This summer we traveled to Greece, stopping through Athens, Tinos and Andros. We immediately fell in love with Tinos and with the unspoiled charm of the island. Tinos is a captivating island in the Cyclades archipelago of Greece, located in the Aegean Sea. Tinos is known for its charming villages and stunning natural landscapes. While it is less commercialized compared to nearby islands like Mykonos, Tinos offers an authentic Greek island experience that is deeply connected to its traditions, history, and local culture. Many of these villages preserve the traditional Cycladic architecture, with whitewashed houses, narrow streets, and stone-paved alleys.
Some of our favorite villages noted below to visit:
Tinos Town (Chora): The island’s capital with a lively atmosphere full of shops, cafes, and tavernas.
Pyrgos: Famous for its marble art, Pyrgos is a picturesque village known for its marble-carved buildings and monuments. The village also has a strong artistic community with beautifully designed shops and cafes throughout.
Volax: Known for its surreal landscape filled with large round boulders, Volax has a striking beauty and is famous for its traditional stone houses.
Ktikados, Triandaros, and Tavros: These inland villages are less touristy but provide a real taste of Tinos’ rustic charm, with stunning views of the countryside and the sea.
Some of our favorite villages noted below to visit:
Tinos Town (Chora): The island’s capital with a lively atmosphere full of shops, cafes, and tavernas.
Pyrgos: Famous for its marble art, Pyrgos is a picturesque village known for its marble-carved buildings and monuments. The village also has a strong artistic community with beautifully designed shops and cafes throughout.
Volax: Known for its surreal landscape filled with large round boulders, Volax has a striking beauty and is famous for its traditional stone houses.
Ktikados, Triandaros, and Tavros: These inland villages are less touristy but provide a real taste of Tinos’ rustic charm, with stunning views of the countryside and the sea.
Where we stayed: Xinara House
After discovering this house in an article I was unable to get it off my mind. The interiors were so unique, collected and layered and exactly what I look for in a holiday home. We had not heard too much about Tinos specifically, but I had to see the house. As soon as we arrived, we were so happy we took the leap of faith. Xinara House is situated in the Xinara village, nestled in the island's mountainous interior, a peaceful setting surrounded by olive groves and a stunning view of the Aegean Sea. The house itself is a perfect example of Tinian architecture, with stone walls, wooden beams, and traditional bones that preserve the island’s rustic charm. The house showcases the use of local materials like Tinos marble and stone, which is characteristic of the island’s craftmanship. The house is flooded with collected antiques and curiosities, every single little item has been considered and thoughtful. The house has a multi-level garden and perhaps the biggest delight is a woman from a nearby town that comes over every morning to make breakfast and coffee. It was always hard to leave in the morning with those home comforts, but alas Tinos awaits.
Day one: Kavalourk
After breakfast in the garden we head towards Kavalourko Beach. Kavalourko is a serene and relatively undiscovered gem on the island of Tinos, Greece. Located on the island's northeastern coast, this beach is nestled in a more remote and less touristy part of Tinos, which makes it a great spot to swim with only a few hours and take in the natural beauty. Reaching Kavalourko can be a bit tricky, as it is somewhat off the beaten path. The road leading to it can be narrow and not always well-maintained, so it's advisable to have a 4x4 vehicle or be prepared for a bit of a hike if you're coming from nearby areas. We opted to follow a local on the trail and drive through some seawater and rocky paths to eventually reach the very end of the road. There you start a ten minute hike through a small path leading you through a stunning chapel to eventually the final bay. Here you'll find the perfect place to perch on the rocks for the day and feel like you have the bay all to yourself.
After several hours of swimming and enjoying the sun, we left for the Main Bay Panormos Tinos which is on our way back and visible from the bay. It's a charming village full of lovely cafes and restaurants overlooking the sea. We'd suggest Marina Panormos for a classic taverna feel and suggest waiting for one of their tables right on the water for the full experience. Not far from Marina Panormos is Maru, a beautiful restaurant offering a more modern take on seafood dishes.
After lunch, we head back to our car and travel to Pyrgos for a glass of natural wine. We love walking through Pyrgos once the heat has broke slightly and love Simá as the perfect place to stop to enjoy a natural (and local) wine on their terrace along with some local cheese. We decide on dinner that night in the town of Xinara so we can walk from the house, opting for the exceptional Σάντα Ξινάρα l Santa Xinara just a few doors down. This restaurant is run by a local family and became a favorite of ours.
Day Two: Kolimvithra
We decide to visit Kolimvithra beach on our second day, located on the northern coast of the island, it’s known for its crystal-clear waters and sandy beaches. Kolymbithra is unique in that it has two distinct beach areas - the main beach with is larger and the sandy part of the beach - better for swimming and sunbathing. On the opposite side, you'll find a more wind-swept beach that attracts surfers of all kinds (windsurfing, kitesurfing and surfing). The winds in this area are particularly strong but it's still a great beach for swimming - not to mention a VW van that sets up a charming beach hut bar right on the sand.
Δρακονήσι - Drakonisi is an idylic taverna right on the second bay of Kolimvithra which makes for the perfect spot to hide from the sun for a few hours and enjoy a long lunch. We leave our towels on the sand and wander back to them after a bit of local wine and make our way into the sea for our final long swim of the day.
From Kolimvithra, we head to watch the sunset at our favorite bar on the island, Exo Meria. The bar is situated at the top of a hill overlooking the sea. They serve wonderful cocktails and small bites and we can't help but stay for a few hours until the sun has set, knowing we'll be back again very soon. We head straight to dinner at Svoura in the charming small village of Komi. We eat on a stone pathed alleyway under tall trees in the street and enjoy a beautiful dinner.
Day Three: Livada Beach
We set out for Livada Beach today traveling northeast from Xinara. We drive through the town of Volax to see the rocky boulders and enjoy a caffe fredo at one of the many cafes we found. We're ready to continue the drive to the relatively isolated Livada beach. This beach is less frequented by tourists, making it an ideal spot for those who seek peace and privacy. The beach is surrounded by large rocky hills, wild vegetation, and wild animals that were so beautiful to share the beach with. The day is particularly windy but we enjoy a swim nonetheless and head up to the beach taverna right on the bay for lunch, Livada Restaurant. The afternoon calls for another swim post lunch and we start our drive back towards Xinara.
We still have many places on our list to try for dinner that evening, but land on Veranda Tinos. As advertised, this restaurant is sprawled onto a large terrace near the town of Loutra and perfectly charming in every way. If you have trouble finding a table, there is always Stou Zaharia which looks equally as lovely at sunset as they look out over a valley below.
Other notable restaurants and places to see below, we're already looking forward to coming back for more:
To Θαλασσάκι (just below Exo Meria if you want to marry the two!)
Dimitra Traditional Cafe & Restaurant
KOMISSA
Teréza
Boui Boui
Tarsanás
Rochari Beach Bar
