Ferry from Tinos to Syros

Tinos Guide

Located in the Cyclades group of islands, the Greek island of Tinos lies in the Aegean Sea and is situated close to the islands of Andros, Delos and Mykonos. Originally named Opiussa and Hydroessa in ancient times, the island is home to the Church of Virgin Mary, or Evangelistria Church, at Hora which is one of the grandest churches in the whole of Greece. The church was built on the site where the Orthodox Image of the Virgin Mary was found, following a vision by nun Pelagia, between 1823 and 1831. Of traditional architectural style, the spacious church has many arches and is made up of two floors with many other smaller buildings in its courtyard. Another popular attraction on the island is the Monastery of the Lady of the Angels at Kechrovouni which was built after three sisters had the same vision of the Virgin Mary telling them to build a monastery at a specific location at Kechrovouni, where they saw a strange light.

Tinos is connected by boat to the ports of Piraeus and Rafina and also to the islands of Andros, Syros and Mykonos, and to almost all of the Cycladic islands.

Syros Guide

The Greek island of Syros is one of the Cyclades group of islands and is unusual in that the island's architecture is more medieval rather than the more typical Cycladic. The island's capital is Ermoupolis and has some fine examples of Venetian mansions to see. In the Vaporia quarter of the capital visitors will find some lovely large churches and impressive neoclassical buildings, such as the Town Hall and Apollo Theatre in the central square. Also popular with visitors are the island's beaches which are well equipped for tourists and have a good range of facilities.

The island can trace its history back to the 3rd millennium BC where signs of inhabitation have been found in the Halandriani and Kastri parts of the island. Artefacts found indicate that there was some kind of metal workshop on the island which possibly had a trading relationship with Asia Minor. The Samians occupied the island in the 6th century BC and is when many of the island's inhabitants moved to the island. At that time, the important physician and philosopher Pherecydis was born in Syros and some years later he went to Samos and became the teacher of Pythagoras.