Amorgos

Amorgos Travel Guide

Amorgos is one of the Cyclades islands, with long and narrow shape and mountainous landscape. It is the easternmost island of the group and its distance from Athens and Piraeus makes it less popular. Few people know that some scenes of Luc Besson`s movie The Big Blue were shot on Amorgos and its beach Agia Anna, which is now visited mainly because of the movie. The island has many sea cliffs and amazing blue water, suitable for diving.

Amorgos is connected via ferries to Piraues, Rafina and the neighbor islands of Naxos, Paros and the Small Cyclades. There is also ferry going from Kos to Amorgos through Astypalea a few times weekly. Amorgos has two ports, Egiali (Aegiali) in the north and Katapola in the south, as all the villages and tourist facilities are located in close proximity to the ports. Katapola is a few km away from the island`s capital - Chora. Chora is considered to be one of the most authentic and beautiful Cyclades capitals, although small and quiet. It offers a walk through the narrows streets, white houses, blue-dome chapels and bougainvillea trees. Egiali has a long sandy beach and on the hills behind the port, three villages are rising up - Langada, Tholaria and Potamia. One can even say that Egiali is the common name for all these settlements which look like neighborhoods.

Sandy beaches can be found in Katapola and in and around Egiali. They are partly organized with sunbeds and umbrellas and on Egiali beach there is a campsite as well. Agia Anna, the most popular beach of the island, is pebbly, surrounded by high cliffs and rocks in the sea. It lies near Chora and below the church of Agia Anna. You can go by car a parking place close to the church and after that you have to go down to the beach on a small path. Another famous beaches of Amorgos are Kalotaritissa, a beautiful bay on the southernmost coast, and Agios Pavlos, a pebbly beach close to Egiali and looking toward the islet of Nikouria which also has a few narrow beaches. In this part of the island Nikouria looks so close that one can easily swim to it. In the summer small boats transfer people between Agios Pavlos and Nikouria every 30 minutes.

Interesting places and sights on Amorgos:
- The monastery of Panagia Hozoviotissa, the most famous sight if the island. Carved in an abrupt rock above the sea, this monastery dates back to 11 century. It is located close to Chora and the route includes climbing up stairs to the monastery entrance.
- The ruins of a Venetian castle on top of a rock in Chora. There is not much left from the castle but it offers majestic view from above
- The villages of Chora, Langada and Tholaria
- The shipwreck Olympia which is half sunk in a bay in the south part of the island (accessible on foot or by sea)
- The ancient Minoan settlement on a hill near Katapola
- Mouros, a picturesque pebbly beach surrounded by cliffs and sea caves. Right above the beach a nice taverna operates in the summer and there you can also leave your vehicle. The beach is accessible via a short steep path
- The beach of Agia Anna, not because of the movie but because of the enchanting blue color of the sea

Daily boat trips around Amorgos are organized in the summer and they are a great way to explore all the beaches and the two uninhabited islets of Nikouria and Gramvoussa.

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highlights: the island of The Big Blue movie, island in Cyclades Islands, Greece