Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
EATING AND DRINKING
Madoúris Nimborió T 22820 24620. Simple and
unassuming, you'll wonder why its tables are all taken
while the surrounding tavernas are empty. Then you'll taste
the fresh fried calamari with portions that feed two adults
(€9)
Vegéra Nimborió T 698 02 20 171. You've heard it
before: an establishment that starts as a beach bar at 10am,
continues as a pretty decent restaurant after 2pm (mains
€8) and ends up as a club with a live DJ after 10pm (drinks
€7). Yes, there may be many bars like that, but not as stylish
in each incarnation. May-Sept daily 10am-late.
and
you'll
understand.
April-Sept
daily
noon-midnight.
6
The south
If you're exploring the south from Hóra, take the road that runs through the
dramatic Dipotámata valley; at the seaward end, the fine, sheltered cove of Sinéti is
worth a detour, though the access road is somewhat steep. Two kilometres further,
the entry road to Kohýlo village forks: the left goes 2km (partly surfaced) to
Paleókastro (aka Kástro Faneroménis), a ruined Venetian castle perched on a rocky
crest at 586m, with amazing views overlooking Kórthi Bay. Legend has it that an
old woman, who betrayed the stronghold to the Turks, jumped from the top in
remorse, and she remains as a column of rock in the sea of Griás Pídhima beach
where she landed. A short distance further south, the resort of Kórthi (or Órmos
Korthíou or simply Órmos) is a small town, with a new seafront esplanade, waking
up to its tourist potential and popular with windsurfers; this is where the Greek
Olympic team practises. Set on a large bay, isolated from the rest of the island by
the high ridge and relatively unspoilt, it is pleasant enough to merit a stay. Lovely
Griás Pídhima beach is accessible via a signed road and dirt track from near the
northern end of the esplanade, while Kandoúni beach covers the southern half of the
main bay.
EATING AND DRINKING
THE SOUTH
Lithodhomí T 22820 61130. One of those surprise finds
that make your heart beat faster with excitement: a
restaurant in the middle of the Kórthi esplanade with great
rustic stone decor, an inventive menu offering many
vegetarian options (€10), good service, fresh ingredients
and a great wine list. A must if you've come all this way.
Daily 8am-1am.
Tínos
TÍNOS still feels like one of the most Greek of the larger islands in the Cyclades. A few
foreigners have discovered its beaches and unspoilt villages, but most visitors are Greek,
here to see the church of Panayía Evangelístria , a grandiose shrine erected on the spot
where a miraculous icon with healing powers was found in 1822. A local nun, now
canonized as Ayía Pelayía, was directed in a vision to unearth the relic just as the War of
Independence was getting under way, a timely coincidence that served to underscore the
links between the Orthodox Church and Greek nationalism. Today, there are two major
annual pilgrimages, on March 25 and August 15, when Tínos is inundated by the faithful,
and at 11am, the icon bearing the Virgin's image is carried in state down to the harbour.
The Ottoman tenure here, and on adjoining Sýros, was the most fleeting in the
Aegean. Exóbourgo , the craggy mount dominating southern Tínos and surrounded by
most of the island's sixty-odd villages, is studded with the ruins of a Venetian citadel
that defied the Turks until 1715, long after the rest of Greece had fallen; an enduring
legacy of the long Venetian rule is a Catholic minority , which accounts for almost half
the population. Hills are dotted with distinctive and ornate dovecotes , even more in
evidence here than on Ándhros. Aside from all this, the inland village architecture is
striking, and there's a flourishing folk-art tradition that finds expression in the
abundant local marble.
 
 
Search WWH ::




Custom Search