At the island’s north-western tip, past the last houses of Agios Stefanos, stands Armenistis lighthouse — built in 1891 after a British steamship went down in the channel, and still keeping watch over the strait between Mykonos and Tinos. It costs nothing, requires no booking and delivers the wildest scenery on the island.

The walk

Drive or taxi to Agios Stefanos and walk the last stretch: a dirt path along the cliffs, maybe twenty-five minutes, with the sea hammering the rocks far below and Tinos filling the horizon. The lighthouse itself is fenced but the headland around it is open — find a rock, sit, and watch the ferries thread the channel like slow white needles.

Go an hour before sunset, when the light turns the whole headland copper — but check the wind first. On a strong meltemi day the north coast is genuinely fierce, and the walk becomes a battle rather than a stroll. This is a golden-hour excursion for a calm evening.

Pair it with dinner in nearby Tourlos or a nightcap back in Chora. The desk will happily time a taxi both ways — there is no phone signal worth trusting on the headland, and that, frankly, is part of the charm.