Patmos: the Holy Island

Patmos is a beautiful Aegean island off the coast of Turkey. Although by all means worth a visit in its own right, nowadays the island of Patmos is primarily famous throughout the world because of one of its former residents - St. John the Apostle (St. John the Theologian), who was banished to the island in 95 A.D. from Ephesus and supposedly wrote the last book of the New Testament, the Book of Revelation, in a cave somewhere up the hill of this small rocky Aegean island. Because of this, Patmos is now home to an impressive hilltop monastery and a popular place of holy pilgrimage to Christians. Even secular tourists are drawn in hordes to Patmos in order to visit the holy grotto and the beautiful religious relics and art treasures housed in the museum of the Monastery of St. John the Theologian.

In the summer, Patmos is also a scheduled stop for cruise ships doing the runs in the eastern Mediterranean. Although the island is relatively small, there are several nice coves and beaches, and for those who are in search of some peace and tranquility, Patmos is a good place to relax in the sun for a few days.

The island's main port is located in the town of Skala, about 3km down the hills from Chora, the hilltop village with white-washed houses and pretty little lanes. Skala is also the place where most hotels, shops, restaurants and travel agencies are situated. The town has a long seafront, with rows of trademark white-washed  Greek  village houses facing the bay and the long inlet leading out to the scenic harbour.

It was the first week of FIFA World Cup 2010 when I was on Patmos, and the roadside cafes in the centre of Skala were doing a brisk business. Large flat screen TV sets were put up, while virtually the whole town came to a standstill when football matches were shown live on the TV, especially when Greece were playing.

In the evening, when the scorching heat of the day had receded, locals and tourists alike emerged from their homes and hotels. The little square in the centre of Skala, where most of the town's cafes and restaurants are located, is the place where people go watch live football matches, socialise and have a drink or two in the town.

Following the introduction of euro and the price hikes in the aftermath of Greece's financial meltdown, prices have doubled in Greece, and Patmos is no exception. While a cup of decent latte costs between 1-2 euros in Italy and Spain, in Greece it's mostly between 2.50 - 3.50 euros. The same goes for food and drink and hotel accommodation. The financial crisis since 2008 has hit Greece hard, with many small retailers going bust and little tavernas folding up. Those who have managed to stay open choose to up their prices in the bid to stay alive. Although still cheap compared to the UK or northern Europe, eating out in Greece has become quite expensive when compared to countries such as Spain, Germany or Italy. A simple pasta would cost between 5-7 euros, while grilled porkchop or chicken with a small portion of side salad and some French fries would cost almost 8-10 euro. For this price, one could eat quite well at some local restaurants in Germany.

Skala has a small beach, just a short walk away from the port where ferries to and from Athens and Samos dock. The island is connected by ferries and catamaran to the rest of the Dodecanses Islands (Kos, Rhodes, Kalymnos, Leros, Lipsi etc.), to Samos, and to Athens via the Cyclades (Syros). 

Near the ferry dock there are several hotels and guesthouses offering light lunch, snacks and drinks on the beach. One could go for a swim in the sea, or sit and watch the ferries and boats come and go.

The small strecth of sandy beach about 300m outside of Skala's town centre is popular with locals. In the summer, the beach is full of holidaymakers who first have their lunch on the beach before heading for a quick swim in the sea.

Due to the island's status as a place of holy pilgrimage, Patmos is the only island in the Dodecanses on which I come across large groups of East Asian tourists, largely Koreans, on an organized package tour. Not even on Rhodes have I seen so many East Asian tourists walking around in the town. It seems most of the East Asian visitors to Patmos are Koreans because of the widespread practice of Evangelical Christianity in Korea, as a result of which many come to Patmos as part of their holy pilgrimage tour.

The best time to visit Patmos is early spring and autumn. The island could become quite windy in the winter months and the waters around Patmos could become very rough. For an island which is known throughout the world, Patmos is certainly not as commercialised as Rhodes or Santorini, and the absence of mass tourism enables the island to retain that small-town charm so unique to the lesser known Greek islands.

Copyrights@2010. All photos and text by YC Cheng. All Rights Reserved.