Family Travel Guide to Tinos, Greece
Quartier Collective offers a generative approach to exploring one of the Cyclades’ less-discovered islands, inviting us to slow down and tune in with their thoughtfully curated finds. We’re listening.
All Photos by Quartier Collective.
The Cyclades, that long chain of sun-kissed islands in the Greek Mediterranean, is no secret.
You’ve seen the photos that made these islands famous, the view from Santorini, sugar-cube houses tumbling down the valley towards a jolly-rancher blue sea, the white-washed windmills on Mykonos. Each summer the crowds on these heavy-hitter islands grow thicker and louder. But a short ferry ride away, the pilgrim’s island of Tinos feels like another world, like the Cyclades we hoped for. Quiet, natural, simple.
Tinos came early in our first lap of the world, back in 2018, and we’ve returned every year since, staying often in the same house, swimming from the same rocks, eating the same simple, distilled dishes. Change is coming, but slowly. You still see the pilgrims who crawl on their knees from the ferry dock, up the hill to the church where the miraculous icon of Mary waits to hear their prayers. Drive north from town and the landscape gets wilder, the villages smaller and more picturesque.
This is where you’ll find us.
When to Go, How to Get There + Around
Like all of the Mediterranean, Tinos is best visited in the shoulder seasons. June and September are the best months to visit, but anytime between May and October you’ll find beautiful weather and a warming sea. Winds can be strong in the summer, and August has the greatest number of tourists.
Getting here: You can reach Tinos by ferry from both of Athens’ ports, though we usually sail from Raffina, which is closer to the airport and slightly less chaotic. Fast boats can take as little as two hours, but we prefer the slow boat. It takes twice as long, but it’s far more comfortable, and a Greek ferry in summer is people-watching paradise.
You can also fly to Mykonos (JMK) and take a 20 minute ferry to Tinos. Be sure to check the ferry schedules. You need at least 45 minutes between an on-time landing and the departure of your ferry to make a comfortable transfer. There is a bus that carries passengers from the airport to the port. A taxi will shave off twenty minutes.
On Tinos a car is requisite. A 4x4 is helpful, but not generally essential. Heike at Dimitris Car Rental has always been helpful and offered great pricing.
Family-Friendly Stays
A former marble quarry in a forgotten bay.
Tina, an artist from Athens, has restored this corner of her grandfather’s abandoned marble quarry on the secluded Vathi Bay. Comfortable and well-designed, filled with art and history, this is a charming stay. The bay has a small chapel and a handful of fishing holiday homes, a stony beach and an ancient quay to jump from.
Aeolis Tinos Suites
Quality rooms with a beautiful pool, set on the hillside and close to Chora.
Stella’s House in Pyrgos
Stella was our first host on Tinos and we’ve returned to her quaint little house over and over. Built into the rock, with bunk beds and a trap door, this stay is an adventure for everyone. Just steps away from the central plaza with its cafes crowded beneath the ancient plane tree.
QC’s Shops + Sleeps
A former marble quarry in a forgotten bay. / Aeolis Tinos Suites / Stella’s House in Pyrgos /Trela / Katsika
Tinos was the first place we visited where simply driving slowly along the winding ridges was enough activity for all five of us. I remember the eerie silence, as we all gazed out at this moving landscape, just a couple of colours, just a couple of textures, all of it powerful and impressive. The effect remains, even years later.
Boutiques
Jerome and Sabrina Binda: This French couple are an example of the new blood reshaping Tinos in beautiful ways. In 2011 they relocated from Paris, Jerome is a farmer and winemaker, producing the island’s best natural wines. Sabrina creates beautiful ceramics and guides workshops in the craft.
Trela: A thoughtful concept store and exhibition space in Tinos town. If you can’t reach Sabrina Binda you can find her ceramics here.
Katsika: Beautiful women’s wear and jewelry, with designs that feel right at home on Tinos.
Tinos aligns with that curious Mediterranean phenomenon where quayside menus that are filled with seafood give way to inland fare of cheeses and sausages as soon as you’re out of sight of the water. Both cuisines are delicious, and the local tavernas serving them are wonderful, nearly without exception. Here are a few standouts—
Boui Boui: An artful approach to Greek cuisine, with natural wine and warm hearts.
Tereza’s: A tiny restaurant, family-run, with all the classic dishes and really good vibes.
Maru: There are a number of traditional tavernas on the quayside in Panormous, and they are all great. Maru takes things a little more seriously, with some original and delicious interpretations of the classics.
Sima: We’re always looking for places with natural wines when we travel, and this can be hard to find in the Greek islands. But here it is! A new spot in Pyrgos, with a strong feminine energy, beautiful food and natural wines from Greece. Sima means “come closer” in Greek, like you’re about to be told a secret. We’re listening.
Swim, Hike + See
Volax
The village of Volax is built in a boulder field, with some of the houses fashioned in the crevices of the huge stones. Hiking trails lead through and around, and the outdoor theatre hosts local and visiting artists. Find their schedule here, and if you see a return of Karagiozis, the traditional Greek shadow puppet character, do not miss it!
Livada Beach
This is perhaps our favourite swim on the island. A long, dirt road winds down to a broad bay with a pebbled beach and some otherworldly rock formations. Swim around the corner on the right side of the beach to a hidden cove. There is a small taverna close to the beach, the only thing around, and the owners are very kind. Bring plenty of drinking water and snacks, unless you are planning to visit the taverna.
Museum of Marble Craft
This museum in Pyrgos helps give perspective to the industry that once dominated this island.
Saint Sea and Aeolus, the god of the wind
Protected from the north winds is the Saint Sea near the village of Panormous. A hike around the corner, past the whitewashed chapel, reveals a hidden treasure, the wild, windward side of the island with crashing waves and the giant carved head of Aeolus, the ancient god of the wind. There are rocks for diving and a stony beach. The truly brave can ford the isthmus to the tiny island of Planet with its crumbling lighthouse and abandoned quarry.
