Tinos Beaches: Quiet Sands from Agios Fokas to Kardiani Bay

Tinos has quiet, uncrowded beaches scattered around the island, and the bays of Isternia, Kardiani and Kolymbithra are the most beautiful. The beaches of Tinos stay calmer than those on nearby Mykonos and Paros, and many keep trees for shade and a taverna nearby rather than rows of sunbeds. Agios Fokas and Kionia are the organised sands close to Tinos Town, while the western and northern bays reward the drive with almost empty beaches. Hire a car to explore Tinos at your own pace, covered in our Tinos car hire guide.

Near town

Agios Fokas · Kionia

Quietest

Isternia · Kardiani

North coast

Kolymbithra · Panormos

Getting around

Rental car

The best beaches, area by area

Tinos splits its beaches into the organised sands near Tinos Town and the quiet bays further out. Agios Fokas, Kionia and Stavros lie within reach of the town, Isternia and Kardiani hold the prettiest sands on the west coast, and Kolymbithra, Panormos and Livada keep the quiet beaches of the north and east. Each of these beaches is described below.

Agios Fokas

Agios Fokas is the main organised beach of Tinos, a sandy stretch 2 kilometres from Tinos Town with sunbeds, parasols and a regular bus from the town. The beach backs onto several hotels, among them the Golden Beach Hotel and the Afrodite Hotel. Agios Fokas suits travellers who want sand, shade and a taverna within easy reach of Chora.

Kionia

Kionia is a sandy beach on the west side of Tinos Town, about 3 kilometres or a 5-minute drive from the harbour. The beach lies sheltered from the Meltemi, the frequent north wind, and it sits beside the ancient sanctuary of Poseidon and the Tinos Beach Hotel. Kionia is the better of the two beaches closest to the town, with the restaurant Zambia at its start.

Stavros and Agia Fotia

Stavros is a small, friendly beach just outside Tinos Town, with a white church on the sand and the remains of an ancient harbour reaching far into the sea. The beach shelves gently into the water, so it is ideal for small children, and it usually stays very quiet. Agia Fotia is the nearest beach to the town, 500 metres away, and works as a quick swim close to Chora.

Isternia Bay

Isternia Bay is my favourite beach on Tinos, a tranquil sandy bay in the south-west of the island. The bay keeps a quiet beach and a few good, cosy restaurants right at the water, among them To Falasaki. Isternia rewards a slow afternoon and an unhurried dinner by the sea.

Kardiani

Kardiani sits on the west coast of Tinos below Isternia, where the road drops to Kardiani Bay and its two beaches side by side. The beach on the right of the road keeps a few sunbeds and the beach taverna Anemos, our favourite place to eat on the island, while the other beach stays completely unspoilt and often empty. Kardiani is green and quiet, and on some visits we had the sand to ourselves.

Kolymbithra

Kolymbithra is a cosy beach in a green valley on the north coast of Tinos. The beach keeps a taverna set on the rocks above the sand, the Drakonisi snackbar, with a good view over the bay. Kolymbithra feels like a place where time stood still, and it is one of the loveliest spots on the island.

Panormos and Livada

Panormos is a sandy beach beside Panormos village on the north coast, an easy and pleasant stop with the village right behind it. Livada lies further east and is a quiet pebble beach that is harder to reach, with the last stretch on a track rather than a road. Livada sits at the mouth of a small river where ducks live and goats wander over the rocks, so it rewards travellers who want to be alone.