Aegiali is the second port of Amorgos, set on a broad bay in the north-east of the island, framed by towering cliffs and backed by mountain villages. It has the island’s best and longest sandy beach, a relaxed, faintly bohemian atmosphere. The loveliest mountain villages. Langada and Tholaria, rising just above it, making it the finest base for a beach-and-hiking stay on Amorgos.
This guide covers Aegiali: its long sandy beach and the coves around the bay, the mountain villages above it, the hiking, diving and watersports, the tavernas. How to reach it. Read it beside the wider Amorgos travel guide and the guides to beaches and hiking.
What is Aegiali in Amorgos?
Aegiali is the second port of Amorgos, a relaxed resort village on a broad northern bay framed by cliffs.
Aegiali spreads around a wide, cliff-framed bay in the north-east of Amorgos and is the island’s second ferry port. Its whitewashed buildings gather around the bay behind a long sandy beach. The setting. With the towering mountains behind and the mountain villages on the slopes above, is among the most beautiful on the island.
The village has a relaxed, slightly bohemian character, with a good spread of rooms, tavernas and a little nightlife. Lively enough without being brash. It draws visitors for its beach, its walking and its easy atmosphere. Fishing boats come in with their catch, and the waterfront fills in the evenings.
Aegiali makes the finest base in the north of Amorgos, combining the best beach, the mountain villages and the island’s best hiking in one corner. It is the natural choice for a beach-and-hiking stay, as the guide to where to stay in Amorgos describes.
What is Aegiali beach like?
Aegiali beach is the longest sandy beach on Amorgos, a broad, gently shelving stretch of sand in the middle of the bay, with shade under tamarisk trees and shallow water safe for children.
The main beach at Aegiali is the best and longest on Amorgos, a broad crescent of soft sand curving along the middle of the bay. It shelves gently into calm, shallow water that is safe for young children. With tamarisk trees offering natural shade and tavernas and cafes lining the back. A swim and a long lunch fold naturally together.
Organised with sunbeds and easy to reach on foot from the village, it is the most family-friendly beach on the island and the reason many choose Aegiali as a base. The sand, the shallow water and the facilities make it a comfortable, straightforward beach in a dramatic setting beneath the cliffs.
Aegiali beach is the anchor of the bay’s beach life, and from it a coastal path and short boat hops lead on to the quieter sandy coves further round. It is the counterpoint to the island’s wild, rocky coves, easy where they are dramatic, as the guide to Amorgos beaches sets out.
What other beaches are near Aegiali?
Around Aegiali bay curve the sandy beaches of Levrossos, Psili Ammos and Hohlakas, reached by a coastal path or a short boat hop.
Beyond the main beach, a string of sandy coves lines the bay of Aegiali. Levrossos, backed by tamarisk trees and often called the finest sand on the island, lies a short walk or boat hop round the bay. Followed by quieter Psili Ammos and Hohlakas, each more secluded than the last, some known for a relaxed, clothing-optional atmosphere at their far ends.
A little further along the north coast, the jetty at Agios Pavlos is the departure point for the short boat crossing to the uninhabited islet of Nikouria. With its brilliantly clear turquoise beaches, a favourite outing from Aegiali. These beaches give the bay a run of sandy shores to suit every mood.
Together with the main beach, these coves make Aegiali the sandy-beach capital of Amorgos, a genuine beach-holiday base in the north. Reached on foot, by boat or by bus, they are covered in full in the guide to Amorgos beaches.
What mountain villages are above Aegiali?
Above Aegiali rise the mountain villages of Langada, Tholaria and Potamos, whitewashed clusters on the terraced slopes with tavernas, churches and sweeping views over the bay.
The slopes above Aegiali hold the finest mountain villages on the island. Langada, one of the larger villages, climbs the terraced hillside amid the highest peaks. A maze of whitewashed alleys with cafes, tavernas and the church of Panagia Epanochoriani, famous for its August festival. Tholaria, smaller and very traditional, sits opposite with lovely lanes and wide views over the bay.
Between them lies the little village of Potamos, and together with Aegiali the villages form a triangle linked by old stone footpaths, one of the classic short hikes on Amorgos. Wandering their lanes, pausing in a taverna with a view over the bay, is one of the pleasures of a stay in the north.
The mountain villages give Aegiali a depth beyond its beach, adding traditional village life, superb walking and lively summer festivals just above the bay. They are covered in full in the guide to the villages of Amorgos.
