How To Get From Athens to Amorgos

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Written By: Pavlos Inglesis

athens to amorgos
Amorgos is not very well connected to Athens, with only 2 ferries per day in the high season and no flights

Amorgos is not an island that is very well connected to Athens or in general any other greek island. There is basically only one way to get from Athens to Amorgos: by ferry from Piraeus port. The island does not have any airport.

The good thing is that Amorgos is possibly the only island in Cyclades that has 2 ports: Katapola (the main one) and Aegiali (or Egiali).

Since you don’t have that many options, to be honest, I believe that the Best Way to get from Athens to Amorgos is by the fast ferry which departs from Piraeus port every other day in the high season and goes to Katapola port in Amorgos.

Here are the options you have basically:

How Long It TakesCost*
Ferry to Katapola (FAST)
(from Piraeus port)
5.5 hours86 euros
Ferry to Katapola (SLOW)
(from Piraeus port)
8 hours52 euros
Ferry to Aegiali (SLOW)
(from Piraeus port)
8 hours52 euros
*Obviously the cost fluctuates a lot and may differ; always check Ferryhopper for ferry costs and Booking.com Flights for flights

aegiali port amorgos bluestar ferry
Bluestar ferry arrives in Aegiali (or Egiali) port late at night 3 times a week in the high season

During the high season (May – October) there are 2 ferries per day at best from Athens to Amorgos (Katapola or Aegiali). Amorgos is not that close to Athens so the slow Blue Star Ferry can take up to 8 hours to reach the island because it has to visit other smaller islands first.

You can always search directly from here the available ferries to Amorgos:

  • Ferryhopper is the largest and safest website in Greece to book your ferry tickets from Athens to Amorgos, but you can also use it just for checking timetables and prices between Athens and all greek islands. It’s what we Greeks use too!

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highspeed ferry greece
Highspeed 4 ferry manoeuvring in Katapola port of Amorgos; this is the fastest ferry you can take to Amorgos but it’s not available every day

Obviously, whatever I am detailing here, applies to the return trip from Amorgos to Athens too.

If you are wondering how it is inside a ferry to the greek islands then here is my complete tour of the Highspeed 4 Ferry (interior and exterior)

Keep reading…

ATHENS TO AMORGOS TIPS:

  • You basically have 1 option of getting from Athens to Amorgos: by ferry
  • Best way To get From Athens to Amorgos: By the fast Ferry (5.5 hours) because it’s simply faster than the very slow ferry that takes ages; if money is an issue though you can still take the slow ferry
  • Best Website for Ferry Prices & Timetables: Ferryhopper
  • Athens has only 1 port with ferries to Amorgos: Piraeus (or Pireas – PIR) is the only port with ferries to Amorgos
  • Amorgos has 2 ferry ports: Katapola (bigger) and Aegiali / Egiali (smaller) ; in the summer season the Blue Star Ferries go to Aegiali instead of Katapola 3 times a week. Aegiali port is also used by the Small Cyclades Lines that can take you to other small greek islands such as Donousa, Schinoussa and Iraklia from Amorgos
  • The ferry port for Amorgos in Piraeus Port is E7 (on Google Maps)
    (but always check your ticket as this may change)
  • Between April-October there are 1 to 2 ferries a day from Athens to Amorgos (from Piraeus Port to Katapola or Aegiali); there are far fewer ferry options in the winter (November-March) and there might be no ferries to Amorgos some days
  • How long is the ferry ride from Athens to Amorgos: it varies from 5.5 hours (fast ferry) to 8 hours (slow ferry) ; the same obviously applies for the ferry from Amorgos Athens
  • How much does it cost to take a ferry from Athens to Amorgos: it obviously changes every year but in general, it can cost from 50 euros to 80 euros per person
  • You must book your ferry online and you can then enter the ferry with the barcode that will be on the email that will be sent to you. This will be clearly written on the email you will receive from Ferryhopper and it is now the system that most ferry companies use BUT some smaller companies may ask you to get a printout from a kiosk that is outside of the ferry and it is this print out that will allow you to enter the ferry. As a rule of thumb, if your ticket you got through email from Ferryhopper has a barcode, then you can enter the ferry directly. All ferries to Amorgos use the barcode system anyway.
  • How long is the flight from Athens to Amorgos: there are no flights to Amorgos as the island doesn’t have an airport
  • Best Way to go from Athens Airport to Athens main ferry port (Piraeus) to take the ferry to Amorgos is by taking the Athens Airport Bus X96 (X96 Bus Route – X96 Bus runs every 20-30 mins) – X96 Bus ticket costs 6 euros (adult) and 3 euros (kids) or buy an ATH.ENA Card
  • Strikes in Greece: strikes can happen anytime in Greece and for any means of public transportation within short notice; usually, they may happen on Tuesdays, Wednesdays or Thursdays; yes, they may mess up your trip but they are necessary for the hard-working people of Greece so that they can have decent salaries and benefits for their lives. So, get over it and try to find some alternatives for your trip (a taxi is usually the best option).
  • Strong Winds – Ferries Cancellations: in case there are strong winds (which can be pretty common in August in Greece), then the Greek Port Authorities may stop all ferries from departing, so bear in mind this is also a possibility that can mess up your trip; as an average there might be 4-5 days during the summer months that this can happen so get prepared
  • Business Seats on Ferries in Greece: in my opinion, they are not worth the extra money as you only get a bit more space and a slightly quiet area to sit but even the standard seats are very spacious
  • The Ferry Schedule for Amorgos is announced only 2-3 months before the actual trips, so if you cannot find any scheduled ferries for your trip 3 years from now, please check again 2 months before your actual trip.

