "only" two thirds Orthodox and a full one third Catholic. There are Catholic churches and 3 Catholic convents on Tinos, which is the center of the Catholic faith in Greece.
Interestingly, Tinos, with its large Catholic minority, is, at the same time, one of the two religious hubs of the country, along with Patmos, the island where Saint John wrote the Book of the Apocalypse, a few nautical miles to the northeast from here.
The history of the island changed forever in 1823, when the locals dug and found an early Christian icon of the Virgin Mary after Pelagia, a nun at the convent of Kechrovouni, claimed to have dreamt of the Holy Mother telling her where to look for her icon and ordering her to build a church over the site. The church was built, the icon was attributed with healing powers, and the Virgin Mary of Tinos, as Greeks call it, became the site of a year-round pilgrimage, and, in the national consciousness, the holiest place in Greece.
This is one reason to come to Tinos. The other is the landscape and the pace of life here.
The dozens of villages that dominate the interior of the island feature traditional architecture, shaded squares, narrow picturesque streets, whitewashed Cycladic houses, and great views of the Aegean. The best of the them, Pyrgos, about 20 km northwest of Tinos Town, is a delight that you must not miss.
The villages around Xomvourgo, a rock standing 710 meters (about 2,100 feet) tall, a few kilometers north of Tinos Town, are another sightseeing must. Xomvourgo was the center of the island's Venetian and European rule. The western lords who descended here after 1204 chose this location to build their capital (the "burgh"), because it offered maximum security against the roaming pirates of the Aegean.
The locals called the area around the Burgh, "exo apo to burgh" (i.e. outside of the burgh), or, after years of use, Exomvourgo.
Tinos is a quiet island, with beautiful beaches, extremely nice interior, interesting museums and artistic heritage, and good local cuisine. Because, as far as glamour and nightlife, it pales in comparison to neighboring islands like Mykonos, Santorini, and Ios, prices have remained reasonable and affordable.
That is, until August 15 comes around, and the great Orthodox celebration of the Assumption. This is when Tinos becomes a zoo, with thousands of pilgrims descending upon the island, many of them crawling, on all fours, all the way from the harbor up the hill to the church of the Virgin Mary, with vendors' carts lining the streets to sell all kinds of trinkets, and a lot of human pain and suffering on display, from all those who come here seeking relief and healing.
If you don't come here for religious reasons, try to stay away from Tinos Town from the 14th to the 16th of August, except maybe for a brief walk around to experience a unique sight. At all other times, Tinos is a delight. |
| The Highlights |
- The villages of the interior, especially Pyrgos and the hamlets around Exomvourgo.
- The dovecotes, all over the island.
- The galleries and museums, in Pyrgos and around the church of the Virgin Mary in Tinos Town.
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| We Recommend |
- Drive around the island and take in the landscape.
- Hike in the numerous paths laid north of Tinos Town.
- Visit the church of Virgin Mary in Tinos Town and, especially, the Museums.
- Spend a day up north, around Pyrgos, and spend the evening in Pyrgos, for dinner and relaxation.
- Come for the August 15 celebrations of the Assumption, to experience a unique feast of religious fervor.
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| We Do Not Recommend |
- Coming around the August 15 celebrations of the Assumption, because the island resembles a zoo, what with the thousands that descend upon it and all the noise and traffic that they bring.
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| Useful Information |
| The country code for Greece is 0030 (from the US and Canada: 01130). |
| Tourist Info Office |
| The Tourist Police, in Tinos Town, provides tourist information (22830 22255). |
| Police Station |
| In Tinos Town (22830 22255) and in Pyrgos (22830 31371). |
| Hospital |
| The hospital is in Tinos Town (22830 22210 and 22830 23781-3). |
| Port Authority |
| In Tinos Town, on the quay (22830 22348). |
| Internet Cafe |
| These days there seem to be Internet cafes everywhere, and certainly in all major towns and some secondary ones. Many travel agencies offer Internet access, and not only to their clients. |
| Bus Depot |
| In Tinos Town, near the church of Virgin Mary (22830 22440). There are frequent buses to almost every destination on the island, including most of the beaches. |
| Car Rental |
| Vidalis (22830 23400 and 22830 25995) and Dimitris (22830 23585 and 22830 22744) are two of the many car rental agencies in Tinos Town. |
| Bank |
| There are branches of all major Greek banks in Tinos Town. They handle all major transactions, such as money transfers, cash advances on credit cards, and money wires, and they have ATMs. Banking hours are Monday through Thursday 8am-2pm and Friday 8 am-2.30 pm. |
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