Walking, hiking and trekking on AMORGOS

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GENERAL INFORMATION

LINKS AMORGOS

FLOWERS

BOATS AMORGOS
   - Blue Star Naxos
   - Aqua Spirit
   - Artemis
   - Express Skopelitis

MAPS

WALKS

(last update on the 20th of February 2013)

*** = very beautiful

**** = exceptional

N = new in 2011
NNN = new in 2013

1. Arkesíni - Agia Triáda - Káto Kámbos and back

2. Arkesíni - Rachoúla - Vroútsi - Kastrí - Vroútsi

3. Arkesíni - beaches of Ammoúdi and Moúros - Kamári

4. Chóra - Agia Anna - Chóra

5. Chóra - Chozoviotissa - Egiáli ****

6. Chóra - Profitis Ilias - Moní Chozoviótissa - Chóra ***

7. Chóra - Profítis Ilías and back ***  N

8. Egiáli - Langáda - Agios Theologos - Stavros - Egiáli ****

9. Egiáli - Langáda - Agios Theológos - Epanochorianí - Tholaria ***

10. Egiáli - Langáda - Epanochorianí - Tholária - Egiáli ***

11. Egiáli - Langáda - mills of Machos - Egiáli

12. Egiáli - Langáda - Tholaria - Egiáli ***

13. Egiáli - Potamós - Asfondilítis and back ***

14. Egiáli - Tholária and back

15. Egiáli - Tholária - Mikrí Vlycháda  and back***  N

16. Kamári - Agii Saránda - Agia Thékla and back ****

17. Kamári - Kastrí - Agia Thékla - Léfkes - Katápola ***

18. Katápola - Chóra - Agios Geórgios Valsamítis- Katápola

19. Katápola - Chóra - hills of Vígla - Katápola

20. Katápola - Chóra - Katápola ***

21. Katápola - dam - Valsamítis - Katápola 

22. Katápola - hills of Víglia and Vouní - Agia Varvára - Miliés - Katápola ***

23. Katápola - hills Viglia - Chóra

24. Katápola - Stavrós - Léfkes - Agia Thékla - Agii Saránda - Kastrí - Vroútsi *** 

25. Katápola - Stavrós - Agios Geórgoios Valsamítis - Chóra *** 

26. Katápola - Stavrós - Agios Geórgios Valsamítis - Katápola

27. Katápola - Xylokeratídhi - beaches

28. Katápola - Xylokeratídi - Ta Nerá - Vígla - Xylokeratídi - Katápola

29. Langáda - Stavrós - Chorafákia - Páno Mántra - Máchos - Langáda **** 

30. Langáda - Tholária and back ***  N

31. Ríchti and Agios Pávlos
(French)

32. Vroútsi - Kastrí - Vroútsi - Agia Triáda - Paradísia

* * *

Amorgós is the most eastern of the Cycladic isles. It is also one of the most mountainous and until the ‘80s it remained rather isolated without too many tourists. The surface area of Amorgós is 121 km2 and it is inhabited by approximately 1600 people.  

An important boat line connects the Pireus with Amorgós, via Páros and Náxos. Once in a while this boat makes a detour via the little Cycladic islands of Donoússa, Schinoússa, Irakliá and Koufonísi. Sometimes the boat continues to Astipálea, and in this way a connection is established with the Dodekánissos - amongst others with Kálimnos, Kós and Rhódos. Leaving from Amorgós’ main port Katápola, the small Express Skopelítis establishes a link with Náxos, the little Cycladic isles and the northern port of Egiálli, and this almost daily. It takes about 8 - 10 hours to reach Amorgós from the Pireus; therefore it is very attractive to take the evening boat and to sleep on the boat.

Until recently, visiting the island was, for many tourists, limited to the area surrounding Katápola, to the town of Chóra and to the monastery of Chozoviótissa. This was mainly due to the lack of decent roads and reliable bus connections. Nowadays, it is fairly easy to reach the northern part of the island around Egiáli, and the south around the Káto Meriá (just a couple of villages), by bus. However, the most fascinating way to discover Amorgós is by means of the ancient monopátia. 

Katápola is the usual port of arrival: there are a couple of hotels and restaurants, and the camping is nearby. You can walk all the way alongside the bay on foot to the beaches north of Katápola, or you can cross the bay with a little boat. On the hillside south of Katápola you can find the archaeological site of Minoa.

There are busses to connect Katápola with Chóra, and via Chóra also with Egiáli in the north and with the villages in the south.

Chóra is situated at about 5 km from Katápola; it is a very pleasant Cycladic town, dominated by a small castle and some wind mills. Sometimes the bus continues to the monastery of Panagía Chozoviótissa and the beach of Agia Anna, but it is much nicer to make this trip on foot. The monastery is the most beautiful Byzantine monastery of the Cycladic isles and it dates from the 9^th century. It is bright white and it is located high against the staggering cliffs. The monks still welcome tourists with a glass of water, a glass of liqueur and some loukoum.

The northern port of Egiáli offers a really beautiful beach, but it is also a great point of departure for the marvellous hikes to the villages of Lankáda and Tholária. Also the monastery of Agios Theológos is beautifully located and is definitely worth a visit.

In the mountainous south of the island, especially the akropolis of the ancient Arkesíni (Kastrí) is worthwhile.

With regard to hiking, there are still a couple of very old monopátia at Amorgós: you can hike from Katápola to Chóra or to Minóa, but the queen’s hike is the longer trip on the mountain ridge of the island, from Chóra to Egiáli. Also the hikes from Egiáli and from Arkesíni and Kamári are truly wonderful. In addition, some of these hikes are clearly signposted – which is rather exceptional on the Cycladics. In earlier days, the road map of the German Georg Perreiter was a really good guide, but some years ago a very beautiful map has been published by Anávasi. This map contains many hiking trails, it is almost always reliable and it is for sale on the island. At the back of the new edition of 2006 there is also a nice map of the village of Chóra. The scale has now become 1:35 000 instead of 1:40 000.
In the course of spring 2009 another map of Amorgós appeared, now in the series of Terrain Maps: this map is also very detailed and even more precise than the Anávasi-map (edition 2006) - especially in the neighbourhood of Langáda, Megáli Vlycháda and Ta Nerá. On the back side of the map, there are 14 short descriptions of walks.

Nowadays, you can also get at the town council "A Travelogue of Amorgós", a nicely published little book with historical hiking trails. In this book there are lots of beautiful maps and some great pictures (published in Greek or English in 2001 - since the year 2006, this is also available in French). In this small book you find a fairy elaborate description of the 6 signposted hikes and it is now also for sale in the very decent bookshop in Katápola.

It might be difficult to choose from the 32 variants of hikes offered on this site. In order to help you, I give my personal top five hereunder:

1. Chóra - Egiáli (hike no. [1])

2. Egiáli - Langáda - Agios Theológos - Stavrós - Egiáli (hike no. [5])

3. Kamári - Kástri - Léfkes - Katápola (part of hike no. [3])

4. Chóra - Profítis Ilías - Chozoviótissa - Chóra

5. Egiáli - Langáda - Tholária - Egiáli (hike no. [4])

In the shorter hikes you should definitely first walk from Katápola to Chóra, which you can do by following the hike Katápola - Chóra - Katápola (hike no. [2]).

Since January the 1st  2004

you are visitor n°  

The monastery of Panagía Chozoviótissa 

A nice little square in Chóra

 The akropolis of Kastrí

The splendid bay of Egiáli

The monastery of
Agios Theológos 

The beautiful monopati to Langáda

Ruins of two mills high above Langáda

Sunset on the bay of Katápola