Ok, so let’s see all the available options from Athens to Amorgos (that also apply to the return trip Amorgos to Athens):

Athens to Amorgos Ferry Schedule

seajets ferry greece
The SEAJETS Ferries are usually the fastest ferries to any greek island but they also connect Amorgos to other greek islands such as Santorini, Milos, Sifnos and Serifos

The Ferry Schedule from Athens to Amorgos is only announced a few months before the actual dates of the trips, which means that the times for the busy summer months of May, June, July, August and September are only announced around February or March of the same year.

However, there are not that many changes usually and there are ferries that depart sometime in the morning and go through several islands. The ferries that go to Amorgos usually visit other smaller Cyclades islands too such as Koufonisia, Donoussa, Schinoussa and Iraklia.

Here is an Example of a Ferry Schedule from Athens to Amorgos in September from Ferryhopper:

athens to amorgos ferry schedule
This is a typical Ferry Schedule from Athens to Amorgos in the summer months (May, June, July, August, and September); on Sundays there was a fast and a slow ferry to Katapola port
athens to amorgos ferry schedule
On Tuesdays, there is a night slow ferry to Katapola only and no fast ferry (Highspeed)
athens to amorgos ferry schedule
On Mondays, the Blue Star Ferry goes to Aegiali instead of Katapola port in Amorgos

This is just an example of a ferry schedule, though!

For the latest Ferry schedule, always check on Ferryhopper.

The winter ferry schedule is less frequent with probably 2-3 ferries a week.

seajet ferry amorgos katapola greece
A Seajet Ferry arriving at the small port of Katapola in Amorgos; the Seajets do not connect Athens to Amorgos but Amorgos to other greek islands such as Milos, Santorini, Sifnos or Skopelos
ferry ticket greek islands blue star ferry highspeed
If you book your ticket through Ferryhopper you are going to get a link through email where you can download the tickets with the barcode that looks like this (it will open up in your browser, and you can just screenshot it); this ticket will have your seat number as well, and it is individual for every passenger, so kids and vehicles will have their own barcodes and separate tickets; Also notice that Highspeed Ferries (Hellenic Seaways) and Blue Star Ferries are run by the same company using the same ticketing system
highspeed ferry inside playground kids famiy greek islands greece
The journey to Amorgos is a long one and if you have young kids it can feel even longer but Highspeed 4 (the fast ferry to Amorgos) has this small playground that can entertain them for some time
ferry greek islands inside
This is the Economy Class (or regular seats) on Highspeed ferry
economy class space seat greece
I am not the tallest guy in the world, but I had plenty of space in the economy seats of Highspeed 4
business class seats ferry greece
The business class seats were almost similar to the economy class but this may differ slightly from ferry to ferry; in my opinion, they are not worth it in any ferry
seat nuimber ferry greece
It might be tricky to locate the exact seat number that is on your ticket but you can always ask the crew of the ferry
food ferry greek islands
Unfortunately, there are no restaurants on any of the ferries but there are plenty of options for nibbles, sandwiches and greek pasties in the small shops that are called Everest and are pretty much on every ferry
luggage space ferry greek islands
There is always plenty of luggage space on board any ferry but you need to be careful as these are unattended
ferry greece outside space highspeed
There is always an open space on any ferry (smoking is strongly prohibited everywhere) but its size depends on the ferry itself; usually, the slowest ferries (Blue Star) have the largest outdoor spaces and the fastest ones (catamaran style Highspeed and Seajets) have more limited outdoor spaces
small cyclades ferry aegiali egiali amorgos epxress skopelitis greek islands
Small Cyclades Lines Ferries (this is “Express Skopelitis” ferry in Aegiali port) connect the less-known Cyclades islands during the summer season; they are small and old ferries but great if you want to visit Donoussa, Schinoussa or Iraklia islands from Amorgos within an hour or so (a great daytrip in my opinion)