What is there to do in Aegiali?
In Aegiali you can relax on the sandy beaches, hike the trails to Langada, Tholaria and Potamos or up Mount Krikelos, dive and snorkel with the island’s dive centre, try watersports, take the boat to Nikouria islet, and eat at.
Aegiali is the island’s activity hub. It is the base for the best hiking on Amorgos, with old stone trails leaving the bay for the mountain villages of Langada, Tholaria and Potamos and climbing to Mount Krikelos and along the high ridges, as the guide to hiking in Amorgos describes.
The bay is also the centre of the island’s diving: the dive centre on the beach runs trips and courses to the reefs. Walls and caves of the coast and around Nikouria. Watersports such as paddleboarding and kayaking are available in the sheltered water. The short boat crossing to the clear-water islet of Nikouria is a favourite outing.
Beyond the active pursuits, Aegiali is a place to relax on the sandy beaches, wander the village, and eat and drink at the waterfront tavernas as the evening comes on. This mix of beach, walking, diving and village life is what makes the bay such a rewarding base.
Where you eat and stay in Aegiali?
Aegiali has a good choice of waterfront tavernas serving fresh fish and traditional Amorgian dishes, and a spread of rooms, pensions and small hotels around the bay and beach.
The waterfront of Aegiali is lined with tavernas and cafes where the fishing boats’ catch is served fresh. From grilled fish and octopus to the island’s traditional patatato, fava and cheeses, best enjoyed by the water as the sun sets over the bay. The mountain villages above add more tavernas with sweeping views.
For accommodation, Aegiali offers the widest choice in the north, rooms, pensions and small hotels around the bay and behind the beach. At prices reasonable by Cycladic standards, ideal for a beach-and-hiking stay. A handful of larger hotels and a spa sit above the bay, and the mountain villages offer simpler rooms.
Aegiali also has a little more evening life than the rest of Amorgos, with bars and the occasional live music. Giving it a relaxed, faintly bohemian buzz that suits a younger, laid-back crowd, without the club scene of the party islands. For choosing a base, see the where to stay guide.
How do you get to Aegiali?
Aegiali is the second ferry port of Amorgos, in the north, served by fewer ferries than Katapola but with direct links to Piraeus and Naxos.
Aegiali is the island’s northern ferry port. Some ferries call here directly. Including services from Piraeus near Athens and from Naxos, though it is served by fewer boats than the main port of Katapola. Arriving at Aegiali suits visitors staying in the north, saving a long transfer across the island.
By road, Aegiali lies around thirty kilometres from the centre of the island, a winding drive of some forty-five minutes to an hour from Katapola and Chora, and a local bus links the northern bay with the capital and the main port times a day in summer, as the guide to getting to Amorgos explains.
A hire car or scooter is useful from an Aegiali base for reaching the central sights, though the beach, the mountain villages and the hiking are all on the doorstep. For a stay focused on the north, Aegiali is well worth arriving at directly by ferry where possible.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Aegiali a good place to stay in Amorgos?
Yes. Aegiali is the best base in the north of Amorgos and ideal for a beach-and-hiking stay, with the island’s longest sandy beach, a relaxed. Faintly bohemian atmosphere, the finest mountain villages of Langada and Tholaria just above it. The island’s best hiking and diving on the doorstep. Its drawback is distance: it lies far from the central sights of Chora, the Hozoviotissa Monastery and Agia Anna, so beach-and-walking travellers favour it while sightseers often prefer central Katapola.
What is the beach at Aegiali like?
Aegiali beach is the longest and best sandy beach on Amorgos, a broad, gently shelving crescent of soft sand in the middle of the bay. With tamarisk trees for shade, shallow water safe for children and tavernas behind. It is the most family-friendly beach on the island. Around the bay curve further sandy coves, Levrossos, Psili Ammos and Hohlakas, reached on foot or by a short boat hop. Giving Aegiali a genuine beach-holiday feel that the rest of the island lacks.
How far is Aegiali from Chora and Katapola?
Aegiali lies in the north of Amorgos, around thirty kilometres from the capital Chora and the main port of Katapola in the centre. A winding drive of roughly forty-five minutes to an hour over the mountains. A local bus links Aegiali with Chora and Katapola times a day in summer, though the journey is long. A hire car is useful from an Aegiali base for reaching the central sights such as the Hozoviotissa Monastery and Agia Anna beach.