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The monastery of Panagia Hozoviotissa on Amorgos: a narrow whitewashed block wedged flat against a sheer ochre cliff face, its tiny windows punched into the white wall, and the dry-stone terracing and stepped path that climbs to it

Naxos to Amorgos: take the slow boat

3 minute readHow we check facts

Naxos to Amorgos is a ferry run of roughly two hours on high-speed craft and up to about four on the local boat that calls at the Small Cyclades on the way. Naxos is the gateway to the eastern Cyclades and Amorgos is the far end of them, and the string of small islands between the two is what makes the slow boat, if you have the time, the better journey rather than the worse one: the local ferry works Iraklia, Schinoussa, Koufonisia and Donousa in a rotating order, four undeveloped islands seen from the water for the price of a ferry ticket.

Check which port you land at, in both directions. Amorgos has two, at opposite ends of a long thin island: Katapola in the west, nearer the Chora and the cliff monastery of Hozoviotissa, and Aegiali in the north-east, the base for the northern beaches and the walking. They are about half an hour apart by road, and different sailings use different ports.

An at a glance card for Naxos to Amorgos. Fast craft: About two hours. The local boat: Up to four. What it calls at: Four Small Cyclades. Two ports: Katapola, or Aegiali. Give it: Three or four nights. One row is marked out as the thing that decides the visit. The conclusion reads: Take the slow boat. It is the better one. No prices appear.
Take the slow boat. It is the better one.

Diagram by Greece Trips. Free to reuse with credit - CC BY 4.0.

The crossing

Roughly two hours on high-speed craft and up to about four on the local ferry that calls at the Small Cyclades on the way.

  • The fast option goes more or less direct and is what most visitors take.
  • The local boat works Iraklia, Schinoussa, Koufonisia and Donousa in a rotating order before reaching Amorgos.

Take the slow one if you have the time. It is the best-value sightseeing in the Cyclades: four islands seen from the water, none of them developed, for the price of a ferry ticket.

Which Amorgos port

Amorgos has two, at opposite ends of a long thin island: Katapola in the west and Aegiali in the north-east, about half an hour apart by road.

Different sailings use different ports, and some call at both. Check yours, in both directions - it is the single most common Amorgos mistake, and it costs a bus ride with luggage.

Katapola is nearer the Chora and Hozoviotissa, the cliff monastery. Aegiali is the base for the northern beaches and the best of the walking.

Why go on to Amorgos

Because it is one of the most dramatic islands in Greece: a long ridge of mountain dropping into the sea, a windmill-topped Chora, the monastery built into a sheer cliff face, and a restored network of old footpaths that makes it among the best walking islands in the country. See hiking in Greece.

A schematic map of Greece with the mainland in the centre, the Ionian Sea to the west and the Aegean to the east. A single line runs from Naxos to Amorgos, marking the crossing. The bold conclusion reads: East, to the end of the line. No numbers, distances, times or fares appear.
East, to the end of the line. A schematic map of the crossing, not to scale.

Diagram by Greece Trips. Free to reuse with credit - CC BY 4.0.

Practical notes

  • Give Amorgos several nights. Getting there and back eats a day at each end.
  • Wind is a real factor on this exposed eastern edge, and cancellations happen.
  • The local boat is small. Cabins are not the point; the deck is.

Last checked August 2026. Small Cyclades schedules are seasonal and change - see our editorial policy.

Common questions

How long is the ferry from Naxos to Amorgos?

About two hours on high-speed craft, and up to four on the local ferry that calls at the Small Cyclades on the way.

Which islands are between Naxos and Amorgos?

Iraklia, Schinoussa, Koufonisia and Donousa, the Small Cyclades, served by a local ferry in a rotating order.

Which port on Amorgos will I arrive at?

Either Katapola in the west or Aegiali in the north-east, about half an hour apart. Check your specific sailing in both directions.

Is the slow ferry worth taking?

Yes, if you have the time. It passes four undeveloped islands and is the most enjoyable ferry ride in the Cyclades.

How many nights should you spend on Amorgos?

At least three or four. Travel eats a day at each end, and the island is long, mountainous and made for walking.

Next

Read Amorgos, Koufonisia, or Athens to Amorgos.