Schedule
Fri 10 May
12:30 bus leaves Tinos Town port (exact location to be sent in WhatsApp)
13:00-15:00 Explore Volax village. There is a café, but don’t eat much, there is a food event just after.
15:00 bus leaves Volax
15:30 bus arrives at Aunt Nikoletta's for an event with a cooking workshop, local food, wine, and live music
19:30? bus leaves Nikoletta's for Tinos Town port
Sat 11 May
18:30 Please arrive at the family home (map; Stavros 6, Tinos 84200) for drinks and introductions
19:15-20:00 Speeches
20:00-22:00 Dinner
After-party at Chroma (map): 22:00 as long as you can handle
First, schedule your ferry trips. You can fly to Athens or Mykonos (closer to Tinos but fewer flights). To get to Tinos from the Athens airport, take a 30-min bus or taxi to “Rafina” port. Do *not* go to Piraeus (a different port). The ferry from Rafina to Tinos takes 2-4 hours (buy a ferry ticket online or at the port in an office: add 15 minutes). The fast ferries are a little bumpy, but all ships are large and comfortable with cafes. If you need to spend the night near the port, like for an early ferry or flight, we recommend Hotel Avra Rafina, Arafinidon Alon 3, Rafina 190 09 (they have an airport shuttle).
Gifts
No presents please. You could make a donation to one of these charities, which are close to our hearts:
Safety
Drink only bottled water on Tinos. All the water in restaurants and cafes is safe.
When using the toilet, put used toilet paper in the *waste basket*, not in the toilet. The island plumbing is easily clogged.
You can walk around the main town easily, but some of the outlying roads do not have sidewalks. You need a car if you are staying outside of town and/or want to explore the island by yourself (see below for advice). There are infrequent busses to some locations (KTEL).
Where to Stay (select one, tell Zozefina, and we’ll try to get you a discount)
Altana boutique hotel (https://altanahotel.gr/en/) close to the main event and 10-15min walk from Tinos town
Lithos luxury hotel (https://lithostinos.gr) 5-10min walk from Tinos town and the main event
Tiniotissa studios (http://www.tiniotissa.gr) at Tinos town, less luxurious but cozy rooms in good prices
Orionides rooms (https://orionides.gr/index.html) close to the main event and 10-15min walk from Tinos town
Virginia room (https://www.virginiarooms.gr/en/) nice rooms in the centre of town
This is just a small selection of rooms. You can find more rooms/hotels in Tinos town and at the surrounding villages. You can check at booking and Airbnb for more offers. Staying in a village can be very beautiful and interesting but you will need a car.
Car Rental (select a car, tell Zozefina, and we’ll try to get you a discount)
Dellatolas Nikos (+306937194202 whatsup and viber) or www.tinosrental.gr
Vidalis (+302283023400) or www.vidalis-rentacar.gr
Tinos (map; Wikipedia) has dozens of villages and is the third-largest island of the Cyclades. It is known for religious pilgrimage, the unusual combination of Orthodox and Catholic faiths, and well-preserved villages. The name of Tinos is pre-Hellenic and was associated with waters, snakes, and juniper trees (wild cypress). Tinos is also called Aeolus because of strong north winds. If you want to visit nearby islands, we recommend Delos for history (you must book a tour; no facilities) or Andros/Syros for other islands with cities. Mykonos is closest but it is over-commercialized and quite expensive.
Tinos Town (Chora)
Restaurants: Tarsanas in Pasakrotiri with a view of the harbour and good appetizers. The "Koutouki tis Eleni" in a narrow street that you will discover on your own, with meraklidiki food. Towards Porto the "Veranda" with a nice view, the "Yialos" on the sea, while towards the heliport the "Marathia" and the "San to alati". Towards Kionia: "Bourou".
Local foods: meatballs, Tinian cheese (sheep and goat), Kopanisti (cow's cheese), frutalia (Tinos sausage omelette, etc.), louza (a type of smoked pork salami), sun-dried tomatoes, artichokes, capers, local oregano.
Bars: Koursaros, Myrtilo, Kyriakatiko, Argonautis
Sweets: try the sweet cheese pies, or lychnarakia, almonds, ice cream or chocolate pie from Mesklies, the family business.
Jewelry: buy a keepsake at Lagini, the other family business.
Local Trips and Advice
If you drive northwest from the main town, you will find:
Kardiani is 16km from Chora and is built directly on marble rock. One house stuck to the other, the arches with the transepts offering their thick coolness in midsummer and the springs gushing from the foundations of the churches. They say this village is blessed. Orthodox and Catholics have learned for a century to live together in harmony. The village is mentioned in historical documents from 1667. The courtyard of the church Kiouras Kardiani faces the port of the village. See the cove of Giannakis with eating at "Dino": crab cakes and other delicacies of Smaragda.
Ysternia emerges next: the village of the sculptor Filippotis and the bay with one of the most famous beaches of the island. Eat at "Thalassaki" for something more glamorous, or at Skoutari across the street for traditional meats.
Pyrgos and Panormos: Pyrgos is the village of the sculptor Halepas (there is a museum) and the seat of the Tinos Marble Sculpture School. Definitely galaktobureko in the square with the 1800s plane tree and a stroll through the narrow streets (notice the marbles on the lintels and the orange groves). At Panormos take a swim in the Agia Thassia.
Set off for Volax, a village declared a geological monument, which leaves the unsuspecting visitor speechless. What caused these boulders? Meteorite, comet or other flying object that broke apart on earth? A powerful earthquake that ripped a huge chunk of rock off Exomvourgo, the mountain that rises above where the island's castle once stood? The locals say: "When God finished creating the world he rubbed his hands over Volax to remove the crumbs of creation". Eat at Rokko. Look for a basket maker - this village has a long history of basket weaving. And on your way out, take sun-dried tomatoes in a jar and shaved artichokes.
Nearby is Falatados for a coffee in the square (traditional) or food at the Katoei. Here is also the House of Exhibitions - and if the exhibition is not worth it, the coffee served in the courtyard will make up for it... In this area a wonderful beach - a la Volax setting - is Livada. Rockabilly and dry bread... A dirt road at the end for 3km, but the wonderful waters, the rocks carved by the wave and the tavern of Barba Antonis (or Japanese) with delicious omelette and good raki make up for it. River, ducks and quiet - if you're lucky. The scenery, however, is unprecedented. Prefer the rocks rather than the pebbled beach. Before you go down ask a local if you can swim - when the north wind blows, Livadia is dangerous and the currents don't help you get to shore.
Other swimming close to Chora (main town): Aghios Fokas (quite a large beach and organized in 3 places), towards Ag. Ioannis Porto, Skylantari, Ag. Sostis, Porto. On the other side Kionia (choose the beaches after the Tinos Beach Hotel), Aghios Markos (good if windy). Farther away swimming: In Kardiani there are also the Kalyvia. After St. John Porto there is Pachia Ammos, once a secluded and lovely beach, nowadays rather cosmopolitan but still beautiful. With a bar - restaurant, but no sunbeds and umbrellas, but with thick sand and blue waters. Take the road to St, John Porto and continue to the chapel going up the mountain towards bungalows Carlo - continue straight on and turn right after a while (there is a sign). Also for bathing the Kolimbithra to Komi and Kalloni. A bay with two beaches, a thick sandy beach and a small tavern above the sea (accurate) with delicious snacks. There are also umbrellas with sunbeds for those who can't stand the sun and discomfort. This means of course that you won't be alone.
Ask questions! brickc@gmail.com OR ipfoskolou@gmail.com