Amorgos is the most easterly of the Cyclades Islands, and because of its remote location, one of the quieter islands of the group. Mountainous, barren and stunning, the it offers visitors a look at how the Cyclades used to be.

It also has some of the best and most pristine beaches in Greece. Amorgos is a dramatic alternative to the more popular islands in the group, but one that will never disappoint those looking for a dramatic and spectacular setting for their holiday.

The island has a chequered past, to which the many ruins around the island lay testament. Inhabited from Minoan times, it has been the target of many battles and invasions.

In Byzantine times the island fell into the hands of the Athenians and then the Venetians, which is reflected in the architecture of the island. The Turks invaded the region in the 1500’s and Amorgos was finally reunited with Greece in 1832.

In recent times, the island was the setting for the Luc Besson movie, The Big Blue. Partly because of this, the island is a popular destination with the French, but also with divers. There is a cafe in Amorgos Town that plays the movie on a nightly throughout summer.

There are two ports on Amorgos, Katapola, the main port is the busy junction for ferries to the other islands and downhill from Amorgos Town. Aegiali, the other port to the north, is smaller and more laid back.

Amorgos is not an island for those wanting to party. The quiet, barren beauty of the island suited to those looking for a quieter holiday. The island’s beaches are not celebrated, but their pebbly shores make for safe swimming.

The walking tracks and diving around the island are world reknown, and its mountainous interior will satisfy the keenest of trekkers.

The most amazing feature of the island is the Moni Hozoviotissas, one of the most stunning monasteries in the whole of Greece.

Carved into a cliff, its whitewashed edifice hangs from the side of a cliff, bold and silent. The monastery was built on the site where legend tells a miracle-working icon found in the sea below the cliffs.

Tours of the monastery are available on request by the few monks who still live in this incredible structure.