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Tinos lies very close to the southern tip of Andros. This is the holy island of Our Lady, which in August is swamped by pilgrims who have come to pray in Her church or in fulfilment of a vow.

As Our Lady's feast day on 15 August approaches, the church and the town of Tinos become crammed with people, and religious services take place next to the commercial fair being held in the surrounding streets.

A line of mountains, whose highest peak is Mt. Tsiknias, (in the myths the home of the wind-god Aeolus), runs the length of the island. On its lower slopes, walls like the fortifications of old castles divide the terraced fields. The coast of the island is mostly steep, but there are also numerous coves with sandy or pebbly beaches.

Among the special characteristics of Tinos are its dove-cotes. These structures developed from simple roosts for pigeons into works of art and the stone-built fountains to be seen in the villages evolved in a similar manner.

Tinos, capital of the island and its port, is where most of the population lives. A broad paved street leads from the harbour to the low hill on which stands the magnificent church of Our Lady. Built in marble from Paros and Tinos itself, the church stands overlooking the town on the site where a miraculous icon of Our Lady was discovered.

The interior of the island has been little affected by tourism, and the 45 villages have retained much of their traditional character and distinctive vernacular architecture. Among the most interesting villages are the large settlements of Falatado, Steni and Pirgos, the latter of which has a museum dedicated to the sculptor Halepas, the house of artist Lytras, and numerous marble-sculptur's workshops.

There are plenty of good beaches too, notably at Agios Fokas near the town, Kionia, Porto, Panormos bay, Kolimbithra, Agios Sostis and Paqhia Amos.

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