Amorgós

Area of island: 130 sq. km/50 sq. mi

Altitude: 2,710ft/826m

Population: 1,650

Amorgós is a bare, rocky, mountainous island 33 km/22 mi long by 2-6.5km/1.25-4 mi across. The southeast coast mostly falls steeply down to the sea; the northwest coast is gentler, with two deep bays, the sheltered Katápola Bay to the southwest, with the island's principal harbor, and Aiyiáli Bay to the northwest. The islanders - declining in numbers as a result of emigration - live by farming and fishing.

The remains of several ancient towns, extensive cemeteries, finds of coins, and rock inscriptions show that in Minoan and Hellenistic times Amorgós was an important port of call on the sea route between Melos and the southeastern Aegean. In Roman times a place of exile, and in later centuries much harried by pirates, the island has never been a place of any economic or political importance, and as a result has remained largely unspoiled. In recent years, however, this very beautiful island has increasingly suffered from the visitations of large numbers of backpackers.

There are weekly boat connections with Piraeus; several times weekly with Náxos, Iàos and Santorini.