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Tinos is one of those sleeper hit islands. It’s known widely for its Greek Orthodox pilgrimage site: the Church of the Annunciation, in the port and main town, Hora.
But as soon as you leave the throngs in town, Tinos is a wonderland of natural beauty, dotted with more than 40 marble-ornamented villages found in hidden bays, on terraced hillsides and atop misty mountains. Also scattered across the brindled countryside are countless ornate dovecotes, a legacy of the Venetians.
There’s a strong artistic tradition on Tinos, especially for marble sculpting, as in the sculptors’ village of Pyrgos in the north, near the marble quarries. The food, made from local produce (cheeses, sausage, tomatoes and wild artichokes), is some of the best you’ll find in Greece.
These are our favorite local haunts, touristy spots, and hidden gems throughout Tinos.
Church
Tinos’ religious focus is this large church and its icon of Our Lady of Tinos. It was uncovered in 1823 in the ruins of a chapel beneath the current church, after a nun, now St Pelagia, received visions from the Virgin instructing her where to find it. From the start, the icon was said to have healing powers but the timing of its discovery has also inextricably linked it with the rebirth of the Greek nation, thus encouraging mass pilgrimage.
Archaeological Site
From the 4th century BC to the 3rd century AD, the area adjacent to the beach at Kionia (3km northwest of central Hora) was a major religious sanctuary devoted to sea god Poseidon and his wife Amphitrite. Now all that remains are the excavated foundations of temples, altars, fountains and baths. You can see a lot from the road but to make sense of it you really need the pamphlet that comes with admission.
Museum
On the slopes above Pyrgos, this outstanding, modern, well-curated complex creatively explains the quarrying and sculpting techniques that have been used on the island since antiquity. It includes beautifully illustrated displays with English translations, along with top examples of artefacts and architectural features shaped from Tinian marble. The films of some of the last traditional quarrymen plying their trade are fascinating.
Gallery
This excellent cultural centre in a handsome neoclassical building on the waterfront houses a superb permanent collection of the work of famous Tinian sculptor Yannoulis Chalepas (1851–1938). A second gallery has rotating exhibitions. Musical events are staged here in summer.
Museum
This absorbing museum lets you see the troubled sculptor’s rooms and workshop as they once were. The ticket includes admission to the neighbouring Museum of Panormos Artists.
Museum
Along with the usual huddle of headless torsos, this museum has a collection that includes impressive clay pithoi (large Minoan storage jars) and a mosaic floor. Perhaps most interesting is the scale model of the nearby Sanctuary of Poseidon & Amphitrite, which really helps make sense of the site.