How to soak up Greece

By ANDREW MARSHALL

Weather-beaten fishermen are busy mending their nets along the harbour front when I arrive in the picturesque port of Katapola in Amorgos' southwest, set in a horseshoe-shaped bay with tavernas, colourful fishing boats, pensions and a small shingly beach.

Armed with a copy of the local bus timetable and the excellent map of the island (which marks all attractions and walking trails), I catch the local bus to nearby Hora, the island's capital and one of the best-preserved villages in the Cyclades.

At 400m above sea level Hora is an impressive sight. A rock plug wrapped with a 13th-century Venetian castle looks down on a clutch of whitewashed houses and churches (including Greece's smallest "Ayios Fanourios", which holds just three worshippers).

After collecting my luggage from the storage hold of the bus, I am quickly greeted by the quintessential Greek pension-owner who offers to show me a room. Dressed in a black frock with a colourful headscarf framing her lined face, she must be at least 80-years-old.

She's as sprightly as an island goat and sets off at a cracking pace. Weighed down by my mountainous backpack, I have trouble keeping up with her as we negotiate a labyrinth of narrow alleyways that wind round unexpected corners and up and down short flights of steps. We pass graceful white churches and open plazas where bougainvillea and geraniums grow against whiter-than-white walls, to my welcome bed for the night.

The next morning, after a hearty breakfast in one of Hora's surprisingly sophisticated cafes, I follow a wide cobbled mule track (a kalderimi ) past a line of abandoned windmills that crown the rocky hilltops. An old lady tends a small herd of goats among a scattering of olive trees that struggle against the north wind and arid soil.

It appears suddenly as I round a bend near the coast: a dazzling white building clinging precariously 300m up a towering cliff face that soars from the deep blue ocean. This is the spectacular 11th-century monastery of Moni Hozoviotissis - the star attraction of Amorgos.

I follow the flight of steep steps that snakes towards this extraordinary structure. Father Spiros greets me at the tiny entrance and, as modest dress is a requirement for entry (no bare arms and legs), asks me to put on one of the robes provided for visitors.

Founded in 1088 by Byzantine Emperor Alexis Comnenus, the monastery contains precious icons - including one of the Ponaghia (Holy Virgin) covered with silver - sacral objects, priests' robes and more than 100 ancient manuscripts. Every Easter a procession takes the Holy Virgin from the monastery to all the villages of the island.

The refectory is a touching survival, for the bare room has a long wooden table able to seat at least 30 monks. Today, only a few live a simple life here, cultivating a small vegetable garden, keeping chickens and showing visitors around. Where could be better to live a life of quiet contemplation?

After showing me around, Father Spiros ushers me into the comfy reception room and hands me a customary shot of citron liqueur, a sugary lump of loukoumi and a cool glass of much-needed water.

"This is the most spectacular view in Greece," he says as we gaze out of the small open window.

And he's not wrong. Far down below is a sheer drop to the Aegean Sea, dotted with specks of rock and the beautiful pebble beach and lonely white chapel of Ayia Anna. A refreshing swim is a "must do" to complete the monastery experience.

Many of the scenes in Luc Besson's cult French movie The Big Blue were filmed in this area, in Hora and at the photogenic shipwreck of the Olympia at the southern tip of the island. The movie plays each night at The Big Blue Pub in Katapola.

From Hora, another local bus takes me north along a cliff-hugging road with dizzying views to the sheltered harbour village of Aegiali, Amorgos' other port. Here the atmosphere is much more laidback than Katapola.

With a good clean beach, inexpensive pensions and a handful of local tavernas (don't miss the local Amorgos speciality, lamb patatas at the excellent To Limani), Aegiali is a good base for a few days.

After a few days of rest and relaxation, some activity beckons. I head out on the beautiful 8km loop walk that links the traditional villages of Potamos, Langada and Tholaria, high up in the enclosing circle of hills dotted with small white churches and a patchwork of stone walls. This walk like many others on Amorgos is along a cobbled mule track, and it's common to meet locals and their mules along the way.

It's mid-afternoon by the time I reach Tholaria and the sun is beating down like a hammer. It's siesta time and the village is practically deserted except for some exhausted crows and an old lady visiting the store, which also doubles as the local meeting place.

Inside, elderly Greek men in cloth caps while away their time fiddling with worry beads, playing dominoes and drinking ouzo. The postman arrives and I conveniently hand him a written postcard from my bag.

"The road up here came about 10 years ago," he says, dropping some letters on the counter top. "Before that the postman used to come riding up the valley on a mule and blow on a conch shell to signal the arrival of the mail."

I order a well-deserved beer and reflect on the slow pace of island life that's still intact.

It would take a lifetime of island-hopping to explore the 160 permanently inhabited Greek islands, but for a special atmosphere and a perfect blend of tourism and tradition, Amorgos would be difficult to beat.

Case notes

* Getting There

Amorgos is the most easterly of the Cyclades group of Greek Islands. The easiest way is to fly first to Athens, then take a bus or taxi to Piraeus (the main port) where regular ferries leave for Amorgos. You may need to go first to Naxos or Paros and then take a smaller ferry.

* When to Go

The best time to visit is late [northern] spring/early summer and in autumn. It's less crowded, getting around is easier an accommodation is cheaper and easier to find.

* Where to stay

Owners of pensions (domatia-owners) meet all ferry arrivals in the two main ports of Katapola and Aegiali, and the same goes for bus arrivals in all the villages. Comfortable basic rooms with shower, toilet, fridge and sometimes cooking facilities for self-catering usually start at around €20 ($42.50) a double. During the busy season of July-August, prices go up and it's more difficult to find a room.

* Guidebooks

Lonely Planet's Greek Islands & Greece.