Instant Alert: Forget Mykonos and Santorini. I found a little-known island in Greece that's twice as beautiful and half the price

MANAGE SUBSCRIPTIONS   |   UNSUBSCRIBE   |   VIEW ONLINE   Forget Mykonos and Santorini. I found a little-known island in Greece that's twice as beautiful and half the price by Harrison Jacobs on Aug 9, 2018, 9:55 AM Advertisement Traveling to Greece during the peak summer months can be an expensive, busy, and crowded vacation, particularly if you frequent the two most popular islands in the country, Mykonos and Santorini. At the recommendation of a local, I visited Tinos, an island well-known to Greeks and about a 30-minute ferry ride from Mykonos. While similarly located in the Cyclades, Tinos feels like a completely different world. The island has a breathtaking landscape, untouched beaches, and historic Greek villages built into the mountainsides, all at a fraction of the cost of Mykonos and Santorini, even during the peak summer season. Most vacationers heading to the islands in Greece usually end up at one of two destinations: Mykonos and Santorini. While both islands have their charms, they've undoubtedly become tourist traps, with overbooked hotels, overpriced restaurants, and beaches and sights packed with cruise-shippers and holiday makers all summer long. But Greece has 6,000 islands in total, many of which are even more beautiful, a fraction of the price, and, best of all, relatively untouched by international tourists. At the recommendation of a Greek local, I recently headed to Tinos, an island of 9,000 people about a 30-minute ferry ride from Mykonos. While Tinos is located in the Cyclades, like Mykonos and Santorini, it feels oceans away. Rather than resorts that tend to your every desire, packed nightclubs, and hip  — some might say prententious — restaurants and bars, Tinos is filled with breathtaking landscapes, historic Greek villages, a cuisine built on fresh, local ingredients, and beaches dotted with thatch-huts and a single van selling cheap drinks and snacks. For those looking for a taste of classic Cycladic life, Tinos might as well be paradise.  I had planned on only staying for two days in Tinos. I ended up staying for five. Here's what it's like: SEE ALSO: I visited the glittering Greek island of Mykonos, the summer destination of choice for billionaires — and it's a very different experience if you aren't swimming in money DON'T MISS: A local in Greece gave me a tip to visiting the country, and it's the opposite of everything you've been told After a few days in Mykonos, I was ready for a more relaxed Greek adventure. I hopped a ferry to Tinos for 20 Euros. Just about everyone on the ferry to Tinos was either Greek, Italian, or French. Immediately upon arriving in Tinos, I realized how different the island is from Santorini or Mykonos. While its town, Chora, also has cobblestone streets and white Cycladic architecture, it's far quieter. During the day, it's practically empty. At night, it gets a bit busier when Greek vacationers and some other European tourists visit the tavernas and souvenir shops on the main street. From a distance, Chora is spectacular. I stayed about a 10-minute walk from the main square at a small hotel called Agali Bay. While the hotel was nothing special architecturally, it was only $70 a night for a room with a view of the sea. The family that has run the hotel for 30 years was incredibly kind, helpful, and accommodating. Source: Agali Bay Hotel See the rest of the story at Business Insider   Share the latest business news with your network:    Email sent to: nguyenvu1187.love5@blogger.com   |   Manage your email preferences   |   Unsubscribe Terms of Service   |   Privacy Policy Business Insider. 150 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10011