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© Special Interest
Holidays
1999 - 2010
Amorgos
Discover The Secret
Jewel Of The Cyclades
Special Interest Walking Holiday
Briefing a client prior to a walk
Self Guided Walks
Walkers have various options open to them. With the use of our book and advice clients may take themselves on self guided walks. Special Interest Holidays guides are available locally if clients wish to book guided walks upon arrival.
The third option is to book the full guided walk programme as described below. All clients booking through Sunvil holidays will receive a complimentary copy of the guide book.
15 Day Programme
Walking at altitude on Amorgos
Our walking holidays will allow you to discover Greece as it used to be. The programmes take you back in time, walking in the mountains getting right to the heart of this unique island and its people.
Groups are small and friendly for like minded people who enjoy nature and creativity. The programmes are a total absorption in ancient cultures, the mountains, the flora and fauna and first hand experience of a traditional way of life with the comforts of the 21st Century.
The programme is flexible and we offer the walkers a shorter and easier option each day.
Day 1 (Friday) London / Athens / Amorgos
You are met at Athens International Airport by our agent who will accompany you with your
chauffeur to the port of Piraeus. You then board your Blue Star Ferries ship for the direct
sailing to the port of Aegiali, Amorgos where we meet you and escort you for the five
minute drive to the hotel.
Day 2 (Saturday) Familiarisation Day 5km / 4 hours (Times include stops and
transit)
After breakfast we take a short walk to the ancient city of Vigla, partly built with 4C BC
"recycled" materials! We say hello to the fishermen and the families who run the tavernas,
and get the characteristic Amorgos smells of tangy herbs, salty sea air and donkey
droppings! After a taverna break we walk along the white sands lined with tamarisk trees.
After lunch you can swim or snorkel in the bay's crystal clear waters.
Day 3 (Sunday) ‘Village of the 12 houses and 13 ovens’ 7km / 5
hours
From the hotel we take a saunter to Stroumbos (with the 13 ovens but just 12 houses) built
above a ravine with stunning views. Then onto Tholaria via an old donkey track -
traditional buildings, shady vaulted passageways, and a curious old village olive press.
After refreshment at a traditional taverna we go down the track the whitewashed,
blue-shuttered houses of Tholaria to Ormos beach, where you can swim and take a late lunch
before the short walk back to the hotel.
Day 4 (Monday) Free Day
There are many choices on this day including a long or a short self-guided walk (choose
windmills or rock pools), an island tour by minibus, or a guided donkey ride in the
mountains. Back at base, you can relax on the beach or on your balcony, or go diving or
snorkelling.
Day 5 (Tuesday) Hozoviotissa Monastery 7km / 5 hours
We drive to the capital, Hora and climb the steps up to the amazing 900-year-old
Hozoviotissa monastery, hanging in space from a sheer golden cliff. It is 15ft wide and
eight floors high. The monks welcome us with cool drinks before we explore the labyrinth of
rooms with richly coloured icons and rare illuminated manuscripts. Then we go on a tour of
Hora, the medieval capital and explore the warren of narrow passageways. the Venetian
castle and the archaeological museum. We then walk down the valley where we find many
springs and orchids (in season) to the Southern port of Katapola. After a leisurely lunch
we drive back to the hotel.
Day 6 (Wednesday) Free Day
Again there are many choices on this day. Perhaps the more intrepid would like to explore
on their own. Others may like to practice new found skills, whether it be photography or
Greek cuisine and share their knowledge with new found friends.
Day 7 (Thursday) Ruined City of Minoa 8km / 8 hours
After a drive to the other end of the island we set off through a fertile valley dotted
with whitewashed Byzantine chapels. The 5C BC ruins of the city of Minoa were originally
the summer residence of Cretan king Minos. We make a short descent to explore the old
pirate hideaway port of Katapola, one of the prettiest in the Aegean, then get a lift
back.
Day 8 (Friday) The Secrets of Krikellos 8km / 4 hours
Up the old donkey track from Langada, reaching the remote Byzantine monastery of Theologos,
built on the site of an ancient temple. A gentle climb gets us onto the slopes of the
island’s highest mountain, Krikellos (2690ft). From here we have truly alpinistic scenes
and views down the cliffs plunging over a thousand feet into the deep blue sea. We descend
back down to Langada, with an option to carry on past the hotel down through olive groves
to the beach for a swim.
Day 9 (Saturday) Free Day
See the ‘Other Activities’ page. Perhaps you would like to go climbing the cliffs
behind the hotel or maybe go ‘below’ sea level on a diving or snorkelling course.
Day 10 (Sunday) Valley of the Doomed Donkeys 7km / 4 hours
From Tholaria we follow a little-known track through a green valley where retired donkeys
are turned out to spend their last days. Then down to a secret hidden cove that sheltered a
British commando vessel during WWII, for lunch and a swim. On the way back we pass a number
of interesting traditional farmhouses and finish down on the beach in Ormos.
Day 11 (Monday) Free Day
You could go and help, Nikos, the hotel owner on his organic farm and say hello to the
piglets which have escaped the spit – so far. Clients with well proven ‘sea legs’
could take our little local ferry around the small Cycladic islands for a short visit to
Naxos.
Day 12 (Tuesday) ‘The Big Blue’ Walk 10km / 6 hours
This was the location for ‘The Big Blue’. Up and over the mountain range, then down to
the lush green coast of south Amorgos, a complete change from the craggy north. After lunch
there’s time to explore where the film was shot before returning along the ridge, with
fantastic views - an overview of your whole Amorgos adventure. Most clients on all the
programmes will find just the short walk along the ridge spectacular and relatively
easy.
Day 13 (Wednesday) Free Day
So why not make the most of it? You can play volleyball on the beach, take a boat trip to
the uninhabited island of Nikouria, or get a local bus around the island. A Swedish lady in
Ormos does massage, and there are yoga and Tai Chi classes too! In our experience most
people like to take it easy on their last days on Amorgos.
Day 14 (Thursday) Free Day
Take a private boat trip to an uninhabited island and let us arrange a beach barbeque or
picnic for you whilst you go swimming or fishing.
Day 15 (Friday) Free Day
Just relax and reflect on your time on the island. Lie in a hammock on the front and plan
how you are going to evade Paul and Henri the following morning when they come to pick you
up for the ship.
Day 16 (Saturday) Return Home and enjoy a small Cyclades cruise!
The ferry for your departure from Amorgos usually leaves early morning. It takes you on a
fascinating cruise around the islands to the south of Naxos known as 'The Small Cyclades'.
The ship is the islander's lifeline and it is amazing to watch the antics as they load
everything from fridges to donkeys off the ship. You are accommodated in the first class
lounge but generally clients spend the time on deck soaking up their last rays of sunshine.
Upon arrival in Piraeus (Athens) our agents will be waiting for you on the quay to take you
to the airport for your flight home.
- The above programme is subject to change depending on weather or clients requests. ‘Flexibility’ is our keyword.
- We regret that we do not accept young people under the age of 16 on the walks or courses but they are very welcome on the holiday.
Special Interest Holidays New Project of Three Websites
Safari Holidays Botswana
After years of research Special Interest Holidays identified a gap in the market where there are no truly independent travel consultants available for guidance in the luxury safari market.
Discovering Botswana
The Adventures of Paul and Henrietta Delahunt-Rimmer on safari holiday in Botswana. Includes a short film (5m:47s) with views of Kwara Camp and wildlife on the concession.
Holidays Botswana
Twenty slideshows with a unique collection of two hundred photographs portraying the natural beauty and wildlife in Botswana. The majority were taken by Paul whilst on safari.
