Introduction & General Information

40 white little picturesque villages, more than 700 churches, and monasteries, immaculate dovecotes and beautiful sandy and pebble beaches are the elements that create the wonderful Tinos island. Still unknown by the majority of foreign tourists, Tinos mostly attracts Greek pilgrims traveling there to see and touch the miraculous healing icon of the Virgin Mary, that was found in 1822.

The believers take part in the two annual religious pilgrimages, on March 25 and August 15, when the miraculous icon is carried down the harbor over the heads of the faithful.

The pilgrimage in Tinos is equivalent, at a smaller scale, to the one of Lourdes, in France: thousands of Greeks Orthodox believers walk on their knees from the harbor to the church of Panagia Evangelistra to ask for the protection and favors of the Virgin. Tinos is the most important Orthodox place of worship.

The amazing Tinos is not only the island of religious faith but also the island of art: some of the most important Greek artists were born there such as the painters Nikephoros Lytras and Nikolaos Gyzis and sculptors such as Phlilippotis, Voulgaris and Giannoulis Chalepas, the Pheidias of Modern Greece, perpetuate the island tradition in marble-carving until today.

Tinos is a very interesting place to visit. One can enjoy its unspoiled architecture, its picturesque villages, its beautiful beaches and its traditional culture and way of living that is still present. It is the ideal place for lovers of nature, architecture, art, and traditions, and really the perfect answer to these expectations.

DISCOVER MORE ABOUT TINOS