General Information & Reviews

Reviews

• ferra77 11 Oct 2011
  Rare calmness in the air

  Patmos is an island so strongly related to religion, you can actually feel it in every air breathe in Chora. But that is only in Chora with the big monastery impressively above your head. Everywhere else there is summer: sparkling beaches, few trees for shade, strong sun and inviting beach chairs. Patmos has a rare calmness in the air.
  
  I spend a delightful week in Skala, an area that gets pretty crowded due to the many cruise ships that dock there over the last years. The first thing to do in Patmos is to visit the famous monastery of Agios Ioannis. The view is just amazing since the monastery was built at the top of a mountain and is surrounded by strong Medieval fortress walls.
  
  The island is really small so it won't be hard to travel anywhere around. The island also distinguishes for the pristine beaches where a swim in the crystalline waters can be almost therapeutic. There are no clubs on the island, although it would be a nice idea to lie on the beach with a drink and good food. Only few cafeterias in Skala that stay till midnight and even fewer in Chora.
  
• favel67 22 Jan 2011
  Holy Greek Island

  Patmos has a unique energy. As far as I've seen, it is not a big island but it is well known for its religious history. So, whether you are interested in religion or not, a thing you must see once you visit Patmos is the Monastery of Saint John. It is made like a fortress and inside the monastery, you can visit the Byzantine church, see the treasury and the museum. We visited the Cave of Apocalypse where Saint John had his vision. It is located between Chora and Skala. The Cave is surrounded by a monastery, which stands out with its white colour. The Cave is at the lowest level of the monastery so we had to go down many steps in order to reach the Cave. We were not allowed to take photographs of the Cave. Apart from visiting these holy places, you will not find many things to do there. You can make daytrips to the islands of Arki and Marathi or it might be a good idea as well to rent a car and explore the island. The beaches of Patmos are all great. We went to Agriolivado, Skala beach and there is this sandy beach called Grikos that looks like a lake. Still, there is a nudist beach and I guess several small bays where you can be alone. The island has plenty of bars, cafeterias and restaurants where you can enjoy good food in combination with the relaxing atmosphere. In Patmos you can also buy handmade things and souvenirs for your people, many gift shops at the port.
  
• kathy 14 Oct 2010
  What to do in a day

  A small island, famous for the cave where John the Evangelist wrote the Book of Revelation, or the Apocalypse. The cave is small, decorated with hanging lamps and some icons similar to the ones at the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem, but on a much smaller scale due to space and the fact that the Greek Orthodox Church is not vying with other churches over religiosity.
  
  We didn't have long there, but it was enough to sit and reflect for a few minutes. It's very peaceful, and John had a lovely view! However, it is up a hill and down a lot of steps, and I didn't notice any disabled access, so if you do have a mobility problem, you need to check that out first. You can spend as long as you like there, unless you're with a tour and have to get back to a coach, as I did.
  
  The monastery was also well worth the visit, but again, up and down even more steps, so check accessibility if necessary. The icons and vestments are very interesting.
  
  The town square is small and friendly with shops selling nice things, and a couple of restaurants. One sells ice-cream, including some unusual flavours- the yoghurt, and cookies & cream flavours, are yummy!
  
  There is a small beach to the left of the harbour facing the sea, where you can sit on the sand and relax - no sunbeds though. The water is surprisingly deep for the Aegean, and pleasantly cool, good for a nice swim.
  
• N_Smiljkovic 02 Jan 2010
  Unique appeal to pilgrims

  Patmos has a unique appeal. It is known as the centre of pilgrimage for Orthodox Christians and many of my friends considered it as a spiritual island. The beautiful landscape instantly entices the senses. There is a fine harmony between beauty and spirituality on Patmos. We stayed at a small hotel in the port. The houses have traditional Aegean style and small gardens around with so many flowers. I love how the Greeks take care of their gardens!!
  
  As we roamed about the narrow alleys, we came across plenty of interesting gift shops and spots with gorgeous views in Chora. The locals are very friendly and greeted us with a smile everytime we asked for help. They don't speak English well but it seems that so many years of tourism have worked for their affluence.
  
  We visited the Monastery of Saint John and liked the entire structure with the white and grey walls. A little far away from there, we stopped to see the Cave of the Revelation, where people say that Saint John inspired by God wrote the Book of Revelation.
  
  The beaches of Patmos were warm and clean. The beach of Skala is the busiest and I would also recommend you Grikos beach for more calm. Food is great everywhere.
  
