Estimated time: The trajectory from Falatádos to Xóbourgo only takes about 30 minutes and climbing up Xóbourgo will cost you 20 minutes up and down. It will then take you 1h20 to Chóra (20 minutes to Tripótamos, 20 minutes to Agia Xéni and 40 minutes till Chóra). This makes for an actual hiking time of 2h10 – with a visit to Xóbourgo and some breaks this means a trip of about 4 hours. If you do not stay in Falatádos, the taxi ride from Chóra to Falatádos will cost about 9 € (in May 2005).

Route description: In the village of Falatádos the taxi might drop you on the main road; in any case, you have to go up the slope (with steps in the middle) in the direction of the large church; you thus pass the school, the monument for the dead and the café "To Katooi". In this way you arrive at the platía Megalochóri, at the foot of the church with the two towers.

The large church of Falatádos.

The street on the right is the beginning of the hike to Mirsíni and Liváda, on the right you can also see the beautiful tavern "En Falatádoo". You take a left, though, and further down in the village you go left for a short while; immediately thereafter you go right again. Later on you keep to the right and in this way you get next to the similar church of the hamlet of Kathlikádos, where you arrive at the asphalt road.

Slightly further you get to a bend: on the right, at the corner of a wall, you find the departure of the direct trail to Voláx – this is the place where you will end up this afternoon. You continue straight ahead and up on the gravel road and you follow this rather monotonous road for about 15 minutes - the view on the platform of Xóbourgo does get clearer all the time.

On the road from Falatádos, with a view on Xóbourgo.

Some 21 minutes after your departure from Falatádos you get to the asphalt road again; you follow the steps on the opposite side and you thus get to a fairly overgrown path. In 6 minutes you then arrive at a squarely built stable; you open an iron gate and you get to a crossing: the trail on the right (signpost) leads to Koumáros. If you prefer the longer return route to Chóra via Koumáros and Kámbos, you can take a right here.  

For the shorter way to Chóra and a visit to Xóbourgo you now go straight ahead up the concrete slope. You follow the meandering concrete road going up for about 5 minutes and you thus reach the large monastery of the Holy Heart (Ieras Kardías). You walk to the left and then to the right along the large outer wall of the monastery in the direction of the platform of Xóbourgo.

Pretty soon you see a sign pointing to the right, to the Kástro – you are now at an altitude of 440 metres.

First, you climb the hill and already after about 3 minutes you walk through some remains of ruins and after 8 minutes you arrive at the actual Venetian remnants of the kástro. At this place, though, also remains of much older buildings have been found, such as the remnants of the ancient city of Tínos, founded at about 1000 BC. During the excavations, some geometrical and archaic statuettes have also been discovered.

View to the summit of Xóbourgo.

The trail continues now under the form of steps, until you get to the cross of 1931 and the aerials on top of the 559-metres-high summit. The panoramic view is fantastic over here: from the southeast to the southwest (and from left to right) you can distinguish in clear weather: Mýkonos with Dílos and Rhínia (and the islands of Náxos, Páros and Antíparos beyond), Sýros (with the islands of Sífnos, Sérifos and Kýthnos beyond) and the uninhabited island of Giáros. You can also discern many villages, such as Koumáros, Kámbos, Chatzirádos and Ktikádos!
It takes you about 10 minutes to get down again.

The overgrown path from Xóbourgo to Tripótamos.

Thereafter the trail runs above the village of Xinára and some 18-20 minutes after your departure from Xóbourgo you reach a T-junction again: the signpost on the right points to Xinára, but you take a left. Slightly further you get next to the terrain of the cheese factory of Tripótamos and in this way on to the asphalt road.

You cross this road and on the opposite side and a little to the left you find a nice trail which will bring you directly to Chóra. Some 6 minutes later you walk over a small bridge, with a lovely well down under on the left, and you get to a three-forked junction. Over here you go straight ahead/slightly to the right and you go up a little. After another 4 minutes you walk underneath a high-voltage cable. From here onwards you will descend almost continuously for 50 minutes until you reach Chóra.

Some ten minutes later you arrive at the chapel of the Agia Xéni, at a crossing where you might have been before. The beautiful trail off the right goes down to Ktikádos and Chatzirádos; straight ahead the path continues to Chóra. From the nicely laid out terrace you have a great panoramic view on the tongue of land of the city of Tinos – the old harbour is built against this point. On the left you can discern the island of Mýkonos with the small island of Dílos, further down there are the islands of Náxos and Páros. This spot is often very windy, so maybe it is more relaxed to have a break or to picnic inside the chapel itself.

You then continue your descent straight ahead on the beautiful and old monopáti. After 8 minutes you get to a gravel road for a short while, but some 20 metres further down you take a left again, onto the old trail – it still dates from the era of the Venetians. During the long and steady descent in the evening sun you gradually get a really beautiful view on the town of Tínos.

Chóra in the evening sun.

Just before you reach the ring road your trail turns into modern paving; on the asphalt road you continue straight ahead, keeping a little to the left on the paved road. Going straight ahead all the time you can thus arrive at the harbour. You can also take the first broad street on the left and then further the Leofóros Megalocháris on the right. In this way you arrive at the marina, right in the centre of town.  

The Leofóros Megalocháris, leading to the main church.

But after this fairly short hike, it might be a good idea to pay first a visit to the main church of Tinos. In order to do so you have to go left, obviously, along the broad lane towards the church. 

The Panagía Evangelístria.

A detail of the Panagía Evangelístria.

This church is built on the place where a very old icon of Our Blessed Lady was found on the 30^th of January 1823. The church was the first large building in independent Greece. The proportions are elegant and especially the front yard, covered with delicate pebbles, is remarkable. Notice as well how the remnants of the ancient Diónysos-temple were incorporated in the walls of the church. Inside, the icon itself is striking, as well as a lot of ex votos of the believers. 

The interior of the Panagía Evangelístria.

You then return via the broad lane and in this way you get to the centre of town, at the marina.  

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