Patmos Island
And here we are on the Patmos island an extraordinary destination! It is located in the Dodecanese archipelago to the north east under the Icaria island and close to the Lipsi island and the small but wonderful Fourni Island.
Its fame is due to the fact that it was here that St. 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 over the world. It is also called "The Jerusalem of the Aegean" as a symbol of Christianity.
Patmos is still a wild island where nature manages to take its course undisturbed despite the myriad of visitors it receives throughout the year, where everything flows without looking at the hands of the clock and where everything has a mystical flavour, with a heavy imprint religious and mysterious.
It extends for 35 square kilometers small we can say and is made up entirely of roads that climb through gentle slopes and then descend 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, there are three rocky blocks joined together by narrow channels. To the south you can find small plains where vegetables and fruit are grown. The common dominator of Patmos always remains the Aegean that surrounds it like a tender embrace giving fabulous coasts.
According to Greek mythology Patmos was hidden under the Aegean and was only visible when Selene the Moon Goddess shone above her. Artemis Goddess of hunting and forests, when he saw her he fell madly in love with her and wished to have her just for her. She asked Zeus and the Olympus Gods to make her re-emerge from the sea, a fantasy that was accepted and thanks to the Goddess today even us mere mortals can enjoy so much wonder.
History of Patmos
It was inhabited since ancient times, we speak of the 4th and 3rd century BC as evidenced by the remains of the black stone walls that can be seen on the height of the 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 of Miletus coastal city of 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 Alessio Comneno Byzantine emperor gave the island to the monk Cristodoulou who founded the Monastery of San Giovanni. From the thirteenth century onwards, it enjoyed the protection of the Serenissima who 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 whole of the Dodecanese after the Second World War.
You choose to come for a holiday in Patmos for its disarming tranquility, here no crazy parties or wild parties, yes there are places where to pull the dawn but everything has a sophisticated and soft flavor, for its raw natural beauty made up of inlets sometimes difficult to reach but offering 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 that will enter your body and mind without even realizing it, for the good food , there are many restaurants rather than the typical taverns where you can taste the delights of Greek and territorial cuisine and finally for its beaches, beautiful, intact and all to be discovered.
Do not miss the Apocalypse Cave, an experience that could also 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 St. John lived and following the voice of God wrote the famous text. Forty steps at a depth of four meters must be done 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 us!
Hora or Chora is the capital of the island and is located four kilometers from Skala where you land by sea. With a Byzantine flavor, it is recognized by Unesco as a historic city. A real labyrinth of stone houses or houses painted a 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, and then find yourself in tiny squares crowded with people and still turning the corner and finding nothingness again. It is surrounded by the Medieval Fortress with imposing walls and the majestic Monastery of St. John from 1088 built according to legend above a temple dedicated to the Goddess Artemis which houses a historical 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 specialties, and then finish the evening in one of the cafes 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 area of Kampos divided into two parts, the upper area with a pretty little church and two cafés (they are really two in number), and the lower area where there is the beach that occupies the whole bay where the locals love to meet Sunday for a day at the beach. Behind taverns with tables under the trees and where you can forget your slippers and have lunch or dinner with your feet in the sand.
To the south you arrive in 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 coast with providential tamarisk trees where you can spread out your towel and fall asleep with the sound of the sea waves.
Patmos an island to be discovered that will make you fall in love with its simplicity, which you will miss and you can't help but go back.