Staying at Xinara House – Practical Information
AIRPORTS The nearest international airports are Mykonos and Athens. Mykonos is a small, busy airport (Apr-Oct), 20-minute by taxi (or irregularly-timed bus) to the New Port, then a 30-minute ferry to Tinos. Athens is a 25-minute taxi or 35-minute bus to Rafina Por, then a 2 - 4 hrs by ferry from to Tinos. There are good fish tavernas here. Syros, 30 minute by ferry, has connecting flights to Athens. Note, ferries and planes can be late in summer. Before booking flights check connecting ferry times on openseas.gr
ATHENS Athens is a lively interesting city and good for a stopover. Normally reached via Rafina port (or maybe fly to or from Mykonos or Syros). It's hot in summer, though easy to get around – taxis, are everywhere and cheap. There's also a Metro, which goes to the airport.
BABIES + BABYSITTING We have cots and high chairs. For babysitters and child help please ask.
BEACHES There are a huge variety, from lonely coves to lively beaches with bars, music and loungers. Our nearest, a few minutes by car is Kolymbithra - a long stretch with a beach bar then just sand (they do some surfing here too), plus a smaller beach with a taverna. Over on the other side of the island is a kilometre of sand at Ay. Fokas (20 minutes); halfway along is excellent Marathia restaurant right on the beach. If it's windy, check the direction - generally the leeward beaches are on the SW side. We've different towels for beaches + the pool. Please avoid bringing beach sand into the house as it damages the floors, etc.
BEDROOMS + BATHROOMS Bed linen + bathroom towels are changed every few days. If you need anything please ask the housekeeper.
BEFORE YOU ARRIVE Xinara manager, Jenny Prinea will SMS or WhatsApp about your arrival and meeting up, and can help with local information, reservations, etc
BOATS You can charter a boat to go round Tinos, to distant beaches or Delos island. Best for a group. We will organise this.
BREAKFAST The housekeeper comes to provide breakfast from 9am each day. For anything special, please ask the manager when you arrive.
CATS We've lots of cats in Xinara Village. They're loved and all regularly fed, though residents don't let them indoors. Cats present a serious housekeeping problem – so please do as the locals do.
CLEANING The Housekeeper will do some maintenance cleaning and tidying while visiting to make breakfast. If you would like her to do more, such as washing clothes, etc. please arrange this with the manager (€25 an hour paid by card before departure).
CAR RENTAL We use helpful, professional Vidalis Car Rental.
CLIMBING EXOMVOURGO If you fancy bouldering/ training on our mountain, look on www.exomvourgo.com Walk up to the base from our gates at the top of the gardens.
CLOTHES WASHING Use the washing machines, or the manager can organise laundry. The washing machine can do a one-hour wash + dry for small loads. There will be washing liquid nearby, and a steam iron plus ironing board.
COFFEE MACHINE Press any button to start. Check there's water in the tank at the back. Use cold tap-water. Lift the hinged front at the top and put in a coffee capsule, and press to start when the light stops flashing (it takes a couple of minutes to warm up). Lifting the top automatically ejects the previous capsule, but every so often you'll need to pull out the front and discard used ones. You can also use it for dispensing hot water for tea etc.
COOKING SERVICE If you would like a meal prepared please discuss this with the manager who may be able to arrange a local cook.
COOLING Leave the remote on 'auto' and set the temperature you want. Only works with the windows closed. The system uses a highly-efficient heat exchanger that uses little power but can take a while to achieve the desired temperature.
ELECTRICAL 240v. Call housekeeping if you need help. Occasionally there are fluctuations and short outages.
EMERGENCY In the event of fire use the fire blankets in the kitchen or any of the fire extinguishers and call Jenny Prinea +30 697 7514326, and if you need the Fire Brigade; +30 22830 23129
Tinos Police Station +30 22830 22100
Coast Guard +30 22830 22348
Tinos Health Centre + Hospital +30 22833 60000
Road Assistance +30 22830 22222
ENTERTAINMENT There are several printed and online guides (Tinos Today) for summer activities, shows, music etc. Most of the 50-odd villages put on an evening party each summer with drink, food, traditional music and dancing for locals. Visitors are welcome. These 'panigyri' are announced on village boards, telegraph poles or word of mouth.
