Travelers who are using the ferry to Tinos are approaching one of the largest Cycladic Islands, close to Athens, mostly known for its religious pilgrimage!
Tinos is a wonderful Greek island located 125 km southeast of Rafina port in Athens. Except for its reputation as a religious island and its comparison with Lourdes in France, it is also famous for its extraordinary landscapes and sceneries. The architecture which dominates the island is the same like in all the Cyclades, white cube houses with colorful doors and windows along with the narrow paved alleys, which combined with nature, sea and Mediterranean air, make the place dreamy. Of course, the crystal clear waters, the long sandy beaches, beach bars, bars and taverns serving tasty Greek traditional food cannot be missed.
Tinos has a land area of 195 square kilometers and a coastline of 106 km. Approximately 8,000 people live on the island. Ferry routes Tinos start from Piraeus (86 nautical miles away) and Rafina (62 nautical miles away). From Tinos passengers can continue their travel to the other Cycladic islands either with conventional ferries or with speed ferries.
Despite the fact that Tinos is not as crowded as Mykonos, Paros or Santorini for example, it is recommended though, to book your ferry to Tinos in advance so as to have everything planned and being sure that you will find available ones.
Getting to Tinos by ferry
You can get to Tinos by any of the three ports of Athens, Piraeus, Rafina and Lavrio with either conventional or high-speed ferries. Have in mind though, that most routes start from Piraeus and Rafina while from Lavrio there are only few. The crossings which start from the port of Piraeus happen daily all year long but high-speed vessels operate only in summer months where traffic and demand is higher. Beginning the journey from the port of Rafina is a more popular choice since the distance is shorter than from Piraeus, with the conventional vessels requiring 4 hours and the high-speeds hardly 2 hours.
You can also reach Tinos from another island of the Aegean, like Andros, Mykonos, Paros, Syros, Naxos or even Chios, Mytilini and more.
Tinos port
The Tinos port is situated in the southern part of the island and belongs to Chora, Tinos’ capital. By the time your ship will start reaching the port, you will see the white houses built amphitheatrically and the graphical Chora with its many boutiques, cafeterias and eating places.
After the anchor is dropped and you disembark, you will have to use the following transportation means in order to get around Tinos:
Bus
There is a public bus transfer service with daily connections to and from Tinos port. For more information, please visit the Tinos Bus or call +30 22830 22440, +30 694 720 0440, +30 694 436 5703.
It is worth noting that some hotels in Tinos offer a minivan service that will transfer you from the ferry port to your accommodation and the other way around - call them in order to organize your transfer.
Taxi
In order to schedule a taxi transfer, please call +30 694 599 4632, +30 22830 26000, +30 22830 22470.
Holidays in Tinos
Tinos is a place where someone can enjoy peace and completely relax during his holidays. The island is relatively big and very interesting to explore, contains stunning sceneries, turquoise beaches, delicious food and accommodations for all budgets. It is recommended to visit as many villages as possible for the reason that they are all different and each one provides a unique feeling. The most famous landmark is the Church of Panagia Evangelistria or “Our Lady of Tinos” which is known for its possession of the miraculous icon “Megalochare” (Great Grace). If you are present in Tinos on the 15th of August you will witness a big traditional religious celebration where you will have the opportunity to get closer with the locals and enjoy tasty food.
Below we give you some examples of the most worth-seeing sites and beaches on the island:
Sights in Tinos
Apart from Panagia Evangelistria Church, Tinos has many other sights to admire. It is an island with rich history especially regarding arts. Some of the most worth-seeing sights are:
- The Archeological Museum
- The Marble Art Museum
- Kostas Tsoklis Museum
- Giannoulis Halepas Museum
- Isternia Mills
- Dovecots
Tinos Beaches
All Greek islands contain impressive coasts and crystal clear waters so Tinos’ beaches are no exception. Some examples are:
- Kolibithra
- Pachia Ammos
- Kalivia
- Isternia
- Agios Ioannis
- Agios Fokas
Island hopping from Tinos
Tinos’ location makes it perfect for island hopping to the other Aegean islands. Ferry routes tend to increase in the summer period since there is more demand. After Spending your time in Tinos, you can jump, even for a day trip, with the ferry to Mykonos or Syros in less than an hour and to Paros or Naxos in an average of 2 hours. If this is not enough, you can continue to Santorini, Ios, Milos or even to Crete.
