Day trips from Amorgos: smaller boats

We name the trips and say what each is. We print no boat times, crossing durations or prices, because those change every season and the sailings out here are thinner than in the central Cyclades. Confirm on the day and check the last boat back before committing to an afternoon anywhere.

The small Cyclades

West of Amorgos lie Koufonisia, Schinoussa, Iraklia and Donousa, a cluster of very small islands with a local boat threading between them. They are the quietest inhabited corner of the Cyclades and each is a half-day rather than a full one.

Koufonisia is the one with the beaches, a low sandy island with clear shallow water and a walking track along its northern coast. It is the easiest of the four to enjoy in a day and the busiest of them in August, which is a relative term out here.

The catch is the timetable. Sailings between Amorgos and the small islands are not frequent, and a day trip that works on paper can strand you. Check before you plan, and consider a night rather than a day if the connection is awkward.

The boat around your own coast

The best short trip on Amorgos. The island is one of the steepest in the Cyclades, dropping to a coast with few flat beaches, so a great deal of its swimming is off rock or in bays the road does not reach.

Small boats run from Katapola and from Aegiali in season along the coast, and taking one is the only way to see the cliffs from below and to swim in the water the island is famous for. This is what people mean when they talk about the water in The Big Blue, and it is genuinely better from a boat than from a beach.

Nikouria and the near islets

Off the northern coast sits the islet of Nikouria, reachable by a short local boat, with clear water and no development. It makes a half day from the Aegiali end and it is the low-effort version of the coastal boat trip.

Worth knowing if the wind has closed down the longer trips, which happens here more than in the sheltered central Cyclades.

The walk that beats any crossing

The strongest recommendation on this page is not a boat. Amorgos has old paths, real elevation and a mountainous spine, and the long route between Chora and Aegiali is one of the better walks in the Cyclades. It takes most of a day and it shows you more of the island than any ferry could.

Around the northern end, the villages of Langada and Tholaria above Aegiali are linked by old footpaths that make an easy morning circuit, which is the gentler version of the same idea.

If you have five days here and the weather is good, spend one of them walking rather than sailing. Hiking in Greece covers the wider picture.

Naxos, if you are moving on

Not a day trip, but the practical neighbour. Naxos is the hub that most Amorgos routes pass through, and it is a completely different island: big, green, farming country under the highest mountain in the Cyclades, with a long strip of sandy beach.

Rather than day-tripping, most people build it into the journey at one end or the other. Naxos to Amorgos covers the crossing.

Where this leaves you

Amorgos does not do day trips the way the central Cyclades do, and that is why it is quiet. The small Cyclades to the west are a genuine option if the sailings suit, the boat along your own coast is the best short trip on the island, and the long walk between Chora and Aegiali is better than either. Check the timetable before you build a day around a crossing, because out here it is thinner than you expect.

Quick answers

What is the best day trip from Amorgos?

The boat along the island’s own coast, from Katapola or Aegiali. Amorgos is steep with few flat beaches, so the best swimming and the view of the cliffs from below are both reachable only by sea.

Can you visit Koufonisia from Amorgos?

Yes, it is the most rewarding of the small Cyclades to the west and the easiest to enjoy in a day, with clear shallow water and a coastal walking track. The limitation is the timetable: sailings out here are infrequent, so check before planning.

Is there anything to do on Amorgos besides the monastery?

A good deal. The hilltop Chora, the walking network between Chora and Aegiali, the northern villages of Langada and Tholaria, the diving, and the coastal boat trips. The monastery is the headline, not the whole island.

Do day trips from Amorgos run out of season?

They thin out substantially. The coastal boats and the small Cyclades connections are seasonal and weather-dependent, and Amorgos is more exposed than the central islands. Spring is excellent for walking and poor for boats.