Greece
Amorgos
A whitewashed monastery clings to a 300-metre cliff face above crashing Aegean surf.
The monastery clings to the cliff like a barnacle — white walls plastered directly onto three hundred metres of vertical rock, with a balcony that hangs over the Aegean. Below, the sea beats against the base of the cliff, and above, the ridge is bare stone. Inside, the monks offer raki, honey fritters, and cold water to anyone who climbs the path.
The Monastery of Hozoviotissa, built in 1088 AD, is one of the most dramatic architectural achievements in Greece — its whitewashed walls are flush with the cliff face, and the interior rises eight storeys within the rock. Amorgos gained international attention as the setting for Luc Besson's film The Big Blue (1988), which was shot in and around the village of Katapola and established the island as a freediving destination. The Chora is one of the best-preserved Cycladic settlements in the archipelago, with windmills on the ridge above and a 13th-century Venetian castle at its centre.
Solo
The path to Hozoviotissa in early morning before the heat, freediving in the waters of The Big Blue, and the Chora's windmill ridge at sunset.
Couple
The monks' welcome of raki and fritters at the monastery, hidden swimming coves reached by goat track, and starlit dinners in the Chora square.
- The Monastery of Hozoviotissa (built 1088) is plastered directly onto a 300-metre vertical cliff — the walls are flush with the rock face.
- Amorgos was the setting for Luc Besson's film The Big Blue (1988), which made the island famous for freediving — the sport is still practised in the same waters.
- The monks of Hozoviotissa offer visitors a traditional welcome of raki, loukoumades (honey fritters), and cold water every morning.
- The main Chora is one of the best-preserved Cycladic settlements in the archipelago, with windmills still standing on the ridge above the village.
Patatato — lamb or goat slow-cooked with potatoes in a sealed clay pot until everything melts together.
Xerotigana fried pastry spirals dipped in honey and sesame, served at festivals and celebrations.
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