Postcards from Amorgos Greece

Last month I had the opportunity to visit Amorgos island for work, but you know how the drill goes: spend the morning working and the afternoon sightseeing. Thankfully we had planned the trip after the daylight saving time date, so we had long afternoons to spend around the island.

The lowdown on Amorgos

Amorgos belongs to the Cyclades archipelago and is the easternmost island of the group, located almost in the middle of the Aegean Sea. It’s primarily a mountainous island, with raw beauty and whitewashed villages.  The island has two natural ports: Aegiali and Katapola.That’s where most of the accommodation can be found and of course restaurants, cafes and bars. Since I’ve visited off season, Amorgos was pretty quiet, but beautiful nonetheless!

The island’s “capital” called Chora in built up on the mountain, for fear of the pirates. It is very picturesque, with whitewashed houses and shops, narrow streets and Instagram worthy nooks. Again it was very quiet as it was off season, but it will be bustling with people come July and August and you might even get stuck in “traffic”!

Now, Amorgos is famous for two things: the Chozoviotissa monastery and the place were the movie The Big Blue (Le Grand Bleu) by Luc Besson was filmed. Let’s start with the monastery: it is built literally in the rocks on the southern part of the island and houses an icon of Virgin Mary and Jesus which dates back to 7th century AD and was brought to Amorgos from Israel. The monastery’s location is breathtaking (as are the steps you need to climb to get there) and the view is amazing! Just see how blue the sea is (honestly I didn’t even pump up the saturation). A little further to the south is the place where The Big Blue was filmed, where also the sea color is amazing!

An FYI though: if you’re after sandy, long beaches then Amorgos isn’t probably the island for you. But if you love raw, unspoiled landscapes, picturesque villages and crystal clear water, then you have to visit!

How and when to visit Amorgos

Unfortunately the island doesn’t have an airport, so you’ll get there by ferry either from Piraeus or from Naxos (which is the closest island with an airport). High season in Amorgos is July and August and as always I suggest that you visit either before or after high season. June and September (especially the latter since the sea is warmer) are the best months to visit any Greek island!

You can combine your visit to Amorgos with visiting Naxos or the Small Cyclades as well. The latter is a group of 6 small islands (and even more islets and rocks but lets not count these): Ano Koufonisi, Kato Koufonisi, Donousa, Schinousa, Iraklia and Keros. They are very low key and untouched by mass tourism. Ano Koufonisi has beautiful beaches and I’m sure you’ve spotted one of them on Pinterest!

Related: The essential guide to Naxos

If you’re planning a trip to the Greek islands then check out my tips on choosing the ideal one for you as well as the essential guide to get around the islands!

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