Accommodation at the villa is arranged over a main house and, just a few steps away, an independent guesthouse. Both are spread over two levels. Designed by award-winning ZEGE architects, the villa blends minimalistic design, chic and modern comfort.
Steps lead down from the parking space to a gate, which leads onto a private, cane-shaded terrace looking ovet the sea. This is the heart of the property off which the accommodation flows. To the left is the separate guesthouse, which offers a bright, spacious double bedroom with en-suite shower room. A short glance at these rooms is enough to appreciate the architectural aesthetics behind the overall design of the villa: white walls with sculpted niches for discreet lighting and books; white-grey polished concrete flooring that modifies curvaceously into a raised platform for the mattress and surrounds for the shower and sink; French windows with grey frames and shutters opening views out to sea and access to the terraces. Stairs lead down from near the en-suite bathroom to the lower ground level, where there is another double bedroom. Despite being windowless, the lighting has been carefully thought-out to offer a bright space.
Back on the central shady terrace, a door to the right opens into the main house and a bright, airy open-plan room dedicated to your get-togethers. To the left is a large built-in fireplace and a cozy, white L-shaped sofa facing to sea via a series of French windows. To the right is a dining table and an elegant white kitchen. Opposite the dining table, a few steps lead up to a double bedroom with private shower room and views of both the sea and the village of Kardiani. At last on the lower level of the main house, accessed via external steps, there is the one more double bedroom, also with en-suite shower room and amazing sea views.
The outdoor spaces have been designed with the same care and attention as the interiors. Thanks to its hillside setting, the villa features a series of terraces and on different levels, all in smooth grey concrete. Steps and paths in the same material connect different areas in one seamless ribbon, all flanked by floral borders and carefully crafted walls in local island stone.
As mentioned above, the main terrace is set between the main house and the guesthouse. Furnished for dining and lounging and shaded by a wide cane canopy, this space feels like a secluded courtyard framed with views reaching out to sea. It extends out and along the front of the house, where the sea views become wide-open panoramas that also include the beautiful all-white village of Kardiani. Steps lead down to a second terrace, which features the fabulous infinity pool. This can be also accessed from the lower level bedroom of the main house via more of those smooth concrete steps.
The lovely white village of Kardiani, which, has a taverna, is just a 10-minute walk away. Down below on the coast you will find a number of beaches, including those at Agios Petros, Giannaki, Kalivia and Akrogiali, some of which offer tavernas. The island’s capital, Tinos Town, is just over 30 minutes’ drive away, and it offers all the amenities you might need, from minimarkets and banks to petrol stations and chemists’. It’s a charming place, with a weave of beautiful streets, a good choice of tavernas, and a lively port. Perhaps its main site is the church of Panagía Evangelístria, one of the most important pilgrimage sites in the Greek Orthodox world. Built in 1830 in renaissance style, it displays an icon of the Virgin Mary that is said to have performed numerous miracles.
Measuring just 27km long and 13km wide, Tinos is easy to explore in a week or two. The west coast offers a series of small coves, many of which have little sandy beaches, and a day or two visiting these by boat is highly recommended, also because some are hard to access on foot or by car. Longer stretches of sand can be found at Agios Fokas and Laouti on the south coast below Tinos Town.
The inner areas of Tinos are mountainous and home to a wide range of charming whitewashed villages, such as Pyrgos (Panormos), Steni, Dio Choria, Komi, Ysternia, Tripotamos and Skalados. Many of these have their origins in Byzantine and Venetian times and it is no coincidence that they were all built at a safe distance from the sea. The rocky landscape also includes plenty of intricately designed dovecots and cylindrical windmills, both architectural traditions introduced by the Venetians, who governed the island between the 13th and the early 18th century. The most northerly areas of Tinos are mostly uninhabited, but there is an abundance of churches and chapels. The simple roads that link them are fascinating to explore on foot or by bike, and one really has the feeling of being off the beaten track.
The highest point of the island is the mountain of Tsiknias, which stands at 750m, but possibly the most interesting peak is the jagged stone cone of Exomvourgo (641m). It was here that the Venetians built an well defended fortress that was never vanquished, despite numerous attempts by Ottoman forces. It only fell into Ottoman hands in 1715, when the governor surrendered, an act of treachery that enraged La Serenissima so much that he was sentenced to life imprisonment on his return home.
At last, if you want to give way to a little island-hopping, regular ferry services connect Tinos Town to Mykonos. The trip takes just 22-35mins, meaning that it’s an ideal option for a daytrip.
