Tinos
Cyclades
Tinos Town is a typical Cycladic island capital, with a busy little port and narrow streets zigzagging through blindingly whitewashed buildings. There are several ferries a day to Tinos from the mainland port of Rafina. Tinos has an Archaeological Museum with a very rich collection for such a comparatively small island that lacks any major sites. The major one is the Sanctuary of Poseidon and Amphitrite, a few kilometers west of Andros Town and built in the 4th century BC.
Tinos Pilgrimages
To all Greeks Tinos is known for just one thing: the Church of the Panagia Evengelistria, or the Annunciation. On August 15th, the Feast of the Assumption of the Virgin and a national holiday in Greece, Tinos is packed full of pilgrims who come to pray to a miraculous icon. Many of them crawl on hands and knees up the main street that leads to the church and is lined with stalls and shops selling candles, icons and votive offerings. The icon is paraded through the streets, which also happens on the Feast of the Assumption, March 25th, another national holiday and also Independence Day.
Photo by Milan Gonda (see more of his photos on our page Photos of Greece).
The Nun's Vision
A nun at the convent of Moni Kechrovouniou, in the hills above Tinos Town, had visions of the Virgin Mary in 1822, the Virgin telling her where an icon lay buried. When the nun’s directions were followed, an icon showing the Annunciation of the Archangel Gabriel was found, which had lay buried for 850 years and yet remained in good condition. It was believed to have healing powers, hence the many pilgrims include people in need of healing, with Tinos being a Greek Orthodox equivalent of the holy shrine at Lourdes. If you want to be on Tinos on either March 25th or August 15th, you will need to plan well in advance as ferries and accommodation will both be fully booked.
Getting to Tinos
Flights to Tinos
Tinos does not have an airport so you will need to fly to Athens or to one of the islands with ferry connections to Tinos. The closest is Mykonos.
Ferries to Tinos
There are several fast ferry connections per day between Rafina and Tinos with a journey time of 1 hour 40 minutes. Slower and cheaper ferries take 4 hours.
There are several ferries a week from Piraeus, with a journey time of just under 5 hours.
There are ferries from several other islands in the Cyclades, the closest being Mykonos (15 minutes).
Ferries in Greece
Ferries in Greece has an excellent and very thorough website where, in addition to checking ferry schedules and times, you can also book tickets and get lots of useful information about travelling by ferry in Greece.
Latest Posts
-
Greece Eases Some Covid-19 Lockdown Rules, Keeps Movement Restrictions in Place
Greece’s authorities have announced the opening of high schools in the country and the loosening of a few lockdown measures, but said that the night curfew and movement restrictions would stay in plac…
-
Greece Domestic Air Travel: Only Essential Trips Allowed Until February 1
The Hellenic Civil Aviation Authority (HCAA) on Saturday updated an aviation directive (NOTAM) that allows only essential domestic travel between all Greek airports. The directive that bans trips betw…
-
Greece’s 7-day Quarantine Rule for Air Arrivals Extended to February 8
Greece is extending the mandatory 7-day quarantine rule for all international travelers arriving by air. In an announcement on Friday, the Hellenic Civil Aviation Authority (HCAA) issued an update for…
-
American Airlines Announces Athens-New York Route for Summer 2021
American Airlines, as of June 3, will launch a new service connecting Athens with New York, JFK airport, for the 2021 summer season. Flights, to be conducted on a Boeing 777-200, will be available for…
-
Where To Enjoy The Most Amazing Views In Athens
When you set off to discover Athens, you will be surprised by the amount of amazing vantage points the city has to offer. Due to its unique geography, Athens offers a number of places to visit and tak…
-
Tough Measures Continue in Greece Due to Covid-19 Variant
Greece plans to keep its strict lockdown measures in place in view of a Covid-19 variant which appears to be spreading at a fast pace. The new strain of the deadly virus believed to be more contagious…
-
Strefi Hill Revamp to Create an Oasis in Athens for Residents and Visitors
The Strefi hill, located in the neighborhood of Exarchia near the center of Athens, is set to undergo a major revamp, as part of an ongoing drive for the overhaul of the Greek capital, the Municipalit…
-
Commission: All Non-essential Travel ‘Strongly Discouraged’
One day before EU leaders meet to discuss actions in the fight against the Covid-19 crisis, the European Commission called on member states to discourage non-essential travel and to accelerate vaccina…
-
Underwater Excavation Off Kasos Uncovers Ancient Shipwrecks and Cargo
A shipwreck of the Roman period and its cargo are among the significant finds of an underwater excavation that was carried out by archaeologists off the Greek island of Kasos in the Dodecanese. Accord…
-
Conde Nast Traveller Shares its List of the Best Greek Islands to Visit in 2021
UK travel magazine Conde Nast Traveller (CNT) has compiled a list of the “Best Greek islands to Visit in 2021” and features some of Greece’s most popular vacation spots. After a challenging summer sea…
FOLLOW OUR GREECE VIDEOS
ON YOUTUBE
Best Greece Guide
Of all the many guides to Greece we've seen, this is the one we recommend as best of all:
Greece Travel Inspiration
Buy our book of inspirational travel stories from our travels in Greece over the years.
