Nikouria is a small uninhabited islet lying just off the north coast of Amorgos. Opposite the beach of Agios Pavlos, with some of the clearest, most turquoise swimming water on the island. Reached by a short boat crossing of only minutes, its three sandy and pebbly beaches. Calm and brilliantly clear, make it one of the most beautiful and popular outings from the bay of Aegiali.
This guide covers Nikouria: the islet and its beaches, how to reach it by the boat from Agios Pavlos. Snorkelling and diving in its clear water, its ancient history, and when to visit. Read it beside the guides to Amorgos beaches and boat trips.
What is Nikouria island in Amorgos?
Nikouria is a small uninhabited islet just off the north coast of Amorgos, opposite Agios Pavlos and about five kilometres from the port of Aegiali.
Nikouria is a small, uninhabited island lying a short distance off the north coast of Amorgos. Opposite the beach of Agios Pavlos and around five kilometres from the ferry port of Aegiali. Separated from the main island by a narrow, sheltered strait, it is reached only by boat and has no permanent residents or roads.
The islet is known above all for its water, which many consider the clearest and most turquoise on Amorgos, lapping three sandy and pebbly beaches around its shore. Calm and sheltered, the beaches are ideal for swimming, snorkelling and families, and the crossing to reach them is part of the appeal.
With its brilliant water and almost private beaches, Nikouria is a highlight of the island’s coast and one of the most rewarding day trips from the north, an easy escape to clear, calm water covered also in the guide to Amorgos beaches.
How do you get to Nikouria island?
Nikouria is reached by a small boat from the Agios Pavlos jetty on the north coast of Amorgos, opposite the islet.
Reaching Nikouria is simple. A small shuttle boat crosses the narrow strait from the jetty at Agios Pavlos. On the north coast opposite the islet, a short trip of around ten minutes to the beaches. Agios Pavlos lies a short drive or bus ride from the bay of Aegiali, so the crossing is easy to reach from a northern base.
Through the summer season the boat runs frequently, roughly every hour across the middle of the day and into the evening. Generally from about eleven in the morning until seven, with a low-cost return fare of only euros. This lets visitors cross over, spend as long as they like on the islet, and return on a later boat.
No booking is needed; you turn up at the Agios Pavlos jetty and take the next crossing. A hire car or the local bus reaches Agios Pavlos, and the islet also features on some coastal boat trips, as the guide to Amorgos boat trips describes.
What are the beaches of Nikouria like?
Nikouria has three sandy and pebbly beaches with calm, brilliantly clear turquoise water, sheltered and shallow, ideal for swimming, snorkelling and families.
The islet has three beaches around its shore, sandy and pebbly, all lapped by the calm, brilliantly clear turquoise water for which Nikouria is famous. Sheltered and shallow, they are ideal for swimming and snorkelling and safe for children, and their beauty and clarity make them among the finest swimming spots on Amorgos.
The largest beach, on the northern side, has a little bar offering snacks, drinks and music in the main summer season, the only facility on the islet. The other beaches are wild and unspoilt, with nothing beyond the sand and the sea, so visitors to them bring their own water, shade and food.
With almost no development, Nikouria offers an almost private island-beach experience, clear water and quiet coves a short boat ride from the bustle of the coast. It is a favourite outing from Aegiali and the north, covered in full in the Amorgos beaches guide.
What is Agios Pavlos beach opposite Nikouria?
Agios Pavlos is the beach on the Amorgos shore opposite Nikouria, from where the boat crosses.
Agios Pavlos is the beach on the main island directly opposite Nikouria, on the north coast, and it is from its jetty that the boat crosses to the islet. Mostly grey pebble and shingle, it stretches along the shore with the uninhabited Nikouria providing a striking backdrop across the narrow strait.
The beach has clear, shallow water and a quiet, uncrowded feel. A narrow spit of land. Sometimes called the finger, lets you spread a towel on either side in near solitude. It makes a pleasant swim in its own right, whether or not you cross to the islet.
