Tuesday, 15 June 2010

Amorgos Greece - For Peace and Authentic Tradition


Image : http://www.flickr.com


Amorgos is an excellent vacation destination among the Greek islands. Surrounded by imposing rocky cliffs, the valleys of Amorgos are dotted with beautiful flowers and vegetation and the coastline strip is filled with some very unique beaches that serve as lovely tourist spots.

Amorgos is a place where nature is abundant. It is a soothing experience to just keep hiking along the countryside paths to see the various exotic creations of nature on the island. The picturesque villages and the generous nature of the locals make the tour around the island memorable. Also you will come across the authentic traditional culture that the islanders hold dear to their heart despite the chances of commercialization brought on by tourism.

Chora is the capital of Amorgos, a lovely traditional village positioned on the slopes of a hill. The road leading to this village is quite long and winding. The highest point of this village is dominated by a 13th century Venetian castle. Chora is a lovely place and comprises of pretty white washed houses and narrow paved alleys, while the view from some points is amazing.

Close to Chora, there is the top attraction of the island, the Byzantine Monastery of Panagia Hozoviotissa. The architecture of this monastery is highly acclaimed since it is carved into the walls of the cliff on which it stands. According to local tradition, each Easter the icon of Virgin Mary is taken out of the monastery to be roamed about the entire island.

Amorgos is also home to spectacular beaches. Some of them have clear nice soft sand, whereas others are filled with small pebbles that are strewn all over the coastline. The most famous beach of Amorgos is probably Agia Anna, in a walking distance from the monastery of Hozoviotissa. If you have seen the film "The Big Blue", you will probably recognize this place, as some scenes from the movie were filmed in the isolate beach of Agia Anna.

The most popular tourist resorts of Amorgos are Katapola and Aegiali, which also serve as the main ports of the island. One on the northern side and the other on the southern, these two seaside villages were fishing villages once but over the last years, they grow into peaceful tourism resorts with many facilities to offer.

As the atmosphere of Amorgos is highly relaxing, these two resorts are following this style. Although most hotels on the island are located there, visitors will not feel crowded or packed. They will laze in the sandy beaches, relax and enjoy the hot Greek sun with the beautiful landscape of Amorgos around them.




More information about Amorgos island and Amorgos hotels.