Take a Look at Our Corfu Guide
FTC Disclosure : If you make a purchase via a link on this site, we may receive a small commission on the transaction - at no added cost to you. Thank you!
Latest Posts
-
Greece Eases Some Covid-19 Lockdown Rules, Keeps Movement Restrictions in Place
Jan 25, 21 11:46 AM
Greece’s authorities have announced the opening of high schools in the country and the loosening of a few lockdown measures, but said that the night curfew and movement restrictions would stay in plac…
-
Greece Domestic Air Travel: Only Essential Trips Allowed Until February 1
Jan 25, 21 11:46 AM
The Hellenic Civil Aviation Authority (HCAA) on Saturday updated an aviation directive (NOTAM) that allows only essential domestic travel between all Greek airports. The directive that bans trips betw…
-
Greece’s 7-day Quarantine Rule for Air Arrivals Extended to February 8
Jan 25, 21 11:46 AM
Greece is extending the mandatory 7-day quarantine rule for all international travelers arriving by air. In an announcement on Friday, the Hellenic Civil Aviation Authority (HCAA) issued an update for…
-
American Airlines Announces Athens-New York Route for Summer 2021
Jan 25, 21 11:46 AM
American Airlines, as of June 3, will launch a new service connecting Athens with New York, JFK airport, for the 2021 summer season. Flights, to be conducted on a Boeing 777-200, will be available for…
-
Where To Enjoy The Most Amazing Views In Athens
Jan 22, 21 10:27 AM
When you set off to discover Athens, you will be surprised by the amount of amazing vantage points the city has to offer. Due to its unique geography, Athens offers a number of places to visit and tak…
-
Tough Measures Continue in Greece Due to Covid-19 Variant
Jan 21, 21 10:58 AM
Greece plans to keep its strict lockdown measures in place in view of a Covid-19 variant which appears to be spreading at a fast pace. The new strain of the deadly virus believed to be more contagious…
-
Strefi Hill Revamp to Create an Oasis in Athens for Residents and Visitors
Jan 21, 21 10:58 AM
The Strefi hill, located in the neighborhood of Exarchia near the center of Athens, is set to undergo a major revamp, as part of an ongoing drive for the overhaul of the Greek capital, the Municipalit…
-
Commission: All Non-essential Travel ‘Strongly Discouraged’
Jan 21, 21 10:58 AM
One day before EU leaders meet to discuss actions in the fight against the Covid-19 crisis, the European Commission called on member states to discourage non-essential travel and to accelerate vaccina…
-
Underwater Excavation Off Kasos Uncovers Ancient Shipwrecks and Cargo
Jan 21, 21 10:58 AM
A shipwreck of the Roman period and its cargo are among the significant finds of an underwater excavation that was carried out by archaeologists off the Greek island of Kasos in the Dodecanese. Accord…
No words or images to be used without prior permission.
We do not sell personal information: see our Privacy Policy.
California Consumer Privacy Act - CCPA: Sale Of Personal Information
Greece Travel Secrets does not sell any information it gathers for any reason. It has not collected or sold any personal information in the last twelve months or ever in the past.
This website was built using Site Build It!
