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Patmos
Patmos in the Dodecanese islands is famous for the monasteries of St John and the Apocalypse and on this page you can also read about flights and ferries.
St John the Divine arrived on Patmos in A.D. 95 and it was here that he had the vision described in The Book of Revelations, which he dictated to a disciple to write. The vision took place in the Holy Cave of the Apocalypse, which can be visited inside the church of Agia Anna, founded in 1090, two years after the founding of the Monastery of St John.
It is the presence of the monastery and the holy cave that has kept Patmos a place of holy significance, one of the most important in the Greek Orthodox Church. As a result the island, while welcoming tourists, has not seen the worst excesses of modern tourism that has blighted places elsewhere.
Mountain and Beach
Patmos is a beautiful island, and has excellent beaches around the coast, with a scattering of hill villages and some mountain scenery that attracts keen walkers.
The highest point, at the southern end of the island, is Mt Prasino, which is 775m (2543ft) above sea level. It plunges down quite steeply to the Aegean Sea below. To its west is the best beach on Patmos, at Psili Ammos, a fine stretch of sand backed by dunes and with a backdrop of the mountain beyond.
Patmos Town
Patmos Town is divided into two parts. Down below is the harbour, or Skala, with an attractive waterfront that is much smarter than many such places. It is a steep but spectacular walk up to the high part of town, the Chora, which has lots of lovely old mansions as well as about forty churches, chapels and monasteries.
Our Pick of Greek Islands Guides
The Monastery of St John is the most famous of these. It was built in 1088 with fortified walls to resist attack by pirates. It is still a working monastery and only parts of it are open to visitors. The Monastery of the Apocalypse is partway between Skala and Chora, and here there are frescoes and icons to be seen as well as the Holy Cave and the fissure in the rock from where God’s voice is said to have made itself heard to St John.
Getting to Patmos
Flights to Patmos
Patmos does not have its own airport. The best option is to fly to Samos or to Kos, which both have ferry connections to Patmos.
Ferries to Patmos
There are ferries to Patmos from Piraeus and from several islands including Agathonisi, Kalymnos, Kos, Leros, Lipsi, Mykonos, Naxos, Paros, Rhodes, Samos, Symi and Syros. The journey time for the daily ferry from Piraeus is anything from 7-10 hours, depending which ferry you catch.
Ferries in Greece
Ferries in Greece has an excellent and very thorough website where, in addition to checking ferry schedules and times, you can also book tickets and get lots of useful information about travelling by ferry in Greece.
Here's a good YouTube video about Patmos
More Information
Visit the official website for Patmos.
And read this enjoyable story about A Day on Patmos.
Don't miss our review of The Summer of My Greek Taverna, a wonderful read that's set on the island of Patmos.
Other Dodecanese pages
Astypalaia in the Dodecanese Islands of Greece
Astypalaia in the Dodecanese islands of Greece is a largely unspoilt island with good beaches.
Dodecanese
Travel and vacation information about the Dodecanese islands of Rhodes, Symi, Kos, Patmos, Halki, Tilos, Karpathos, Leros, Lipsi, Astipalea.
Kos in the Dodecanese Islands of Greece
Kos in the Dodecanese islands of Greece has good beaches and night-life, and archaeological remains.
Best Time to Visit Kos
Greece Travel Secrets picks the best time to visit Kos, with a monthly summary of the weather, plus hotel prices and special events to help plan a visit.
Tilos in the Dodecanese Islands of Greece
Tilos is a small island in the Dodecanese between Rhodes and Kos with regular ferry connections, hotels, rooms to rent, beaches, tavernas and ancient remains.
Our Feast Day on Astipalia
Greece Travel Secrets helps celebrate a feast day on Astipalia in the Dodecanese Islands of Greece, for the Assumption of the Virgin Mary into Heaven.
Nisyros
Nisyros is a unique volcanic island in the Dodecanese and easily reached on day trips from Kos Town and Kardamena.
Lipsi
Travel information on Lipsi in the Dodecanese group of Greek islands, including flight and ferry information from Greece Travel Secrets.
Leros in the Dodecanese Islands of Greece
Leros is a sizeable island in the Dodecanese with flights from Athens, ferries from Rhodes and Piraeus, good beaches, restaurants and hotels.
Kastellorizo
Travel information on Kastellorizo in the Dodecanese group of Greek islands, including flight and ferry information from Greece Travel Secrets.
Kasos
Travel information on Kasos in the Dodecanese group of Greek islands, including flight and ferry information from Greece Travel Secrets.
Karpathos in the Dodecanese Islands of Greece
Karpathos in the Dodecanese islands of Greece is noted for its traditions, its music, and mountain villages like Olympos.
Kalymnos in the Dodecanese Islands of Greece
Kalymnos in Greece in the Dodecanese islands is most famous for its history of sponge fishing, and see here information about flights and ferries.
Halki
Travel information on Halki in the Dodecanese group of Greek islands, including flight and ferry information from Greece Travel Secrets.
Arki
Arki is a small island in the Dodecanese close to Lipsi, with beaches and tavernas with rooms to rent and ferry connections with Patmos, Samos and Marathi.
Agathonisi in the Dodecanese islands of Greece
Agathonisi is a small island in the Dodecanese with quiet beaches, a few hotels, pensions and rooms to rent.
Wild Abandon
Wild Abandon by Jennifer Barclay and published by Bradt Guides is A Journey to Deserted Places of the Dodecanese islands in Greece, including Rhodes and Kos.
Mermaid Singing: Kalymnos Travel Writing
Mermaid Singing by Charmian Clift is a fine example of 1950s travel writing about the Greek island of Kalymnos in the Dodecanese.
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