My Mountain Path Through Paradise:
A Rejuvenating Hike Along the Easiest Trail on Amorgos
Amorgos is a tiny island paradise (only about 50 sq mi/125 sq km) on the Aegean Sea in Greece. It’s quiet, sandy beaches are surrounded by stunning mountain scenery. I was on the island in September 2024 for the Imagine Greece writing retreat, which included mountain hikes and sightseeing opportunities.
To put it in perspective, Amorgos has been called the Hiking Island. It has seven hiking paths graded for all levels of walking. But I'm a flatlander by nature and birth, acutely afraid of heights. For instance, I once had to hire someone to change a light fixture because I couldn’t force myself up a step ladder. Seriously. So, a mountain trail was the last place I expected to find myself. But how many times do we have the chance to really challenge ourselves in life?
Best-selling author Jonas Saul was our retreat organizer, workshop facilitator, and local guide. He led us expertly across the island, including one hike to climb some 92 long, sloping steps to the Monastery of Panagia Hozoviotissa, perched on the edge of a cliff.
We also took a long walk through the village of Chora, where we were charmed by the free-range cats, colourful buildings, and outdoor cafés as we ambled up and down the stone steps and pathways.
And then came the chance for the mountain hike at the end of the week. I’d seen photos of it on the retreat Facebook group, and I sat in the beautiful Lakki Village hotel restaurant that Friday afternoon, trying to buck up my courage. I knew it might be challenging for me, in terms of my personal fear, intolerance for heat, and lack of physical stamina, especially given that my 67-year-old knees were used to walking on a flat dirt or asphalt path, not the loose and uneven stones of a mountain one.
But I also knew it would be a final opportunity to share the experience with four new writer friends, to leave our beach once more and head for the mountain trails. So I donned my hat and lathered on the sunscreen (to the point where one of my companions said I was starting to look like the stereotype of a geisha). The retreat had already been an amazing experience, and I didn’t want it to end. (For more about that, see my article “Ode to Amorgos” at the link.)
Jonas assured us that he had chosen a section of Hike #4, which he called the “easiest hike on the island” from the village of Lagada to Tholaria and then back to our familiar beach-front hotel.
But when it was time to set off across the cobbled mountain paths, I felt my fear of heights kick in: There are no handrails in the mountains. Well, obviously. (It’s funny now, but it wasn’t at the time.)
I was momentarily tempted to get to my hands and knees and crawl along the path, until Jonas came back to walk with me. The other three writers in our group were equally encouraging (big shout-out to Stella Quinn, Logan Bahr, and Marcy Lane!)
No handrails. I was momentarily tempted to get to my hands and knees and crawl along the path…
Fear threatened to take over, and at times it was all I could do to put one foot in front of the other. But I kept my eyes down or to the right and continued walking.
I pushed myself along the path and up sets of stone stairs, ignoring the stretch in my calf muscles. The sun was less intense than previous days but more intense than I could tolerate easily. At times, I had the sensation of baking from the inside out, the heat rising in my cheeks and face, imagining the red-and-geisha-white of my sun-screened face. So I had to seek the shade and stop to drink from time to time. Lift my head to catch those moments when the wind came up unexpectedly with a breath of air, fresh and clean and cooling, wafting up from somewhere, and then receding just as quickly and unexpectedly.
And gradually, with the encouragement and help of Jonas and the other writers in our group, I was surprised to discover that every step got a little easier. I was able to lift my eyes and enjoy the scenery, the rock formations, and even the mountain goats clambering up the steep rocks beside us. The glorious Agean Sea stretched across to the other islands, Schoinousa nearby and Naxos in the far distance.
And when it was time to take a photograph on a ledge, I was able to do it, even with no railing. Looking back the way we had come, I felt energized, like I was 27 again instead of 67. It didn’t cure my fear of heights, exactly, but it has made me a lot braver about facing it.
Have you ever had an experience that challenged you but left you feeling stronger? Leave a comment and share it with us.
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Gorgeous photographs! I'm so glad you were able to overcome your fears and take that hike.
Beautiful article, Marie. Thank you for sharing.