ENVIRONMENT Xinara House is powered with green electricity with a heat exchanger for electricity, cooling and heating. Rainwater is collected from the roofs and filtered to supplement our own and the village's mountain springs - this is used for the pool, bathrooms and kitchens, and to irrigate the grounds. The gardens are organic. Our hens provide most of the eggs.
FERRIES Ferries go to Syros (good for a night or two), Mykonos (for the airport in summer, shopping + partying) and on to Naxos, or to Athens via Andros (there's no service across the narrow sound between Tinos and Andros). There are two Athens ports: 3.45hrs ferry (2+hrs in summer) to Rafina then 50 minutes into town; or Piraeus 4.45 hrs + 15 minute taxi or a Metro journey to the centre. Use Rafina for Athens Airport.
FERRY TICKETS - AGENT + ONLINE BOOKING For ferry times use openseas.gr or ferriesingreece.com. It's best in high summer/ bank holidays if travelling with a car to buy tickets in advance. Also for the small fast summer ferries. Otherwise get them near the port. There are many agencies - we use Tinos's helpful Malliaris Travel on the front in the centre of town +30 2283 024241 who will know about changes or cancellations.
FIREPLACE You are welcome to light a winter wood fire in the living room. Keep the glass fire doors closed to avoid smoke and damage the floor or rug. Ask the housekeeper.
FOOD + FOOD SHOPPING There's salt, pepper, sugar, coffee, tea, and various non-perishable ingredients in stock. Large Sklavenitis supermarket is 10 minutes, on the way into town (generally 8am – 8pm), but beware, supermarkets and most shops close Sundays and holidays. However a few small shops do open in town on Sunday in the broad road that runs up to the shrine church, Panagia Evangelistria. There's a good bakers' and excellent dairy shop for example. The vegetable market near the bus station + ferry port has locally-grown produce (8am till 3pm + Sundays in summer). There's a fish shop going down into town opposite a garden shop. You can sometimes buy fish off the boats in the old harbour between 9 -10 am.
THE GARDENS Enjoy everywhere in the Xinara House gardens and help yourself to whatever fruit and vegetables are ready. Do not take cushions form the house outside. In the event of rain please put exterior cushions under cover.
GAS Only the hobs are gas. It runs from cylinders. Call housekeeping if it is losing power - it can be simply switched to another bottle.
HEATING Leave the remote on auto and set the temperature you want. Only works with the windows closed. The system uses a highly-efficient heat exchanger that uses little power but can take a while to achieve the desired temperature.
HOUSEKEEPING +30 697 7514326 Jenny Prinea The price of the stay includes accommodation, full normal cleaning before and after your stay, breakfast ingredients, etc. When we arrange catering, excursions and other activities the cost of these will be clearly explained beforehand, and must be paid for by the time you depart. We reserve the right to use pre-arrange credit on your payment card for these services. Additional domestic help - cleaning, babysitting, helping with meals (excluding breakfast), shopping, etc is charged at €25 per hour.
ISLANDS Frequent ferries go to nearby Syros - the administrative capital of the local islands with squares, a huge Town Hall, old villas and pleasant restaurants (stay at Hotel Aristide) - and Mykonos hugely busy in summer with cruise ships, hundreds of shops + big clubs) for a night/ all-night out. A ferry service from Mykonos old port goes across to tiny Delos with extensive classical ruins and an archeological museum. Alternatively, charter a boat in Tinos's old port (Our manager will help) to take your group to Delos and dessert-island Rineia for a picnic and swim. Further off are large Naxos and Paros islands, or, on the way to the mainland Andros
KEYS + SECURITY Keep the front door key with you, and lock all the other doors from the inside. The safe is downstairs above the washing machine. If you lose your key call housekeeping. There's very little crime on Tinos, but of course, you never know.
MEDICAL/ FIRST AID The first-aid kit is in the kitchen toilet. Pharmacies in the town are helpful and sell numerous normally-prescription drugs. They will suggest a doctor if you need one. There's also the 24-hour Heath Centre at the east end of town.
MUSIC, ETC In the Sala (main room) or kitchen just call out 'Hey Siri' or 'Siri' then what you wish to hear, example 'Siri, play Amy Winehouse'. You can also ask it to turn the volume up and down etc, ask the weather, set an alarm, and so on. You can also cast stuff from an Apple phone to it. There's no screen or keyboard. In the Blacksmiths is a BOSE smart speaker that you can Bluetooth pair with your phone.
