About Amorgos, the deep blue mystery Island

Amorgos is dramatically mountainous (with the famous monastery of Chosoviotissa hanging desperately on to one). There are two ports, a gem of a chora, awonderful long sandy beach at Aegiali, splendid scenic walking, especially along the spine, and several idyllic villages. Aegiali is a small village at the northern end with a big jetty, a street of stepped terraces rising from the harbour to support a string of bars; and the beach. The bay is encircled by hills on which perch picturesque Tholaria and Langada linked by a scenic path. Tholaria is a collector’s item of a Greek village, where rural life is lived as it has been for centuries.

Half way along the island’s north coast is the main port, Katapola, and ten minutes vertically upwards by bus brings you to Chora, the capital, in a wonderfully panoramic position. The village is enchanting, with everything painted white except the inhabitants. It has a magical stillness as traffic is almost unable to squeeze through the narrow alleyways – and any that c an would have to clear away the tables and chairs of a dozen tavernas to generate the required space. The famous hanging monastery is an easy walk down a perpendicular cliff: a few monks still inhabit this amazing edifice and will welcome you inside enthusiastically. You can return by bus. At the bottom of the same cliff-face is Agia Anna beach, but “bathing place” might be more apposite. The walk along the spine of the island from here to Aegiali is challenging and magically scenic with seascapes to left and right nearly all the way – one of the great Cycladic walks.

Map of Amorgos

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