Patmos is a small island in the northern Dodecanese, indented and hilly. According to Christian tradition the apostle John, exiled here by the Romans at the end of the 1st century, had the visions recorded in the Book of Revelation. Hence the island's nickname, "the Jerusalem of the Aegean", and its draw for Orthodox and Catholic pilgrims.
What to see
| Place | Why |
|---|---|
| Monastery of St John the Theologian | Founded in 1088 by the monk Christodoulos, with battlemented walls, frescoes, a library of manuscripts and a rich treasury |
| Cave of the Apocalypse | Halfway between Skala and Chora, where by tradition John dictated Revelation |
| Chora | White lanes and captains' mansions around the monastery, with a wide view over the islands |
| Skala | The port, where ferries and yachts arrive |
Beaches are quiet: sandy Psili Ammos, reached on foot or by boat, Lambi with its coloured pebbles, Agriolivado and Kambos. Orthodox Easter on Patmos is among the most moving in Greece, with the foot-washing ceremony on Holy Thursday.
Getting there
There is no airport: ferries from Piraeus take 7-9 hours; there are links with Rhodes, Kos, Leros and Samos. The nearest airports are on Leros and Samos.
See also Leros and Easter in Greece.