Amorgos
The Eastern-most Cyclades island, Amorgos is off the beaten tourist track that hits Mykonos, Mylos and Santorini. It's a relaxing place people come to to hang out on the beach, hike and sample Greek cuisine. The island's climate is mild from April to October. Spring and fall are the best seasons in Amorgos for trekking along the many footpaths, visiting towns and the Chozoviotissa monastery, religious pilgrimage site. And you can even swim! The cool water after a long walk is truly refreshing.
But most of all, Amorgos is a wonderful place, so much so that Luc Besson chose it as the set for Le Gran Bleu (due to its deep blue sea), the film that put Amorgos on the map.
All the beaches and the sea are beautiful. The one Besson used is Aghia Anna with three small pebble and flat rock inlets; Aghios Pavlos, is the one where the Agios Pavlos Studios vacation apartments are located with white pebbles and turquois blue water facing the island of Nikuria, (here too, secluded beaches only accessible by boat); there's a long, sandy beach in Eghiali; Muros is the wildest whose incredibly crystal clear waters are well worth the difficult trek. Kalotaritissa is also pretty, practically a salt water lake surrounded by snow white beaches and Aghios Panteleimon with its typical white church and blue dome.
Populated since the beginning of time, in addition to its beaches and landscapes, the villages on Amorgos enchant visitors with their authentic old Cyclades island atmosphere. White houses with sky and dark blue window panes and pink and red bougainvillea climbing up the balconies, the aroma of roasting meat from the taverns (gyros), churches, windmills and ancient remains of the Cretans, Athenians, Romans and Venetian.
To the South, Katapola, the Port of Amorgos, where the ferry docks. Here, the market, internet point, taverns and bars make this town the liveliest on the island. Remains of ancient Minoa are on the hills, the summer residence of Minos, the King of Crete. In the middle of Amorgos, Chora is the island's capital, dominated by windmills and the thirteenth century Venetian fortress. To the north of Amorgos are Eghiali, lively and touristy, Lagadha and Tholarion, small and ancient, Potamos small village just on top of Eghiali. This last one is perfect to admire the sunset, while having a drink or an iced coffee. Tholarion is ideal at night when the lights illuminate the bay: the view is breathtaking!
The Byzantine Chozoviotissa monastery is on the road that starts behind Chora. You have to walk up many steps to get there but the view from the top is truly fantastic. The white monastery clings to the cliff over the sea where Monks welcome visitors with a glass of rakomelo (Amorgos' honey liquor) and fruit and sugary pastries to refresh them after the climb. Built in the eleventh century, the monastery preserves a miraculous icon of the Madonna, the destination of religious pilgrimages.
Amorgos also means Greek cuisine with the island's local variations. In addition to classical Greek salad and souvlaki, taverns on Amorgos serve (and you must try): horiatiko, oven baked veal with carrots, beans and peas and kaseri, Amorgos cheese; exohiko, oven baked lamb, vegetables, tomatoes and fillo dough; kalogiros, eggplant, veal, kaseri and baked tomatoes; fasoulada, bean soup with fried anchovies. All delicious!