Amorgos: Greece, Off-the-Beaten-Path

Posted by The Editors , Apr, 2009 @ 10:18 am

I love traveling, but I absolutely hate feeling like an ignorant tourist. That’s why Amorgos, a small, Greek island in the Aegean Sea, is the perfect getaway for swamped, recession-fearing Americans who really want to get away from it all. This travel blogger refers to the island as “her big fat Greek secret”. According to this post, handsome men abound, cheap wine flows, and hotels are $40 a night per person. Here’s what you should do when you get there!

Where: Amorgos is the most eastern of the Cyclades Islands, southeast of the mainland of Greece.

How to get there: Fly to Athens, then take the nine-hour ferry ride from Piraeus (port of Athens) to Amorgos (Katapola or Aegiali). The ferry costs about $95 Cdn for a round-trip economy ticket. For Greek Island ferry information go to www.greekferries.gr and www.bluestarferries.com

When to go: High season is June to September.

Festivals: The Kapetanios Festival is held 40 days before Greek Orthodox Easter Sunday.

Where to stay: Rooms, apartments, studios and hotels in Amorgos range from about $40 to $200 per night. Hotel Minoa and Hotel Landeris are centrally located in Katapola. Aegialis Hotel at Aegiali offers panoramic views across the port.

Where to eat: Traditional tavernas and café bars offer local specialties, with prices from $10 to $40 for dinner, including wine. Ones to try include Vintzensos and Kapetan Dimos in Katapola and Tavern Nikos in The Pagali Hotel in the mountain village of Langadha.

VIA CANADA

Tags: aegean sea, Amorgos, Canada Travel, greek islands, Greek Travel, recession