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 Takes | Cost* | |
| Ferry to Katapola (FAST) (from Piraeus port) | 5.5 hours | 86 euros |
| Ferry to Katapola (SLOW) (from Piraeus port) | 8 hours | 52 euros |
| Ferry to Aegiali (SLOW) (from Piraeus port) | 8 hours | 52 euros |
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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Obviously, whatever I am detailing here, applies to the return trip from Amorgos to Athens too.
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
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:
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.
BLUE STAR FERRIES
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.
HOW TO GET FROM ATHENS AIRPORT TO PIRAEUS 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:
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!
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.
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
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):
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.