BLUE STAR FERRIES

blue star ferries santorini athens
Blue Star Ferries are the largest but slowest ferries from Athens to Amorgos and they only depart from Piraeus port once a day during the high season (the journey takes around 8 hours to Katapola or Aegiali ports)

Bluestar Ferries are the biggest you can take to go to Amorgos and are the most stable but also the slowest (8 hours to arrive to Katapola or Aegiali).

Blue Star Ferries alternate their destination on Amorgos during the high season and they visit both Katapola and Aegiali on separate days (not on the same day though).

No matter how bumpy or windy it is, you won’t feel much on Bluestar Ferries, but in case there are strong winds the Greek Port Authorities may not allow any ferries to depart, for safety reasons.

Almost all ferries from Athens to Amorgos, visit other islands before they arrive at Amorgos, which can give you a very good glimpse of some other greek islands too before they arrive at their destination. You don’t get to see much but it’s nice to feel like you are on a small cruise!

The best way to check for the available Blue Star Ferry times schedule is to visit the Ferryhopper website.

They run all 365 days per year and there is basically 1 ferry per day from Piraeus port to Amorgos

Check the exact timetables on Ferryhopper.

Where can you book Blue Star ferry tickets from Athens to Amorgos?

I highly recommend you book your ferry tickets online through Ferryhopper before you even land in Greece. It is the easiest and safest way to guarantee you are going to get a seat. In fact, for July, August and September, I recommend you book the ferry tickets online at least 1 month in advance. To be honest, you will always find a seat on a ferry but if you are planning to get your vehicle on the ferry then you need to book very well in advance as there are limited spaces for cars and motorbikes in their garages.

BE CAREFUL THOUGH:

As long as the email you receive from Ferryhopper has a barcode on it, you will be fine to enter the ferry with these ones. It will be very clear on the email you will receive from them, though. Otherwise, you will get instructions on how to get the printout ticket as some smaller ferry companies don’t have a barcode system on their tickets (very old-fashioned indeed…). This is not a problem however and all you have to do is to go to a kiosk outside of the ferry itself and people there will print out the ticket for you. Ferryhopper will give you instructions on where to go exactly. All ferries to Amorgos use the barcode ticketing system so you can enter the ferry with just that.

How much the Blue Star Ferry ticket cost?

For the latest prices always check the Ferryhopper website.

FLIGHTS TO AMORGOS

There are no flights to Amorgos island Greece because there is no airport on the island. This is probably the main reason why the island has avoided mass tourism. Amorgos is a great alternative destination for those who want to avoid the crazy crowds of Mykonos, Santorini or other busy greek islands.

agios pavlos beach amorgos island greece
The stunning beach of Agios Pavlos in Amorgos is a great example of unspoilt beauty on less touristic Greek islands

HOW TO GET FROM ATHENS AIRPORT TO PIRAEUS PORT

X96 is the Athens bus that will take you from Athens Airport to Piraeus ferry port

The easiest and cheapest option to get to Athens ferry port called Piraeus is by taking the bus X96 that stops just outside of the Athens airport.

X96 bus takes between 50 mins to 80 mins (depending on the traffic) to go to the Athens ferry port (Piraeus) and the X96 bus route to Piraeus ferry port is the following:

This is how to get from the Athens Aiport Exit to the X96 and X95 bus stops just outside of the airport:

Amorgos Ferries depart from E9 Port Gate so you have to stop at the bus station which is called: STATION ISAP (this is also a metro station).

