Patmos

And here we are on the Patmos island, an extraordinary destination! It is located in the Dodecanese Archipelago to the north east under the island of Icaria and close to Lipsi island and the small but wonderful Fourni island.

Its fame is due to the fact that it was here that Saint John the Evangelist lived and wrote the Apocalypse, the last book in the New Testament. A mystical place of great religious importance that attracts millions of pilgrims from all parts of the world. It is also called “The Jerusalem of the Aegean” as it is a symbol of Christianity.

Patmos is a still wild island where nature manages to take its course undisturbed despite the myriad of visitors it receives all year round, where everything flows without looking at the hands of the clock and where everything has a mystical flavor, with a heavy imprint religious and mysterious.

It extends for 35 square kilometres, small we can say and is made up entirely of roads that climb up through gentle slopes and then down towards the coast which offers wild and original beaches where you can spend whole days benefiting from the effects of the sea. Of volcanic origin, it is arid and bare, with three rocky blocks joined together by narrow channels. Towards the south you can find small plains where vegetables and fruit are grown. The common ruler of Patmos always remains the Aegean which surrounds it like a tender embrace giving fairytale coasts.

According to Greek mythology Patmos was hidden beneath the Aegean and was only visible when Selene the Moon Goddess shone overhead. Artemis Goddess of hunting and forests, when he saw her I fell 'madly in love' with her and wanted to have her just for myself. She asked Zeus and the Gods of Olympus to let her reemerge from the sea, a fantasy that was accepted and thanks to the Goddess today even we mere mortals can enjoy such wonder.

History of Patmos

It has been inhabited since ancient times, dating back to the 4th and 3rd centuries BC, as can be seen from the remains of the black stone walls that can be seen on the hill of Kastro alla Chora above the port. It was colonized by the Dorians and the Ionians and then passed under the Romans and was used as a place of exile for politicians and a place of residence for notables. In the 1st century BC it was a fortress in Miletus, a coastal city in Asia Minor (consider that Patmos is very close to Turkey like the whole of the Dodecanese) which had the purpose of defending access to the port. In 1088 Alexios Comnenus, Byzantine emperor, ceded the island to the monk Cristodoulou who founded the Monastery of San Giovanni. From the 13th century onwards, it enjoyed the protection of the Serenissima which settled in 1207 and for Patmos it was a prosperous period where cultural and decorative activities took hold, greatly embellishing the Monastery, making it the splendor that can still be admired today. In 1912 it became Italian and then returned to Greece like the entire Dodecanese after the Second World War.

You choose to come for a holiday in Patmos for its disarming tranquility, here there are no crazy parties or wild parties, yes there are places where you can catch the sunrise but everything has a sophisticated and soft flavour, for its raw natural beauty made up of inlets sometimes difficult to reach but which offer glimpses that will leave you speechless, for the mystique that will invade you as soon as you get off the ferry, an energy that is difficult to explain in words but which will enter your body and mind without even realizing it, for the good food , there are many restaurants rather than typical taverns where you can taste the delights of Greek and local cuisine and finally for its beaches, beautiful, intact and waiting to be discovered.

Don't miss the Cave of the Apocalypse, an experience that could even mark you deeply. It is located just below the capital Chora of Patmos and is still perfectly preserved. One of the primordial temples of the Christian religion where Saint John lived and following the voice of God wrote the famous text. Forty steps at a depth of four meters must be climbed to reach a large room with an iconostasis in the center and on the right the point where the Saint sat and rested his head, while above you can see the split into three parts representing the Holy Trinity where the divine voice spoke. Creepy, believe it!

Hora or Chora is the capital of the island and is located four kilometers from Skala where you arrive by sea. With its Byzantine flavour, it is recognized by UNESCO as a historic city. A real labyrinth of stone houses or painted in blinding white where it will not be difficult to get lost, with an almost terrifying silence especially in the evening where you can expect the specter of a knight or a monk at any moment, only to find yourself again in tiny squares packed with people and still turn the corner and find nothingness again. It is surrounded by the Medieval Fortress with imposing walls and the majestic Monastery of San Giovanni from 1088, built according to legend on top of a temple dedicated to the Goddess Artemis which houses a historic library with manuscripts of inestimable value.

Skala, the port of Patmos, a charming town with a succession of narrow streets where you can find delightful goldsmith shops and the perfect souvenir, as well as many typical taverns where you can sit and fill your belly with local specialities, and then end the evening in one of the little bars on the seafront and sip an exotic cocktail before going to bed and starting a new day of adventures.

So let's move to the Kampos area divided into two parts, the upper area with a lovely little church and two cafes (there are actually two in number), and the lower area where there is the beach that occupies the entire bay where the locals love to gather Sunday for a day at the beach. Behind it are taverns with tables under the trees and where you can forget your slippers and have lunch or dinner with your feet in the sand.

Towards the south you arrive at Grikos, once a simple village which in recent years has been experiencing exponential growth with luxurious hotels and old houses renovated in a modern style. A mostly free coastline with providential tamarisk trees where you can lay out your towel and fall asleep to the sound of the sea waves.

Patmos is an island waiting to be discovered that will make you fall in love with its simplicity, which you will miss and will no longer be able to help but return to.

​