Tinos - the Island of Faith, Culture, and Art

Miloš Ničić
6 min
16 August 2023.
Guide

Islands in the Cyclades archipelago are often imagined as wild peaks rising from the turbulent surface of the sea; bare and wind-swept mountains that captivate with their natural simplicity and only a few small human interventions - architecture that best defies the blue sea in white.

With Tinos, everything is actually arranged differently - its barren nature merely provides a strong foundation on which the locals and settlers have built a cosmopolitan center bordered by the sea, a kind of sanctuary for one of the greatest Greek Orthodox shrines and several of the most important museums east of Athens.

Let's discover beautiful Tinos...

Tinos is a relatively large island, ranking fourth in size among the Cyclades group, right after Naxos, Andros, and Paros, and is located right next to the shimmering Mykonos. Despite this proximity, Tinos differs from Mykonos in all significant aspects. It is also large in terms of permanent population - over 8,000 residents inhabit the island both in winter and summer. With the presence of significant infrastructure support in the form of a developed educational system, healthcare, and regular ferry and air connections to Athens, Tinos is a very pleasant place to live, which contributes to the island's unique character, avoiding the pitfalls of seasonal tourism and sluggishness during the winter months.

The cosmopolitan character of the island dates back to the Middle Ages when Tinos was under Venetian rule, jealously guarding it from Ottoman invaders until 1714 when the island finally became part of the Eastern Empire. Shortly thereafter, Tinos was imbued with the spirit of the Greek War of Independence, and the island was liberated as early as 1821. Thanks to the long rule of the Venetian Republic and its successful defense against frequent pirate attacks, a significant Catholic community remains on this island, adding a note of diversity to this location. The Catholic Monastery of Saint Joseph (Jesuit Monastery of Tinos) is very interesting to visit as it unexpectedly combines Greek landscapes and conditions traditionally associated with Orthodoxy with a Catholic ambiance, Baroque architecture, and detailed spatial design.

Annunciation of the Virgin Mary Monastery, Tinos

Tinos is, however, best known for its Orthodox monastery dedicated to the preservation of the miraculous icon of the Annunciation of the Virgin Mary, an icon created by the hand of the Evangelist Luke, one of the seventy icons made by this disciple of Christ. Because of the miraculous icon and the monastery, the island is the most significant pilgrimage site in the Eastern Mediterranean, visited by hundreds of thousands of believers annually. The Annunciation icon (Megaloharis in Greek) was discovered in a garden by one of the locals a few days after the declaration of Greek independence in 1821, and for this reason, the Virgin Mary is the protector of the Greek state. On her feast day, August 15th, it is a national holiday and a day off, with the highest officials gathering in Tinos for the church and secular celebration. What makes this icon and church even more famous are its miraculous properties, which attract hundreds of thousands of believers, both Greeks and foreigners, who pilgrimage to this island, hoping for the help of the Virgin Mary and the strengthening of their faith. They disembark on the island on their knees and "all fours," proceeding humbly in a crawling procession towards the church, located on a hill above the port. A special section of the street and sidewalk is designated for them to follow the customs unhindered as they climb the steep street from the port, holding a large candle in their hands. On the day of the Virgin Mary, tens of thousands of believers gather on the island, and during a special solemn procession, the icon is carried out and paraded through the city with honors.

The same date, August 15th, in 1940 on Tinos also echoed in the hearts of the Greeks when, without a declaration of war, Mussolini's submarine torpedoed and sank the Greek cruiser Elli, a veteran of the First World War, which was stationed there for the celebration of the Assumption and national festivities. Today, that date is forever commemorated on August 15th on Tinos and is spread throughout Greece through the speeches of officials.

However, Tinos' cosmopolitan character among the Cycladic gems is not solely due to its developed religious tourism and central position in the pantheon of secular sources of national spirit, quite the contrary! The rich marble deposits and the Venetian tradition of artistic craftsmanship have fostered the strong establishment of fine arts academies and the settlement of numerous sculptors and painters, both local and from other parts of Greece. Such a tradition on the island is evident in numerous museums, primarily the Museum of Artists of Tinos and the Museum of Marble Art. Particularly valuable works that should be seen are the canvases of the painter Nikolaos Gyzis.

The town of Tinos dazzles you with its whiteness as soon as you disembark from the port, thanks to the white-washed facades of its main town. However, true delight comes when you follow the nuances of white, which, as the island's trademark, lead you through its impressive 40 villages to the town of Pirgos, where the marble quarry has dictated the favored material of local craftsmen for centuries, transforming their work into art. One of them is Janulis Halepas, who, after enduring a difficult path of establishing his art (first considered mad, then undergoing treatment at a psychiatric asylum), spreads the fame of Tinos marble worldwide and is considered the creator of one of the most touching funerary monuments in the world, the so-called Sleeping Girl at the First Cemetery of Athens. The white marble amidst the white facades against the blue sky and the Aegean Sea creates one of the most striking images that one can take from a vacation, and it is no wonder that the Greek flag is based on these motifs – a white Orthodox cross, white sky, and blue sea symbolize this beloved flag.

Tinos is worth visiting for its excellent viewpoints that, due to the island's location, offer views of almost the entire archipelago, especially from the Exomeria restaurant in the village of Isternia (where you can also indulge in excellent local cuisine). In the evening, the sun sets directly into the Aegean Sea, and during the day, the view extends to the nearby islands of Mykonos, Andros, and Syros. On the way to Ekso Meria, be sure to visit the nearby windmills of Isternia, historical landmarks of special beauty. In addition to them, Tinos' renowned dovecotes are a distinctive feature, thousands of small or large built structures that were constructed and adorned according to popular taste as protective towers for the doves that frequently fly over the island. These small towers with geometric patterns made of marble or brick and lime are unique to Tinos and were often a way for local magnates to compete in power and taste. Today, the dovecotes still serve their original purpose and are maintained by the municipality or enthusiastic individuals.

The island's festival life is most vibrant in the Cyclades, whether it's the gastronomic Tinos Food Paths, the music festivals like Tinos World Music Fest or Jazz on Tinos, and it leaves a lasting impression when you stop by Filipos Karajanis Cafe on the square in Pirgos after a concert to enjoy a fresh, warm, and widely renowned galaktobureko with a glass of ice-cold water. After that, walking or riding a motorcycle home through the fragrant meadows of Tinos, you embrace a new day...

...which should definitely begin on the beaches of Kolympithra, Agios Markos, Agios Sostis, and Agios Fokas. Tinos is an island of wonders but also offers a pleasant summer family ambiance where the excesses of Mykonos or the administrative hustle of Syros are not felt. With its proximity to Athens and a relatively short ferry ride of less than 4 hours, it is an ideal summer destination.