Or in greek : ΣΤΑΘΜΟΣ ΗΣΑΠ

In case you feel lost you can just ask the bus driver (they always speak english if you speak with a very clear accent like an italian mafioso in a away… ????)

But in reality you will find some brand new GPS screens showing you where you actually are:

There are GPS screens showing you where you are on the X96 Athens bus

The X96 bus runs 24/7 and there is a bus every 30 mins roughly (in Greece time runs in a very strange way…so never expect something to be on time…that’s just a small tip from greeks…you’d better get used to that unfortunately).

But there is a X96 bus every 20-30 minutes, so there will be one for you too!

Click here to see all the stops of X96 Bus (from Athens Airport to Piraeus Ferry port to Amorgos) and the live timetables

For the X96 bus, you have to buy tickets from a kiosk which is just outside of the bus stop (and also just outside of the airport, just follow the “Bus” signs in the airport).

For adults the Athens bus ticket (called “ATH.ENA) costs 6 euros and for kids (under 6) it costs 3 euros.

The Athens Bus Ticket for X96 Bus (and X95 bus that goes to the center of Athens – Syntagma Square) is called ATH.ENA ticket
You have to validate your tickets once inside the X96 bus but you can actually use the same ticket everywhere for 90 mins

You can also take a taxi from the Athens airport to the Piraeus Ferry port which costs 50-60 euros but it’s really not recommended because it’s not worth it in my opinion…

The X96 bus is pretty fast and it costs only 6 euros!

Also, BE CAREFUL:

Sometimes the X96 Athens Airport Buses say: “AEROLIMENAS-PEIRAIAS”

Don’t get confused.

This is a greek version of saying: “Airport – Pireaus” , so it’s the same really…

HOW TO GET FROM ATHENS AIRPORT TO CENTRAL ATHENS

X95 is the bus that will take you from Athens Aiport to Syntagma Square (central Athens) but you also have the option of taking the metro (subway)

To go from Athens Airport to Syntagma Square (the most central point in Athens), you have to take either the metro from the airport (it’s actually overground for some stations and then it goes underground) or the bus X95 which will take you to Syntagma Square within 30-40 mins.

The X95 bus stop is next to the X96 bus stop and the tickets are exactly the same and are sold from the same kiosk.

This is Bus X95 route (from Athens airport to Syntagma square – central Athens):

You can also take the metro line 3 to get to Syntagma Square from the Athens Airport.

Check on this link the timetables for Athens metro lines

These are the timetables of Athens Metro Line 3 to and from the Airport (there is a train every 36 minutes):

athens metro line 3 timetables
Athens Metro Line 3 (Piraeus Port – Central Athens – Airport) – Click to Enlarge

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

How long is the ferry ride from Athens to Amorgos?

The ferry ride to Amorgos is 5 hours with the fast ferry (Highspeed) but it can also be up to 8 hours with the slower but cheaper ferry (Blue Star Ferry).

What is the best way to travel from Athens to Amorgos?

The best way to travel from Athens to Amorgos is by the fast ferry that takes 5 hours only; it’s simply too tiring to get the slow one as you will be wasting almost a whole day on the ferry

CONCLUSION

You basically have only 1 option to get from Athens to Amorgos: by ferry. My honest recommendation is to take the fast ferry but you need to double check which days it is available as this will determine your accommodation as well. The slow Blue Star ferry should only be taken if money is an issue. The journey to amorgos takes 8 hours, which can be extremely boring and time wasting if you only have a few days on greek islands.

For me, the best way to check timetables and even book your ferry tickets online has been Ferryhopper for the last few years, and I highly recommend it to everyone looking to get a ferry to Amorgos from Athens.

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AUTHOR
Pavlos Inglesis
Greek, born and raised in Athens. I have been to almost every greek island and pretty much in every region of mainland Greece. I have also been eating souvlaki and gyros since the 80s. I love being a dad to my 2 beautiful daughters and also taking great photos of the places I visit. This is my blog to help you out explore the places I have visited with my inside tips as a Greek, knowing the ins and outs of my country and culture. Feel free to ask any questions in the comments section under the post you are interested in and I wIll try my best to respond asap.

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