Amorgos – Charismatic, Wild and Beautiful Amidst ‘The Big Blue’

Shaped like a swimming seahorse Amorgos has a dramatic landscape with its long mountain ridge like a seahorse spine. A single road winding its way from head to tail is one of the most amazing drives in the Cyclades. Find all the information you need for your travel to Amorgos here!

Are you ready to dive into the Big Blue?

Amorgos – What to See?

Where is Amorgos Greece?

Amorgos – What to do?

How to Reach Amorgos Island?

What is Amorgos Famous for?

Weather and Climate in Amorgos

Amorgos Beach Guide

Amorgos Villages

History of Amorgos

Katapola Port

Aigiali Port

Chora of Amorgos

Why to Visit Amorgos?

Amorgos is lying on the southern side of the Cyclades archipelagos, near Naxos and Ios. It is one of the most beautiful Greek islands. This is also why film director Luc Besson in 1987 chose the island for the primary scenes in his famous 1988 movie “The Big Blue”, starring Jean Reno, Jean-Mac Barr, and Rosanna Arquette!

Are you ready to dive into the Big Blue?

travel to Amorgos, Greece - Rocky seascape full of caves with crystal-clear water at the beach of Mouros
Rocky seascape full of caves with crystal-clear water at the beach of Mouros

Amorgos is still today a quiet island, off the beaten track, probably because of its remote position in the Aegean Sea – even the high-speed ferry from Athens takes seven hours to reach the island! Free-divers and fans of the cult classic The Big Blue go there to explore the crystal-clear blue waters below the Monastery of Hozoviotissa. Hikers love to spend their holidays wandering the numerous trails zigzagging the rugged island of Amorgos, discovering secluded beaches, ruins of ancient settlements and old windmills.

Amorgos – What to see?

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Where is Amorgos Greece?

Map of the Eastern Aegean Sea
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Amorgos – What to do?

View from the rock of the ancient fortress in Chora Andros, Andros island, Cyclades, Greece

Cyclades Tours

TICKETS & THINGS TO DO:

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Windsurfing in Greece

Naxos Tours

TICKETS & THINGS TO DO:

How to reach Amorgos island?

You can reach Amorgos by ferry from Athens, there is a regular ferry line from Piraeus port to Amorgos. The ferry goes 3-4 times per week and the trip lasts from 6 to 8 hours depending whether you are travelling by the ordinary or the high-speed ferry. Amorgos is also interconnected with other of the Cyclades islands, like Naxos and Santorini, making it a perfect choice for island hopping in the Aegean Sea. Remember that there are two ports in Amorgos, Katapola and Aegiali.

Traditional street with cute cafe bars in Greece beautiful colorful Greek houses with flowers in Amorgos Chora Cyclades Greece
Street in Chora Amorgos
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What is Amorgos famous for?

Amorgos was featured in Luc Besson’s film The Big Blue. The Big Blue (in French Le Grand Bleu) is a 1988 English-language film made by French director Luc Besson. The film stars Jean-Marc Barr, Rosanna Arquette, Jean Reno and depicts a fictionalized account of the sporting rivalry between two famed free divers.
The island was also featured in Giorgos Kordelas’ film Ariadni of 2002.

Weather and climate in Amorgos

Amorgos has like the rest of the Cyclades a temperate Mediterranean climate with mild winters and really strong winds. The summer is hot, being cooled down by the “Meltemia” (north winds) during the month of August. If you prefer tranquillity the best time to visit Amorgos is during Easter (April, May) where the temperatures are still not too high. At this occasion you will enjoy the local festivities without too many other tourists. The weather in September and October is still perfect, not too hot, and with only a few tourists.

AprilMayJuneJulyAugustSeptemberOctober
Air17°20°25°25°25°23°21°
Sea16°19°22°24°25°23°22°
Average air and sea temperature in Amorgos in °C

Amorgos Beach Guide

The beaches in Amorgos are beautiful in wild, natural settings boasting crystal-clear waters. And it was because of these waters that Amorgos in 1987 was chosen by film director Luc Besson as scenery for his movie, The Big Blue. Some of the beaches are only accessible if you walk long paths or go by boat. The most popular one is Aegiali Beach.

