The 7 things to do in Patmos

Are you going to visit the Greek islands of the Aegean? Here is our presentation of the must-sees to visit Patmos!

Located in the middle of the Aegean Sea, Patmos Island is an island Greece in the Dodecanese archipelago. With only 3,044 inhabitants (2001) out of 34,5 km2, the island is worldwide known to be the place where the Apostle Saint Jean , exiled on the island by Emperor Domitian, would have received visions and would have written the Revelation therein, otherwise called the Book of Revelation of Jesus Christ. The island was indeed a place of deportation under the Roman Empire.

By virtue of this historical fact, Patmos is a place of pilgrimage and cultural tourism. The medieval village of Patmos (Chora), built in 1138, is thus characterized by the religious fact: the inhabitants settle around the enclosure wall of the monastery of Saint-Jean-le-Théologien, built half a century earlier. The village is listed on the UNESCO World Heritage List. Patmos lives mainly from tourism and suffers from difficulties in water supply and waste recycling.

What to do in Patmos? The city, perched on cliffs and volcanic soil, lined with buildings of a bright white radiating in the deep blue of the Aegean Sea will not fail to seduce you. Here are the essential things to do by visiting Patmos!

1. Skala

Skala is the city where the main port of Patmos is located, where you will probably land to visit Patmos. In Greek, "skala" means "stage" or "scale". It is the port of call of cruise ships that regularly, make stops for a few hours to allow their hordes of passengers to visit the monastery of Saint-Jean-le-Théologien.

We imagine the traffic jams in the small streets and the affluence in the middle of the summer, and all this commercial flow of a mass tourism, still living on the island, although a bit of the beauty of the site... In the village of Skala, there are old churches that are not frequented – Agia Paraskevi of Cavos, a church of 17 ème century, for example -, old alleys with typical small clusters where it makes good to stroll. Visit Skala also allows you to see the ruins of an ancient acropolis, the monastery Zoodochos Pigi or the church Panagia Koumana. The city centre is surrounded by small cafes and restaurants, next to hotels where to stay.

2. Chora

Chora is the capital of Patmos, built around the famous monastery of Saint-Jean-le-Théologien. The typical Greek houses built in lime, between the blue of the sky, windows and that of the sea, deserve a look. Some date from the 15th century and deserve the detour. It must be said that the alleys of the village were designed narrow to block the invasion of pirates and Turks, adding a historic charm to the site.

3. The three windmills of Chora

Located at the top of Chora hill, on a UNESCO World Heritage site and a historic site of pilgrimage, 2 of the mills date from 1588 and the third of 1663. From the 1950s, when the flour production was stopped, they were gradually abandoned.

Attrised to see them disappear, the Geneva private banker Charles Pictet decided to buy one to restore it. The operation is more complicated than expected, as the mills belong to the monastery. The project however sees the day and it is not one, but the three mills of the estate that are renovated, the monastery of Patmos remains master of work.

Today, it is a real must in Patmos, not to be missed under any pretext. It offers a splendid view, and an incomparable serenity moment!

4. The monastery of Saint-Jean-le-Théologien

What to do in Patmos, otherwise visit its main attraction? Sitting over the city of Chora, the monastery built in the 11th century by Ossios Chrisodoulos is the emblematic religious building of the island, the one for which many tourists go especially from all over Europe. Its Byzantine architecture has left walls, towers and ramparts as imposing as thick. The interior consists of small chapels, a museum and a huge library containing more than 2,000 books, 13,000 historical documents and 900 manuscripts.

5. The Cave of Revelation

Visiting the cave of Revelation is another must in Patmos. Half-distance between the mountain of the monastery of Saint John and the village of Skala, it is there, in this cave, that Saint John would have written the Book of Revelation. There are mosaics representing the visions of the Apostle. The site was listed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 2006.

6. The beaches of Patmos

The coastline of the island is enamelled with a dozen beautiful beaches with crystal clear waters and surrounded by a sometimes lush vegetation, which it is necessary to do inevitably by coming to visit Patmos, if you like to swim: the beach of Agriolivado, the beach Kambos, the beach Meloi, the beach Vagia, the beach Lambi, the beach Psili Amadi, the beach Livia The beach Psili Ammos is sometimes described as one of the most beautiful beaches of the island: a cove opening on a fine sandy beach, limestone garrigue dunes, crystal clear waters and green/Turkish color and shaded with tamaris: to access it, a 15-minute walk through a desert landscape from Skala.

7. A boat ride

After enjoying the beaches of Patmos, are you looking for a last adventure? Don’t hesitate and opt for the boat ride! Indeed, renting a boat in Patmos , you offer a day between relaxation, fierce and discoveries with your loved ones.

Especially, you can enjoy beautiful corners where you bathe in peace, away from the tourist hustle. And if you don’t have the boat permit, you can always offer the services of a skipper, who will present you the most beautiful corners of the island.

How do I get to Patmos?

The easiest way to get to Patmos Island is to fly to Athens. To find cheap flights to Athens, you can search our partner's website Ulysses . Then you have to take the ferry from the Piraeus, the port of Athens (8 hours of crossing). Or from the other islands of the Dodecanese, catamarans and hydrogliders connect the following islands to Patmos: the "Patmos Star" to Léros and Lipsi, the boat to Katapola, Kalymnos, Karpathos, Mykonos, Nisyros, Paros, Rhodes, Symi, Syros, Tilos , Agathonisi, Agios Kirikos, Arki, Fournoi, Pythagorio, Samos, Tinos Vathi.

Once on site, you are advised to rent a car to visit the island. You can find a cheap car hire on the comparator Rentalcars .

Where to stay in Patmos?

To rent a room where to stay in Patmos, there are many options for accommodation: staying in Patmos will be relatively expensive, but there are many hotels in Skala, Chora, Grikos and Kampos. You can find a cheap hotel in Patmos by searching for this Compare hotels . To help you choose where to stay on the island, visit our article « In which town house in Patmos? "!