Katapola Ferry

Katapola Guide

Katapola Ferry Port

Few islands around the world owe as much gratitude to their beaches as the Greek island of Amorgos. The shoreline of this narrow landmass, found among the liberal spattering of islands that pepper the Aegean Sea, is responsible for attracting the wealth of travellers and has even been the muse to filmmakers – the pristine, pebbled beach of Agia Anna inspiring Luc Besson to produce the film "The Big Blue". The most famous sight in Amorgos is the Monastery of Hozoviotissa. This 11th Century structure is hewn directly into the side of a sheer, rock-faced cliff; its lofty white walls instantly recognisable against the dun-coloured crag. The view from the monastery is unforgettable. From the windows and atop the balconies, one can see the all the way to the bottom of the shrub-covered mountainside and across an ultramarine expanse of the Aegean Sea that glitters like a million sapphires beneath the afternoon sun. The port in Amorgos is found in the small, northern village of Katapola that caps the end of a roughly triangular sea inlet. It sits at the very centre of the village promenade, which divides the traditionally Cycladic white-walled villas from the shallows of the sea. The port facility is nothing more than a spot on the promenade designated for the use of ferries. There are no amenities at the port itself so food, drink and other supplies can only be purchased from within Katapola. Only a few paved roads snake across the mountainous landscape of Amorgos and travelling to the port can prove difficult. Just one main route cuts across the spine of the island, heading through the villages of Katapola, Chora and eventually Aegiali just over 15-miles away. It’s a commonly used route for the island’s fleet of taxis and mix of public and private buses as they head back and forth between the region’s most popular landmarks. A vast range of ferry routes currently branch away from the port in Katapola throughout the week. Most services sail to the neighbouring islands that stud the Aegean Sea. Blue Star Ferries head to the islands of Rhodes, Kos, Leros, Patmos, Iraklia and Schinoussa, as well as sharing the journeys to Naxos, Koufonissi, Paros and the Greek mainland city of Piraeus with Sea Jets and Hellenic Seaways. Sea Jets also offer exclusive trips to Thira, Folegandros, Mykonos, Milos, Rafina and Tinos.