Patmos Greece | tourist holiday travel guide to Patmos

Skala

SKALA, the industrious main port of Patmos, greets the visitor with a utilitarian air that belies the rest of the island's beauty. It sits at the end of a deep inlet that can take the biggest cruise liners (and often does) as well as ferries and the usual fishing boats.
Visitors by ferry are met by a large swathe of concrete and locals at the harbour gate offering accommodation. Opposite the harbour entrance is the main square, covered in cafe tables, where caged birds twitter away beneath the parasols.
Beyond the square are narrow streets that fan out in all directions, full of small shops aimed at catching any passing tourist trade, especially the cruise ship passengers that often spend a few hours ashore before sailing on. The shopping area is supposed to the traffic free, but shoppers must dodge the odd moped or car as locals treat traffic laws with normal Greek contempt.
Further inland shops and cafes give way to a maze of dull concrete block houses spreading up the hill. They look pretty from afar but close too are little more than whitewashed concrete blocks. There are a couple of beaches to the north of the port area but they are scruffy affairs backed by busy roads. Far better beaches are near enough to make it worth giving the town beaches a miss.

Chora

The CHORA with its fortified monastery of St John sits above Skala and dominates the whole island. Taxis run from the Skala quayside and there is a daily bus service.
Chora itself is a maze of twisting medieval alleyways circling the monastery - strangely spooky because of the absence of colour. Everywhere is whitewashed, doors are grey or black and there are few flowers. No vehicles are allowed here so the alleys are particularly narrow and not a little claustrophobic. As they all look the same and are laid out in a chaotic way it is easy to get lost.
But there are terrific views of the island to be had up there and a row of tavernas beneath the monastery walls offer great views over the island. There is the monastery to visit (see below) and there are a few shops selling religious artefacts.
Halfway up the steep hill to Chora is the Cave of Apocalypse (see Highlights) where St John is believed to have written the Book of Revelation. Visitors can enter the cave where he lived.

Meloi

MELOI or MELOY is the first decent beach out of Skala port and it's only around 1.5km from the port, so it's a fairly easy walk or a very short taxi ride to get there. To reach it you take a right turn at the end of the port where the main road turns uphill when heading north out of Skala.
Meloi is an attractive beach of sharp sand that curves around a small bay backed by a low stone wall and a distinctive line of tamarisk trees that offer good shade in the afternoon.
The water is shallow at first but does drop quite steeply a couple of metres from the shore. Though fairly narrow, the beach long enough to provide space at the northern end for those who prefer to get away from the crowds, not that it gets particularly crowded anyway.
Most visitors congregate at the southern end, near the car park, where there is a small jetty with a few boats usually tied up and, nestling among an attractive stand of trees behind the beach, are a couple of inviting tavernas.
The island's only camping site is nearby and there is a small minimarket for the basics. Several small apartments and rooms for rent can be found along the road leading to the beach and there is plenty of car parking in front of the tavernas. This is an ideal spot for those that prefer to be near a beach, with a shortish walk into Skala for an evening out.

Agriolivadi

AGRIOLIVADI is signposted right off the main road north out of Skala just past the petrol station. The brach road twists and turns as it falls down the hill to a large flat area that serves as a car park.
The beach lies just below the car park and it is one of the best on the island, with shallow waters and fine sand that sweep right around a large open bay. There is a long sliver of good sand that turns to stone in the south where there is a small concrete quay under the trees.
The beach is a little exposed, with a narrow line of insubstantial tamarisks at the back of the sands offering only a little natural shade.
There are outstanding views to offshore islet of Agia Thekla, planted picturesquely in the bay, and there are a couple of splendid beach tavernas that offer plenty of shade and good refreshments under trees and vines that lie at the back of the beach.
Unfortunately the taverna owners have opted for big and ugly white plastic sunbeds that are crammed side by side along the best parts of the beach and manage to mar what could otherwise be an idyllic setting. Yet more of the ugly frames are piled high all along the stone wall that backs the sands in readiness for any extra trade.

Kato Kambos

KATO KAMPOS, also called KAMBOS or KABOS, is one of the most popular beaches on Patmos. It is a large, deep beach of sharp white sand and a few pebbles. It's set in a deep bay, as are most of the beaches on this jigsaw shaped island and the shallow, warm waters make it ideal for families.
The beach extends east east and west of a large car park at the western end, just off the main road. Stands of tamarisk crop up all along the beach providing natural shade and there are a couple of shady tavernas and a cafe.
Most visitors opt for the more sheltered western end of the beach where the sunbeds sit in steady ranks and bright pedaloes line the shore. Kampos is popular with wind surfers and that has resulted in a large and monstrously ugly big tent being plonked in the middle of the beach to house surfboards and sunbeds. The eastern end is far quieter and has a small jetty for boats to tie to.
The road behind the beach leads up the hill to the village of EPANO KAMBOS, the third largest on the island, with a central square dominated by the church of the Evangelismos and a pleasant taverna, set in the shade of a large lane tree. There is a religious festival here on March 25 and again on August 14 with plenty of feasting, music and dancing in the streets.

