GREEK ISLANDS Not Mykonos, try Tinos

Mykonos and Santorini have long been the upmarket party islands of the Aegean Sea. For a quieter life (and better value for money), try Tinos instead. It is known among Greek Orthodox Christians as the religious island, where many travel every summer as part of a pilgrimage.

There is a daily ferry from Rafina, the closest port to Athens airport (30 minutes by bus or taxi), which takes three hours, and it’s a 20-minute boat ride to Mykonos. “Visitors stay on Tinos for the peace, culture and food, and do day (and night) trips to Mykonos to party,” says Danae Tsakiris, an estate agent with Savills.

She describes Tinos, with its collection of 50 villages, as drawing a “discerning, understated and intellectual crowd”, due to its art and foodie culture. The island is known for its marble crafting and the village of Pyragos is decorated with white marble sculptures and has an outdoor museum.

The island produces honey, herbs, cheeses – and wines from the

Òorganic vineyard T-Oinos, linked to Alain Ducasse restaurants across Europe.

“Tinos has always been a popular holiday-home hotspot with the French, Germans and Greeks, but since Covid it has become increasingly popular with British buyers, who now seek a quieter, laid-back and perhaps more authentic holiday-home spot. They are attracted to the quaintness of Tinos,” says Savvas Savvaidis, of Greece Sotheby’s International Realty.

Compared to Mykonos, homes in Tinos can be 40 to 60 per cent cheaper. There is a huge range in price from a two-bedroom traditional stone villa (with a swimming pool) in Triantaros for €340,000 (£286,000) via Rightmove, while Sotheby’s is selling a fivebedroom, new-build villa overlooking Triantaros (pictured above) for €2m (£1.6m).

Sports fanatics can enter the Tinos Challenge in December, which is part of the Cyclades Trail Cup. It includes a 12-mile trail run and a mountain sprint.