7 Best Sights in The Cyclades, Greece

The Tinians built the splended Church of the Annunciate Virgin on this site in 1823 to commemorate finding a buried icon of the Annunciation in the foundations of an old Byzantine church that once stood here. Imposing and beautiful, framed in gleaming yellow and white, it stands atop the town's main hill ("hora"), which is linked to the harbor via Megalochari, a steeply inclined avenue lined with votive shops. Half Venetian, half Cypriot in style, the facade (illuminated at night) has a distinctive two-story arcade and bookend staircases. Lined with the most costly stones from Tinos, Paros, and Delos, the church's marble courtyards (note the green-veined Tinian stone) are paved with pebble mosaics and surrounded by offices, chapels, a health station, and seven museums. Inside the upper three-aisle church dozens of beeswax candles and precious tin- and silver-work votives—don't miss the golden orange tree near the door donated by a blind man who was granted sight—dazzle the eye. You must often wait in line to see the little icon, encrusted with jewels, which is said to have curative powers. To beseech the icon's aid, a sick person sends a young female relative or a mother brings her sick infant. As the pilgrim descends from the boat, she falls to her knees, with traffic indifferently whizzing about her, and crawls painfully up the faded red padded lane on the main street—1 km (½ mile)—to the church. In the church's courtyards, she and her family camp for several days, praying to the magical icon for a cure, which sometimes comes. This procedure is very similar to the ancient one observed in Tinos's temple of Poseidon. The lower church, called the Evresis, celebrates the finding of the icon; in one room a baptismal font is filled with silver and gold votives. The chapel to the left commemorates the torpedoing by the Italians, on Dormition Day, 1940, of the Greek ship Helle; in the early stages of the war, the roused Greeks amazingly overpowered the Italians.

On the main street, near the church, is the small Archaeological Museum; its collection includes a sundial by Andronicus of Cyrrhus, who in the 1st century BC also designed Athens's Tower of the Winds. Here, too, are Tinos's famous huge, red storage vases, from the 8th century BC.

This long sandy beach is the closest organized beach to Tinos Town, and it's also the island's largest beach overall. The coastline is marked with natural shade from tamarisk trees, but beach chairs and umbrellas are readily available for rent during the summer. The main road behind the beach has a gathering of beach hotels, rooms, and tavernas. There are also a few beach bars and cafés along its 1½-km (1-mile) stretch. Amenities: food and drink. Best for: swimming; walking.

Founded in 2002, the Cultural Foundation of Tinos, housed in a large and splendid neoclassical building at the south end of the quay, remains active in promoting the fantastic art, history, and culture of the island. The center revolves around a full schedule of traveling exhibitions, lectures, performances, and other events. It has a permanent exhibit of work by Tinian sculptor, Iannoulis Chalepas. There’s also a café.

Within walking distance of Tinos Town, this beach is a peaceful little corner of Tinos. One or two tavernas are nearby, but Stavros beach is really known for its fine sand and its beautiful surroundings. The turquoise waters remain clear, and shady green trees dot the area surrounding Ayios Stavros, the pretty whitewashed church that gave the beach its name. Come during sunset, as it makes for one of the most romantic settings on Tinos. Amenities: food and drink. Best for: sunset; swimming.