Amorgos

Amorgos is one of the most remote of the Greek islands having no airport and only being accessible via a 8 hour ferry crossing from Piraeus or a couple of hours via high speed hydrofoil from other islands within the Cyclades.  This beautiful island is one of the least known and visited of the Cyclades and only ever approaches anything “busy” during the height of the season – perfect for escapism.

The island of Amorgos is long and narrow but also a natural paradise with over 600 species of flora and fauna having been catalogued to date and a haven for birds. The views from the hills that run up the centre of the island are stunning and there is excellent walking throughout the island.  The natural beauty of Amorgos and the surrounding seas made it a perfect setting for Luc Besson’s film “The Big Blue”.

The capital – inevitable called Chora is around midway along the length of the island above the rugged south coast and is a whitewashed village of chapels and Venetian fortifications to explore.  A short walk from here is the famous monastery of Chozoviotissa which dates from 1088 and is the islands’ most famous attraction that still has a handful of resident welcoming monks.  The monastery’s location is stunning – built into the Cliffside high above the sea.

Amorgos has two ports – Aegialis and Katapola.  Arrivals may be into either of these ports with transfers taking up to 45 minutes or so depending on the arrival port.  In the summer, there are many village festivals where visitors can genuinely experience the famed Greek welcome and hospitality.