Partly organized beaches

  • Aegiali Beach – Sandy, harbour, diving club, family friendly – located 15 km north east of Chora
  • Kalotaritisa Beach – Sandy, secluded, family friendly, water sports – 20 km southeast of Chora
  • Katapola Beach – Sandy, harbour, diving club, family friendly – 6 km west of Amorgos

Non-organized beaches

Agios Pavlos beach in Amorgos island Greece
Agios Pavlos beach
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Amorgos villages

Amorgos has 11 picturesque villages. Find them all listed here:

  • Chora – traditional architecture, beautiful windmills – located in the centre of the island
  • Tholaria – astonishing view, close to Aegiali – located 18 km northeast of Chora
  • Lagada – traditional, mountainous village – located 20 km north of Chora
  • Aegiali – one of the two ports in Amorgos, picturesque tourist village – located 15 km northeast of Chora
  • Katapola – one of the two ports in Amorgos, popular tourist resort – located 6 km west of Chora
  • Arkesini – rural life, traditional village – located 15 km southwest of Chora
  • Kalofana – agricultural village – located 18 km south of Chora
  • Kalotaritissa Village – partly abandoned – located 18 km southeast of Chora
  • Kamari – mountainous, with stone houses – located 10 km from Chora
  • Potamos – small, traditional, overlooking the bay of Aegialis – located 18 km from Chora
  • Vroutsis – small fishing village at the southeast coast – located 11 km from Chora

History of Amorgos

Travel to Amorgos, Greece - Chapel at the beach of Agia Anna
Chapel at the beach of Agia Anna
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Katapola port

Katapola vilage and port, Amorgos island Cyclades Greece
Katapola port in Amorgos

Katapola, one of Amorgos’ two harbours, is a small, vibrant community, drenched in the Cycladic sun. Its waterfront is lined with cafes, tavernas and moorings for fishing boats and visiting sailing boats. On the hill above Katapola, the excavations of the ancient city of Minoa are of great interest to the visitor as they provide the thread to a continuous 3000-year existence. Next to Katapola, you find the small hamlet of Rahidi, dominated by the large church of Agios Georgios. The most picturesque part of the bay is the hamlet of Ksilokeratidi, opposite Katapola, with its pretty narrow streets and its traditional tavernas.

Aigiali port

Ormos Egialis is also called Aegiali and is the second port of Amorgos. It is set in a large sweeping bay, providing a view from Tholaria and the Aegialis Hotel above. There are frequent ferries to and from Piraeus, as well as a daily ferry to Naxos.

Chora of Amorgos

Street in Chora, Amorgos - photo by S. Lambadaridis
Street in Chora, Amorgos @S. Lambadaridis

This is the medieval capital of Amorgos, situated 400m above sea level. It is an amazing village hidden behind the mountains, dominated by a 13th century Venetian castle, as usual in Greek called “Kastro”.

Surrounded by picturesque windmills and beautiful Byzantine and early Christian churches, whitewashed houses and rough stone paved little streets, this setting has a wonderful and special atmosphere.

Travel to Amorgos, Greece - Chora - Photo Monique Stokman
Shop in Chora – Photo Monique Stokman

The main square, Plateia Loza, is quite charming, with its little cafes lying under the shadow of the huge eucalyptus trees located in the middle of the square. Chora has the only post office on the island, an OTE building (Greek telephone company), a police- and medical center.

There are no hotels in Chora, so the only way to spend the night is to look for one of the many rooms to let. Chora also has some nice places to eat, with authentic Greek tastes, but also to drink and to enjoy a superb night. From Chora, buses depart for Hozoviotissa Monastery.

Why to visit Amorgos?

Amorgos island is one of the hidden gems in the Aegean Sea, boasting an astonishing natural landscape, gorgeous beaches, picturesque Cycladic architecture and mysterious caves. Amorgos Greece is perfect if you seek privacy and tranquillity and love nature.

Chozoviotissa Monastery and path@Jan Sundstedt, Sweden
Hozoviotissa Monastery and path @Jan Sundstedt, Sweden