his is the most easterly island of the Cyclades and the nearest to Dodecanese. It has two ports: attractive Katapola and Ormos Aiyalis with its marvelous beach. Amorgos has an area of 121 sq. km., a shoreline of 112 km. and a population of 1,800. It can be reached by ferry from Piraeus (a distance of 138 nautical miles), Rafina, the Cyclades and the Dodecanese. In summer there are also "flying dolphins" from Rafina. The local buses provide transport on the island.

morgos has been inhabited since prehistoric times, as is demonstrated by finds from the Early Cycladic Period. The presence on the island of Cretans of the Minoan period has also been established. At the top of a hill above the southern side of the harbour, at Katapola, the remains of ancient Minoa, said to have been the summer residence of Minos, have been found. There are the sites of two other ancient cities on the island: Arkesine and Aegiale. The island later passed under the rule of the Athenians. It then belonged to the Ptolemies and subsequently the Romans. It fell to other conquerors and finally, in 1209, to the Venetian Marco Sanudo, who incorporated it into the Duchy of Naxos. After three centuries, it was taken by the Turks, to be liberated in 1832 and united to Greece.

oday, Amorgos is visited by a large number of tourists which come to the island to enjoy the unspoiled natural environment, the crystal waters of the sea, the rough beauty of the landscape and the off the beaten track way of life. In spite of the fact that the island's tourist facilities are still in their infancy, its hotels and rented rooms are capable of catering to large number of visitors.

Photos and text taken from "Aegina - History-Art-Folklore-Routes" (Toubis Editions)

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