Livadi Geranos

Beyond Kambos beach the road split north and east. The east road snakes along the lacelike coastline of the Yeranos peninsula where there are several beautiful south-facing beach coves, rarely visited as they are generally without facilities, but ideal for those searching out peaceful locations.
First is VAGNIS or VAGIAS, a 10min walk over the headland from Kambos, and a clean sweep of white pebble and stone backed by shady tamarisk trees. It's an idyllic spot with views across the bay to Agia Thekla island to the west and Agios Georgios to the east. A beach cantina opens in the summer.
Next is LINGINOS, a flat stretch of stone, rather exposed and with no shade but superb views and finally, at the end of the peninsula is LIVADI GERANOS or GERANOU itself where there are a couple of sheltered sand and pebble beaches with clumps of tamarisk providing plenty of natural shade and above them the dazzling white chapel of Panagia Yeranos. A small taverna opens on the road up the hill in the summer and caiques from Skala pull in daily during the summer season.
The meadows behind the beach are noted for the profusion of orchids that flower in spring.
The southwest facing beach has views to the islets of Agios Georgios and Kentronissi while that facing southeast has the deeper shade. For those that enjoy walking the coastal route from Kampos to Yeranos take about 40min on foot.

Lampi

Off the coastal road to Yeranos a track leads north over the hill before turning east and following the northern shore of the Yeranos peninsula to the north facing pebble beach at LAMPI or LAMBI.
The bay lies just 2km over north of Kampos and the long pebble beach has long been noted for its distinctive, strongly marked pebbles. As they make ideal souvenirs, the biggest and best have long since been plundered to grace the homes of tourists.
The name Lambi is Greek for 'shining' and that's just what the wet pebbles do when washed by the sea but, like all unpolished pebbles, they turn dull and dusty when they dry out. There are enough left to ensure pleasurable finds for those ready to pick their way along the shore but you do the place far more good by throwing them back in the sea while you are there than throwing them away once you get home.
A taverna sits beneath a clutch of tamarisks, splitting the long, narrow beach in two. North winds make for choppier seas and the pebbles, though smooth, drop steeply into the water so it's not great beach for children, but makes for excellent snorkelling.

Avdelas

The area to the west of Lampi is known as LIVADI KALOGIRON and a dirt road snakes through the hills above a wide and fertile plain that is planted out with vegetables. The landscape is strikingly beautiful here with cyprus and pine hedging the small fields on the edge of the sea. Below the chapel at Panagia Livadiou is a small beach of sand and shingle with a beach cantina in the summer season.
The dirt track leads inland than back to the sea again at the small beach at AVDELAS below the chapel to Agios Nikolaos. Caquies often pull in here on round island trips. Though very peaceful there are no facilities or shade on the exposed beach of sand and stone.
On the promontory is the 11th century chapel to Agios Avdelas, thought to be one of the oldest on Patmos. This area was once home to the many craftsmen that were shipped in to build the monastery of St John.

Levkes

South of Avdelas on the west coast of Patmos is a small bay at LEVKES. It is most easily reached down a narrow paved track off the Skala to Kambos road. The track narrows sharply after 1km and it is best to leave the car and walk. Few will bother though as the beach, though in an attractive setting, is mostly made up of great gobs of unattractive dried seaweed. There are some ramshackle wooden quays at the southern end , full of old boats and rotting hulls. The beach, such as it is, is also very exposed with no shade or facilities.

Grikos

The road south out of Skala follows the coast for 2km or so, passing the small and attractive bay at Saspilon before snaking its way over the headland for another 3km to the picturesque fishing port at GRIKOS or GROIKOS.
This hugely attractive village has a harbour at the eastern end, with tavernas and rooms lining the pleasant quayside and a long sandy beach at the western end,backed by a thick line of shady tamarisk trees. Offshore, almost blocking the approach to the bay, is the large uninhabited islet of Tragonissi.
The harbour area has plenty of rooms and hotels as well as several tavernas. The quayside has also recently been improved with attractive paving and lighting. The harbour is usually crammed with yachts and fishing boats as it is one of the most sheltered on the island.
The beach is also one of the longest on Patmos and very sandy near the harbour, changing to sharp sand and pebble as you head east. To the far end of the bay is the huge rock of Kalikatsou, also known as Petra (Greek for 'stone').