Agios Pavlos is the gateway to the islet’s beaches. The two combine naturally into a day by the clear northern water. It lies a short drive or bus ride from the bay of Aegiali.
Can you snorkel or dive at Nikouria?
Yes. The clear, calm water around Nikouria is superb for snorkelling and is one of the best diving spots on Amorgos, with an underwater cave and reefs off the islet.
The clarity and calm of the water make Nikouria excellent for snorkelling. No more than a mask is needed to enjoy the rocks, fish and clear shallows around its beaches. The islet is also known as one of the best diving and fishing spots on Amorgos, its waters holding reefs and an underwater cave rich in sponges and fish.
The island’s dive centre, based on the bay of Aegiali, runs boat trips to the dive sites around Nikouria, including the cave off Agios Pavlos, for certified divers, beginners and snorkellers alike, as the guide to diving in Amorgos describes.
Whether you simply snorkel from the beaches or join a dive trip to the reefs and cave, the water around Nikouria rewards anyone drawn beneath the surface. Part of the clear, deep sea that makes Amorgos, the island of The Big Blue, so good for diving.
What is the history of Nikouria?
Nikouria has a long history despite being uninhabited today.
For a small, empty islet, Nikouria has a surprisingly rich past. In antiquity it was notable enough to mint its own coins. A sign of some independent standing off the coast of ancient Amorgos. Traces of old habitation can still be found among its slopes.
In more recent centuries the isolation that makes Nikouria so peaceful today gave it a sadder use, as a place of quarantine and shelter for people suffering from leprosy, sent here away from the mainland. Old ruined buildings on the islet recall this chapter of its history.
Nikouria is uninhabited and given over to its beaches and clear water. These layers of history, ancient coinage and a leper colony, add a note of depth to a visit, a reminder that even the smallest Aegean islands carry long and varied stories.
When is the best time to visit Nikouria?
Late spring to early autumn is the season for Nikouria, when the boat from Agios Pavlos runs and the sea is warm for swimming.
The season for Nikouria runs through the warm months of late spring to early autumn, when the shuttle boat from Agios Pavlos operates and the sea is comfortable for swimming and snorkelling. The islet is at its best in the settled summer weather, with the water at its warmest from July into September.
The shoulder weeks of June and September bring warm water with fewer visitors and a calmer islet, an ideal time to enjoy the clear beaches in peace. Outside the main season the boat runs less often or not at all, so the summer months are the time to go.
They stay calm and swimmable even when the summer meltemi wind whips up the exposed coast, making Nikouria a reliable choice on a windy day. Bring water, shade and food, as facilities are limited to the small seasonal bar on the main beach.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do you get to Nikouria from Amorgos?
Nikouria is reached by a small shuttle boat from the jetty at Agios Pavlos on the north coast of Amorgos, opposite the islet, a crossing of only about ten minutes. In summer the boat runs roughly hourly, generally from around eleven in the morning until seven in the evening. With a low-cost return fare of euros. You can cross over, enjoy the islet’s clear-water beaches for as long as you like, and return on a later boat. No booking is needed; you simply take the next crossing.
Is Nikouria worth visiting?
Yes. Nikouria is one of the highlights of the Amorgos coast, an uninhabited islet with three sandy beaches and some of the clearest. Most turquoise swimming water on the island, reached by a short, cheap boat crossing from Agios Pavlos. Sheltered and calm, its beaches are ideal for swimming, snorkelling and families, and it offers an almost private island-beach experience close to the bay of Aegiali. It is also a fine diving and snorkelling spot, with a cave and reefs in its clear water.
Are there facilities on Nikouria?
Very few. Nikouria is an uninhabited islet with no roads, restaurants or accommodation. The largest, northernmost beach has a small bar offering snacks. Drinks and music in the main summer season. The other beaches are wild with nothing beyond the sand and the sea. Visitors bring their own water, shade and food, especially outside peak season when even the bar be closed. Take any rubbish away. Keeping the islet’s beaches as clean and unspoilt as they are found.