Who would imagine that on an Aegean island, dwarf elephants’ bones would be found? Nonetheless they lived in Tilos and were still present when the first humans came to inhabit the island. From the Mythical times it was Nature, so special and so generous, who helped Tilos save his mother from a heavy disease. Tilos dwelled on the island to show his gratitude for the therapeutical herbs he found here. This is a story that still happens nowadays: many come for a short time, stay longer; and several of them get under the spell and keep on returning every year, considering the island as their second home.

Obviously what attracts people here, over and over, is something they miss, that can’t be found that easily elsewhere. Whoever makes the journey towards the island, far from the crowds, the mass tourism, the traffic, will find the luxury of simplicity: scenic sunsets, traces of a rich history with castles guarded now by goats and partridges, large and small beaches, lunch next to the sea with the view over Nisyros the island-volcano, the abandoned village. Apart from the initiated, Tilos became internationally famous to a broader audience for many reasons, every time cutting edge: first hunting got prohibited, then a Natural Park area was established on the western side, the mayor celebrated the first gay wedding in Greece, during the immigrant crisis the inhabitants helped and supported refugees, and nowadays Tilos became famous again for its sustainable energetic production.

In Tilos we forget the watch, learning to follow the natural flow of thing, to find the right place for the right time. Finally, we might eventually start to listen again to our own inner clock, and ultimately to ourselves too.