Tínos

If Délos was the sacred island of the ancient Greeks, Tínos, nicknamed the ‘Lourdes of Greece’, occupies the same place in the hearts of their Orthodox descendants. In fact, ancient Délos probably had much the same atmosphere as modern Tínos Town—a harbour with a permanent carnival atmosphere and merchants selling holy pictures, incense, candles, votive offers and backscratchers to throngs of pilgrims.

Beyond the pilgrims, Tínos is an exceptional island; dramatically beautiful and often wind whipped, increasingly hip and foodie, and filled with more museums per inhabitant than any island in Greece.

aIts slopes are dotted with 1,007 Venetian dovecotes, ornate little white towers that look as if they were embroidered, a few still inhabited by clouds of white doves. There are over 160 kilometres of beautiful walks, mapped out by Tinos Trails.