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Amorgos
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Theisland of Amorgos it is the ideal place for those who want to get away from the confusion and crowds; it is the easternmost island of the Cyclades and they can still be found traditional villages unaffected by tourism, wonderful views and landscapes that contrast with the deep blue of the sea and the most beautiful monastery in the whole archipelago, the Chozioviotissa Monastery.
The heart of the island is the town Chora, a typical Cycladic village of houses leaning against each other, built close to a cliff 400 meters high; cafes and small taverns overlook the main street that climbs in steps between the houses, which in the evening become the main meeting point for locals and visitors.
A must is to go and admire the Chora from above, from the mill district, where, especially at sunset, you can enjoy a beautiful panorama with a view that sweeps up to the port of the Katapola bay and up to admire the silhouettes of the closest islands.
As already mentioned above, Amorgos hosts one of the most beautiful monasteries of the whole archipelago, the Moni Chozioviotissa, clinging to the rock at a height of 300 meters; the monastery dates back to the 11th century and it is said that it was built by some Palestinian refugees. The entrance to the monastery is accessed after a series of very steep steps and the entrance is very narrow with the doors very low so that pilgrims entering are immediately forced to bow their heads as a sign of respect; here is kept a sacred icon depicting a Madonna considered miraculous and which legend has it arrived on the island dragged by the waves, even coming from Asia Minor and which was found right on the beach below the place where the monastery was later built; here still today, very early every morning, the monks who still live there celebrate masses singing sacred songs, and after the prayer they usually offer the pilgrims maki, a typical honey liqueur and fruit jelly sweets.
The most popular Beaches on the island are certainly the beach of Agios Pavios, the beautiful beach of Kalataritissa where a crescent of sand and pebbles creates a pleasant natural pool and finally the pebble beach of Ay Anna just below the church of the same name, perhaps the most beautiful on the island.
How to get there
Amorgos has no airport. From Piraeus, Blue Star Ferries are not daily, usually departing in the late afternoon, via Paros, Naxos, usually Syros, and Naxos or Amorgos. The arrival is usually in the early afternoon in Katapola or Egiali. The same boat continues to Astypalea and then continues to the Dodecanese.
The ferry from Amorgos to Piraeus is usually early in the morning; but there is also the service of the small Skopelitis Express, which always leaves early in the morning from Egiali or Katapola every other day and passes several islands before reaching Naxos around 11.30am. Then departs at 15:00 in the reverse direction, reaching Amorgos towards evening.
There are also a few occasional weekly trips on conventional ferries based on Syros, and in high season only, a high-speed ferry or catamaran from Piraeus or Rafina in the morning, arrives in Katapola in the early afternoon and returns immediately.
There are a few places for car and scooter rental in Egiali and Katapola, but remember that Amorgos is an island for hikers. The only semi-serviceable bus service connects Katapola, Chora and Hozoviotissa. Taxis are few, in high demand and expensive as everywhere in Greece.
History
The island of Amorgos during the Cycladic period hosted more than ten inhabited centers, equipped with acropolises and squares and palaces, and necropolises. The finds, especially statuettes, discovered in various cemeteries testify to the importance of the island at that time. Subsequently, in the archaic period, the island had three independent polis, each with its own laws and using the same currency. Of these three cities Egiali, Minoa and Arcesine, we still find remains scattered throughout the island, especially the strong walls of the latter, the towers, tombs, vases and inscriptions.
In the classical age the island was famous for the production of linen clothes of the typical red color, a color deriving from the material used, the lichens present on the island. In Roman times, the island hosted exiles and political prisoners, only to be occupied by pirates in the Middle Ages. The island remained deserted until the year one thousand, until the foundation of the monastery of Panagia Hozoviotissa..
