The best ferry connection is without a doubt from Athens but Tinos is also easily reachable from other islands.
Welcome to The Wonderful Island of Tinos!
When people plan their perfect Greek holidays, they usually want to spend it on an island rather than on the mainland.
Then, it’s mostly only the more famous islands like Santorini, Mykonos, Crete or Zakynthos that make it onto the shortlist.
It’s a pity because the country of Greece includes more than 6,000 islands that are worth discovering.
One of them is Tinos, which is among the most beautiful places in Greece. At least in my opinion. 😉
Before my sister and I planned our trip to Greece, we agreed on one thing: We wanted to travel to a lesser-known Greek island.
While doing some research, my sister discovered the gorgeous hotel Big Blue Tinos on the Cyclades island Tinos.
Neither of us had ever heard about this island before but we were so impressed by the hotel that we couldn’t resist making a booking.
And so it happened that less than a week later, we both sat on a plane, ready to spend five great days on an – for us – unknown island.
Where to Find Tinos & How to Get There
Tinos is located in the Cyclades archipelago close to the islands Andros, Mykonos and Delos.
With a land area of almost 200 square kilometers, it’s the third-largest Cyclades island after Andros and Naxos.
The island doesn’t have its own airport so the only way to get there is by taking a ferry. The best ferry connection is without a doubt from Athens but Tinos is also easily reachable from other islands.
From Athens
To get to the island you can choose one of the two city harbors as the point of departure. Piraeus port is closer to the city center whereas the port of Rafina is near the airport.
The ride from Piraeus takes around 4.5 hours. From Rafina, it takes less than 4 hours but the port is more difficult to reach. Unlike Piraeus, Rafina isn’t connected to the city center via the metro.
My sister and I booked a ferry ride from Piraeus for two reasons.
First, thanks to the metro connection it was very easy to get there. Second, we probably would have needed a taxi to Rafina so we saved some money by choosing the metro.
From Mykonos
Mykonos is only 18 km from Tinos and therefore the ferry ride takes only around 30 minutes. In summer the ferries run up to four or five times a day while in winter it’s less frequent.
From Santorini
Even from the most famous Greek island Santorini, it’s easily possible to reach Tinos.
With a distance of more than 170 km, Santorini is as far away as Athens. Thus the ferry ride also takes between 3-5 hours depending on the ferry company.
There are only two weekly ferry crossings in high season so it’s better to plan ahead before you start your Greek island-hopping adventure.
Discover Tinos: All The Places You Should See
Empty sandy beaches, picturesque villages and the most friendly and warm-hearted people ever.
Welcome to Tinos!
As I already mentioned at the beginning of this blog post, Tinos is one of the less touristy and quieter Greek islands. However, this doesn’t mean there’s nothing great to do!
Quite the contrary: The island is full of interesting places waiting to be discovered by adventurers and Greek lovers like you.
It’s not a party island like Mykonos, but it can still be attractive for younger people thanks to the hip beach & cocktail bars.
The perfect address to spend the night out is the capital Tinos Town (Chora).
Tinos Town (Chora)
Being home to the island’s main harbor, Tinos Town is the first place visitors will see after their arrival.
Along the waterfront are lounge bars to chill, a lot of souvenir shops and, of course, restaurants with Greek and international cuisine.
One restaurant I can highly recommend is To Koutouki tis Elenis.
The name is quite a tongue-twister but the food and service are outstanding! It also deserves a plus point for its colorful furniture and decoration.
We loved this place so much that we came here twice.
Their range of vegan dishes was exceptional and it was hard to make a decision. Vegetable rice, baked eggplants with tomatoes and grilled mushrooms – only to name a few.
Away from the main tourist route, you’ll find the typical white houses with blue windows and the bright pink or purple flowers you can admire all over Greece!
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