Grikos: Beach Holiday on Patmos

Those who are equating Greece with beach holidays might find themselves a little bit lost on Patmos, as the island is not geared towards such form of tourism at all. There are some beautiful coves with stunning sceneries for those who are looking for a nice spot in the shade and a bit of a swim in the Aegean, but in general beaches on Patmos are slightly on the lacking side. If you are attracted to rocky landscapes and scenic hidden coves, however, Patmos might be the right place for you.

Just a short drive outside of Skala, Grikos is a little settlement with a beautiful bay and a mini stretch of sandy beach. On a nice day, it is possible to walk all the way from Skala to Grikos; the scenic path alongside the winding road offers great views of the harbour of Skala and the Aegean Sea, plus the islets further ashore. Hence lots of photo opportunities for those who are travelling with their multiple cameras. The walk takes about 40 minutes to an hour, depending on your speed and the time you spend taking photos along the way.

Chora, Patmos: Peace and Serenity

The hilltop village of Chora on Patmos is a charming village with labyrinth-like narrow alleys, photogenic white houses, and an expansive view of the harbour of Skala and surrounding coves. Althouh Chora is the administrative centre of Patmos and home to Patmos' No.1 tourist attraction, few visitors actually stay overnight in the village. As soon as the Monastery is closed, the whole village became deserted and the narrow winding streets found themselves in a state of strange quietness.

When the sun is shining and the sky is blue, Chora is a pretty place to be. The village has some nice little squares dotted with family-run taverns that serve unpretentious local cuisines and light snacks. It is worth spending an hour or two strolling through the little streets of Chora, perhaps sit down at one of the modern little cafes and sample the sights and sound of this holistic little village.

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.

Evdilos: Isolated Fishing Village on the 'Red Island'

Ikaria is different from most of the Greek islands I have visited. It is not reliant on tourism at all. In fact, tourists are such a rarity on this island that locals would cast an extra look or two when one appears in the town square of Evdilos, the island's second port.

The island of Ikaria also has an unusual social composition. Once the place where Greek communists were exiled by the Junta government following their defeat in the bloody Greek civil war, the islanders of Ikaria came under the intellectual influence of communist exiles and struck up a close friendship with communism. Even now, the communists could still obtain about 30% of the votes in Ikaria when their national average is less than 3%. Hence Ikaria is known as the 'Red Island' in Greece.

Kokkari: Picturesque Little Village on Samos

Kokkari is my favourite village on the Greek island of Samos. I came across this little village by sheer coincidence. When I visited Samos for the first time a few years ago,the one-day island tour which I participated in stopped at Kokkari for half an hour on the way back from Karlovasi to Samos Town. I spent this half an hour walking around the pretty little harbour of Kokkari, now a haven of beachfront small bars, taverns, restaurants and shops. For some reason, I was impressed by that blissful blend of noise and colours on that hot, sunny June afternoon, and this impression of Kokkari has left its imprint in my mind ever since.

In terms of popularity, Kokkari is a rather 'posh' place amongst the resorts on Samos. There are no high rise package holidays hotels or grand resorts here. Most of the accommodations available are either small, family-run hotels or self-catering apartments. Prices are not cheap in Kokkari, but this seaside village has a unique, intimate atmosphere which makes it all the more special.