OUTDOOR WOOD-FIRED OVEN Light a wood fire towards the back at least an hour before you want to use it so the walls and floor heat up. When the flames have mostly died down put the fish, meat etc (in a tin with foil over) at the front and close the stone door. Check and turn it if necessary after half an hour.
PESTS Mosquitos are occasionally around (note; the larger ones do not bite). Out walking in summer you may come across smallish vipers with a criss-cross pattern down their back - avoid them! Other snakes are safe. If you're bitten go straight to the Health Centre in the town, though there is a snake venom extractor syringe in the first-aid box which will help.
RESTAURANTS Refer to xinarahouse.com/restaurants for our recommendations. Ask us if you would like assistance booking. Tavernas can also do takeaways, or we can sometimes arrange for someone to cook.
SHOPPING Sklavenitis supermarket is on the left going down into Tinos Town (Chora, ‘hora’). Karybu 'koncept' store in the centre has good beachwear and summer clothes, and nearby is French-owned Trela with antiques, homeware, accessories and some clothing.These arenot far from the pedestrian street leading up to the church lined with curious old-fashioned religious and gift shops with candles, votives, linen, etc. Volax in an area of huge spherical boulders littering the landscape has local-made baskets and herb stalls. Pyrgos, towards the other end of Tinos has an antique shop amongst boutiques offering marble ware, soap, scents, honey, etc.
SWIMMING POOL The 1.4m-deep water is UV and (mildly) chlorine treated spring-water, though please shower beforehand. And use the house beach towels and the coloured-plastic pool glasses. Do not allow under-12s to use it unsupervised and do not walk round the rocky outer wall. There's a small fridge and USB connection for your phone.
TAXIS Are reasonable and mostly based in the main town 'Chora': +30 2283022470, or +30 693 8870222
TOILETS Toilet paper may be flushed down toilets but no other paper products (such as nappies, tampons, etc).
TV/ CINEMA SCREEN There is Netflix, etc. Use the white Optoma remote just to press ON. After about 15 seconds press MENU on the small Apple black-and-silver remote. Use your finger along the upper area of this to navigate and click on apps. Press MENU to go back. When you have finished just walk away – it will turn off. You can cast from your phone for other stuff. NOTES: Use the ON button, but leave the other settings untouched. Do not move the projector or make any adjustments to it (it's fiddly to reset!).
WALKING If you walk out of the gates at the top of the gardens, up past the church and round the right-hand side of the mountain to the opposite side you come to a monastery. A track continues up to the top of Exomvourgo, past the ancient ruined Kastro, to where you see a dozen surrounding islands and look down to our village. Xinara House gardens are alongside the old stone donkey track that leads down to town one way (1¼ hrs) and across to the beautiful quiet beach at Livada the other way (1¾ hrs). It also connects with several other ancient routes. Or walk from the village road down through the valley to Komi for a drink or food. For more information on walking in Tinos: www.tinostrails.gr/
WATER No need to buy bottled water; the water at Xinara is clean filtered spring water from the mountain. The house fridge has chilled extra-filtered water and an ice machine in the freezer drawer.
WIFI + PRINTING XinaraHouse Wifi (password: xinarahouse) works inside and out, nearly everywhere. If you want to print a boarding pass, etc, click HP Printer in your device print-dialogue (it should work anywhere so long as you are wifi connected.
WINE, BEER + RAKI There's been a renaissance of Tinos wines, some organic and raw, with newly established vineyards using ancient varieties with modern techniques. We can arrange vineyard tours. The produce market also has low-priced local wine in plastic bottles, including some excellent rose (check if it is sweet or dry). Nissos Beer is an award-winning brewery on the island producing organic beers. Aromatic raki is produced everywhere (the village of Falatados's production is locally famous - they hold a festival around 8 September) and is delicious served over ice. Our small Xinara House vineyard of Greek varieties will start producing rose from 2024. Meanwhile we provide Tinos's highly-rated Volacus rose (or white). It can also be purchased: €20 per 75cl bottle.
YOGA + PILATES We have mats. Please ask if you'd like to book a class.
XH March 2024
