According to ancient mythology, King Minos of Crete also ruled a second kingdom on the island of Amorgos where he spent the summer months. The strong winds of the Cyclades helped him to endure the heat.

And so it happened that in the past, Amorgos was ‘Green’ without any self-consciousness. Wind power ran the mills and defined the landscape. Now, in an age where ‘sustainability’ counts, the island is at the cutting edge of ‘Green tourism.’ I was there and I heartily recommend its attractions.

The windmills are perched on the crests of the local hills and are in constant view from the coast. Their white silhouettes with blue or terracotta colored roofs set them off against the sky. Narrow roads that lead to them once upon a time, were passed by donkeys and mules which delivered grain and took flour back to the farms.

Fifty years ago, wind power was retired and the locals let the windmills fall into disrepair. Now, a new movement is under way to restore them to their former glory for the amusement of tourists and as a reminder of traditions. Money was provided by the EC and the first windmill is nearly operational.

When you enter it and ascend to the small room where the millstones are set, you may well be surprised at the force of the wind needed to move these stones, which weigh over two tons. But outside the force of the wind becomes all too tangible. It is hard not to lose your footing. Below, in the harbor, the sea is quiet, its silence contrasting greatly with the howling blasts above.

In Amorgos, nature reigns. The locals invite any outsider to join them in their admiration of the island’s beauty and to accept their life style. They are sure everyone will like it and they are right.

Amorgos has one four star hotel with convention facilities overlooking the harbor. Otherwise, most hotels are more modest, no more than two stories high, and they look like the local houses. They are spread out along the hillsides above the sea or nestled in the valleys. There are also plenty of bed and breakfast places. Some of these are run by Swiss, British and other EU nationals who came here years ago and stayed.

Strict rules are imposed on new tourist projects, and all construction must correspond to the local canons. In this way, the island is maintaining its traditional appearance even though it has put in all European comforts.

Some special factors make this manageable, including the small size (110 square km) and small population. At present there are 1800 year-round residents living in three towns and a dozen hamlets. They mostly tend their olive trees and vineyards or watch over their flocks of goats, unless they are keepers of a B&B or running the few taverns. Several engage in fishing. The island benefits from its relative remoteness from Athens. There is no airport and the ferry from Piraeus takes seven hours. It is never overrun by tourists.

Many of the visitors are Greeks who live and work in the capital but come back to visit their families for the seasonal holidays, in particular Easter, when there are celebrations island-wide. Family ties remain strong. There are also foreign tourists, many from Northern Europe, who know very well why they have chosen this island. These tourists tend to come back.

In terms of architecture, most houses are typically Cycladic, meaning little round-roofed whitewashed buildings with blue windows and doors. I have been inside several of these homes. If you visit, you will surely be invited in as well to see the handicrafts, especially the embroidery handed down for generations. Be assured that ‘traditional’ definitely does not mean primitive: these homes have all the conveniences you could want. Relatives working in Athens see to that. In addition, thanks to the planning, most homes have wonderful views looking out over the sea.

In spite of its small size, Amorgos has abundant vestiges of past civilizations, starting with Cretan-Minoan, Cycladic, Archaic, Classical Greek, Roman, Byzantine and Venetian.

Christianity was established on the island in the fourth century and the Orthodox faith remains strong. There are 365 churches, monasteries and chapels on the island. During Sunday mass they spring to life with big congregations. There are many Saints Days in the Orthodox calendar and they provide regular occasions for family gatherings. People watch their children dancing, and enjoy a glass or a meal together in a local tavern.

The jewel in the crown is the monastery of Panagia Hozoviotissa (Saint Mary). It was founded in 1088 by the Byzantine Emperor Alexios Komninos. It stands on the site where in the eighth century, the revered icon of Saint Mary appeared under mysterious circumstances. It has attracted pilgrims for centuries and is the main attraction for today's worshippers. To approach it, you have to climb 300 steep steps. The monastery has a small and interesting museum and treats its visitors with local infusions –a mixture of several herbs, honey and raki.

Amorgos is a center of the contemporary ‘Green Living’ movement. Apart from its share of olive trees, the island is famous for its herbs, both medicinal and culinary. You can visit artisans who will explain the functioning of their distillery for essential oils extracted from the herbs. Local women will demonstrate how they make facial and body creams from what is at hand and apply scents from the herbal essences.

Throughout its six thousand year history, the island has maintained ties with neighboring Crete and with such distant places as Egypt, Macedonia, and Attica on the Greek mainland. This is confirmed by archeological finds. The best items are in the Athens archeological museum. But some pieces are on display in the Archeological Museum of the capital, Chora, which has also been made very visitor-friendly thanks to EU grants.

There are ongoing archeological digs on the island and you can visit some sites. The local team of archeologists headed by a university professor is proud of the defense tower they have been restoring in the vicinity of Chora. The tower dates from the Hellenistic Age, shortly after the reign of Alexander the Great in the fourth century B.C. and was the central building of a large farm. I was fascinated to see that the household possessed a storage cellar, where they kept amphoras with grain, wine and olive oil, in short everything you needed to survive.

Besides bathing in the sea in summer, hiking is the year-round attraction of visitors. A network of trails crisscrosses the island, passing through the hills and well removed from any auto traffic. They are part of the ‘Europe 2000’ scheme to promote green tourism.

It is a privilege to walk along these trails. A hike is enriching for the soul, since you take in so much natural beauty. No ride in a taxi or a bus can compare. The trails twist and circle, and with each turn new vistas open up. In the spring you will find fields of rosemary, sage, thyme, oregano and nettle, which emit wonderful fragrances. Inevitably, you come back with a bunch of herbs.

When you hike, you are sure to encounter flocks of goats. There are 35,000 of them on the island. Islanders also keep descendants of the pack animals of yore - horses, mules, donkeys – as well as the usual assortment of cats and other household pets.

In spring and early summer, the wild flowers are wonderful to see. There are blossoms of innumerable shapes and colors. Many reach to the waist of a grown man. Fields of vermilion poppies grow side by side with daisies, tulips or wild hyacinths. Fruit trees, flowering bushes and the planted flowerbeds enrich the palette of local colors even more.

The island is self-supporting, producing most of what is needed to get along: its own meat, fruit and vegetables, oil, honey, olives and cheeses as well as an abundance of local fish.

Though Amorgos is mostly about nature, it does pay to visit the capital, which is inland and dates from the 11th century. That is when the locals, tired of fending off pirate raids, moved to higher ground in the interior. Chora is mostly a labyrinth of narrow streets with traditional low, whitewashed houses, a few small museums and traces of the long-time Venetian presence on the island.

Amorgos has established its tourist niche in sustainable tourism, meaning, tourism that respects nature and local traditions. For the last seven years, the islanders have organized the International Annual Convention, YPERIA during which sustainable tourism and green living are discussed. The next convention, which is open to the public, takes place in April during the Easter period. This is possibly the most agreeable time for a visit if your passion is partaking of authentic folk traditions and hiking in unspoiled surroundings.

Thank you to the following photographers for letting us use their work in this article:  

Art Siegel, Francis Luisier, and Henrik Berger Jørgensen