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Tinos is an island of artists, windmills and myriad small-scale charms, studded with elaborate dovecotes like fanciful miniature towers. Tiny villages, where life continues as it has done for generations, are linked by one of the most remarkable networks of ancient stone paths in Greece. Most of the island’s secrets, and occasional drama, can only be discovered on foot. For the Greeks, Tinos is a place of pilgrimage because of the miraculous healing powers of an icon of the Virgin Mary, but it remains relatively unvisited by foreign tourists.
This holiday can be combined with Naxos or Amorgos to make a fortnight’s holiday in the Cyclades. Please contact us for more information.
£595 per person. Single supplement: £75
8 days/7 nights accommodation with en-suite bathrooms in family-run hotels and tavernas, and apartment in Pyrghos Five breakfasts (in Tinos and Falatados) Transfers as applicable (including to/from port at beginning and end of holiday). Luggage transfers between lodgings. Route notes and maps. Emergency local back-up.
Flights to/from holiday, anything not specifically mentioned in programme
Departure dates:
From mid-April to early October. Please note that July and August are very hot and that extra charges will apply as accommodation providers raise their prices at this time.
Day 1: On arrival at the port you will be met and taken to your hotel where the route manager will brief you on the week ahead. Overnight Tinos town.
Day 2: A fine introduction to the charms of Tinos, as you climb from a coast road with views of neighbouring islands above a valley thick with olives, fruit trees and cypress. You see your first pigeon houses, pause in the cloistered courtyard of a monastery that was once a secret school and walk through villages, with their steep, narrow alleys and flower-hung balconies to arrive at Falatados. Overnight Falatados 10.5 kms/6.6 miles
Day 3: The granite tor and Venetian castle of Exombourgo dominate the landscape. There’s a scattering of villages on the surrounding foothills, each one a palette of dazzling white, of bright-painted balconies and flower-filled pots. Water is often a companion – you only need to carry a small bottle and refill it at the many water fountains en route, and if the season is right, you can pluck figs or mulberries from overhanging branches. Overnight Falatados 15 kms/9.4 miles
Day 4: A day of contrasts, from the beauty of a dramatic rocky landscape to the most luxuriant of valleys. This walk is mainly downhill and heads northwest to the coast, travelling through the Catholic heartland of the Kato Meri, the middle region of the island. Walk down a steep traditional path to the pretty village of Volax before continuing seawards among wind-sculpted rocks, via a chapel with a perfect picnic spot, to a river valley thick with fruit trees and oleander. At Kolimbithra, there’s a choice of sandy bays, guaranteed not to be crowded. Overnight Kolimbithra 10 kms/6.25 miles
Day 5: Free day: a chance to swim, relax, and explore the wonderful beaches around Kolimbithra before a taxi transfers you and your luggage to your accommodation in the marble village of Pyrghos, in the north of the island. Overnight Pyrghos
Day 6: From high in the marble mountains, descend from the sculpture centre of Pyrghos to the gorgeous coastline at Panormos. Abandoned terraces, ruined windmills and empty farm buildings are poignant relics of the once-thriving wheat cultivation. Explore the coast at Panormos, with opportunities for swimming in hidden bays. Return to Pyrghos via green ravines among barren hills, where the oleander grows, and the oasis of Kyria Xeni Monastery. Transfer to Tinos.
Overnight Tinos 8 kms/5 miles
Day 7: Follow in the steps of farmers and traders along an ancient road that linked the island’s interior villages to the port, and join pilgrims on the route of the Sacred Way that led to the Temple of Poseidon. See remnants of ancient fortifications, rest at a Byzantine travellers’ inn, and visit a beautiful bay that was abustling harbour in Classical times. Overnight Tinos 9 kms/5.6 miles
Day 8: Travel home
This holiday is classed as moderate: a sound basic fitness level and a pair of worn-in hiking boots are required. You should be relaxed about walking 8–15 kms, or for an average of 4 or 5 hours per day, and able to cope with the occasional stretch of steep, rocky terrain. The routes are mainly along stony paths and tracks, and for short distances along metalled roads. Everyday there is the opportunity to swim on beautiful, unspoilt, and often deserted beaches with crystal clear water and excellent snorkelling, either en route or at the end of walking day. The programme is subject to some change according to the season.
For 2 or more people
Accommodation in double/twin room, all with en-suite bathroom. Tinos town: Newly renovated family-run hotel (3 nights) Falatados: Family-run taverna with en suite rooms (2 nights) Kolimbithra: Pretty taverna overlooking the beach (1 night) Pyrghos: Traditional stone-built apartment (1 night). Breakfast is included in Tinos town and Falatados (5 days in total)
If you are coming straight to Tinos, on arrival at Athens airport, you can either take the airport bus or a taxi to Rafina for the high-speed ferry to Tinos (sailing time around 1.75 hours) or the slower ferry (5 - 5.5 hours).
Sturdy walking boots and walking socks (with a change of socks in rucksack), day pack, swimming costume, towel, insect repellent, sun glasses, sun hat, sun block/cream; torch; small first-aid kit. Light waterproof jacket, light fleece or warm jumper; comfortable walking clothes plus long-sleeved cotton shirt; casual, light clothes for the evenings.
We recommend that you take out appropriate holiday insurance covering you against illness, injury, and loss or damage to luggage. This insurance should also cover the possibility of your having to cancel your holiday for any reason.