Petra

This massive 10m high rock sits at the head of a barren mudflat at the southern end of Grikos bay. PETRA is also known by locals as Kallikatsou - Greek for the jackdaws that used to nest in it. It is a huge rock with an interesting shape and with many local myths linked to it, partly because it has been a refuge for many hermits down the centuries. Hermits have left their marks too with a set of carved steps, holes for burning candles and even a rock carved cistern for holding water.
The rock can be climbed quite easily but there are no safety features and visitors regularly slip and fall. Below it, Petra beach stretches out the the south with sun beds and a small beach cantina in the summer. The beach is sharp sand and stone and dips rather steeply into the sea.
The south end of the beach is called PLAKI and is popular with nudists but there is only a single small tree for natural shade. South of Plaki are a clutch of small coves and beaches that are worth exploring though they are all rock and pebble and several require a steep scramble to reach them.

Diakoftu

Just south of Petra is the narrowest point of the island where beaches east and west are only 200m apart. To the west is a pleasant sand beach called STAVROS while twin beaches of DIAKOFTU and ALYKES are found on the east. Stavros has a small line of trees for shade but the others are very exposed. Alyki is Greek for salt and there are a couple of small slat pans here .

Psili Ammos

Considered one of the best beaches on Patmos, PSILI AMMOS is also one of the most difficult to get to. It's accessible by boat (and many head there from Skala) or a relatively arduous 25 min scramble across a series of steep crags and deep gullies.
The beach is a swathe of golden sand and notable for the large shady trees that grow on the beach, offering plenty of good natural shade. The far western end is popular with nudists and at the other a small beach cantina opens in the summer when the owner gets there by boat.
The northwest facing beach is rather exposed to winds and heavy swells can develop, not to say small sandstorms on the beach, so it's worth checking local weather reports before setting out. High winds and heavy seas can sometimes prevent a boat pick-up and visitors are forced to climb home over the rocks.

The Cave of the Apocalypse

John, the disciple of Jesus Christ, was exiled to Patmos in 95AD from Ephesus, where he had founded a church, by the Roman emperor Domitian. On Patmos, John lived in a cave, now the most important sanctuary on the island, and called the Cave of the Apocalypse or the Sacred Grotto.
According to tradition it was here that John dictated the Book of Revelation to his disciple Prochoros, now the last book of the Bible. John had: 'The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave unto him, to show his servants things which must shortly come to pass . . .' as the book begins. The work is rather surreal in nature, difficult to understand and open to many interpretations.
The entrance to the cave is about halfway along the road from Skala to the monastery above and is now surrounded by monastic buildings. Steps lead down past several side chapels and at the cave entrance is the meaty inscription: 'As dreadful as this place is it is nevertheless the house of God and this the Gate of Heaven'
The chapel of Agia Anna has been built over the front of the cave which is on your right as you enter. The cave is quite large but low, so you can easily touch the ceiling. There is the triple cleft in the rock through which John is said to have heard the voice of God and there are several niches that John himself is said to have carved.
In 96AD Domitian was assassinated, his persecution of Christians ended and John was allowed by the new emperor Nerva to return to Ephesus.

Monastery of St John the Divine

The monastery of the evangelist St John the Divine sits on top of a prominent cliff bluff and can be seen from virtually everywhere on the island. The monastery's high grey walls are fringed the white cube houses of Chora. It looks more fortress than monastery and that was part of its purpose, to keep monks and villagers safe from attacks by marauding pirates.
That is also the reason why, despite its large size, it has only two doors in its 15m high walls. There is even a balcony from which molten lead could be poured down an any attackers trying to storm the main gate.
Building began in 1088 under the direction of the monk Hosios Christodoulos. The interior is a multi-levelled complex with interior courtyards, colonnades and narrow corridors.
Inside, the visitor first enters the cobbled courtyard lined with four chapels. To the north the monk's cells are constructed around the main nave or catholikon, in the Byzantine style and an astonishing temple constructed in 1820 by 12 craftsmen and containing the abbot's chair and many beautiful icons. Indeed many of the monastery's icons are beyond price, as indeed are many of the treasures inside, especially the sacristy, built by the bishop Nikiforos of Laodicia with a large icon of the revelation, dating from 1625, and an 11th century icon of Agios Nikolaos, as well as jewels, gold and silverware donated by rich Patmians.
The historic library is considered today one of the most important religious libraries in Greece, if not the whole Christian world, with 900 rare manuscripts from the 15th and 16th centuries, more than 20,000 rare books and around 13,000 other manuscripts and codes