• zl 21 Nov 2009
  Wear descent clothes in churches

  From my visit, I got that Patmos is a symbol of faith for the Greeks. Most foreigners don't even know that Apostle John wrote the Book of Revelation there and think of Patmosas a quiet island to relax. Indeed, this is it!
  
  This is a lovely island with small beaches and nice people, although it has not many things to see except for monasteries. The Monastery and the Cave of Revelation are worth visiting. Wear descent clothes or else you will not be allowed to get in. Usually at the entrance of the monastery, the monks leave some clothes to put on (skirts for the women or a skarf to cover their feet), but I tell you this to be prepared. This happens also with other monasteries in Greece, like Meteora.
  
  Anyway, everything went great in Patmos and we have no complain. The hotel was excellent, the people firendly and a tavern wonder bought us wine once. The best tavern was in Lambi, a small tavern on a rock in the sea (!) and it was really a bargain.
  
• rosaff24 03 Sep 2009
  Build a small airport

  Nature in Patmos is very nice. This is the top on the island. Beaches could be better organized, like have showers, toilets and changing cabins. Rent a scooter for 2 days to visit the whole island (34 sq km) at your own pace and stop wherever you like, the views are wonderful. The monastery and the city of Chora are really beautiful, people on Patmosare very nice, everything is peaceful and authentic. The meals are cheap and delicious, especially the fish at Grigoris Grill in Skala. Service could be improved, some waiters seem to be really slow. I would recommend to stay for 3 or 4 days and then hop to another island. Book the best hotel you can get. Maybe the Balcon apartments is a good choice, although we didn't have room there. A small airport would also help a lot because ferry trip from Athens is very long and you waste valuable time in ferries, when you can actually spend a little more money on air tickets and be more comfortable. Also improve connections to other close islands, especially in summer. We wanted to go to Ikaria but there was no ferry and the islands are very close.
  
• marco24 26 Jul 2009
  Reduce police patrols

  Villages on Patmos are small but have great panoramic view. A lot of beautiful monasteries, you have to see them all. After all, this is the main attraction on Patmos. Great Lambi beach with coloured stones and a nice, cheap tavern by the beach. No nightlife in my opinion, only some lovely cafeterias on the beach to Skala. Have daily cruises to neighbouring islands: Leros and Lipsi were nice for a day. Do not terrify the people by having every half hour watch the whole island. It is not nice to be out drinking a drink to the bar for 1 hour and see 4 times the police car in front of you passing a way. It is not necessary to wear the crash helmet for a few meters riding motorbike!! All people, tourists or native citizens, were wearing the crash helmets everywhere. Yes, I agree for the safety but do not be the safety such a big exaggeration! That thing was annoying. All people were afraid of the police!
  
• luca29 09 Jun 2009
  Not for party certainly

  We went to Patmos by catamaran from Rhodes, which passed a lot of other islands en route. Patmos is beautiful, with a perfect combination of beachlife, cultural/ historical sights, dramatic scenery and friendly villages. I wouldn't come here to party, but for relaxation, a spot of gentle pottering about and some sightseeing it is perfect. Get a car/moped/ bike though. The bus connections between the beauty spots and villages are infrequent and you'd miss a lot if you didn't explore the roads. Patmos has plenty of little tavernas serving delicious, fresh and simple greek food with very friendly service. Particularly recommend those around Grikos bay for intimacy and atmosphere and a lovely bar on Scala port called, I think, the Art Cafe.
  
• niamh 02 May 2009
  Part of our honeymoon

  My new husband and I travelled to Patmos last summer as part of our Greek Island honeymoon! We arrived by boat from Leros and were given a very warm welcome by our hosts in The Blue Bay hotel. Anna and her lovely family made us very welcome and helped enhance our stay on the islands. We spent our four days sightseeing and relaxing. Our first day involved a fairly steep walk up the old Byzantine path to the Monastery of St. John. That was well worth the visit and the views were great from the top. We ate in some lovely restaurants in Skala, including Pandelis Taverna and Hiljomodi Ouzeri.
  
  We hired a car and visited many of the lovely beaches of Patmos. We were a little disappointed that there wasn't a better bus service on the island, but we kind of expected that, as it is difficult to move around in most Greek islands (I wonder why the locals don't ask for this, it will be good not for tourism only but for themselves too to have more acurate buses). From beaches, we went to Kambos, Agriolivado and Psili Ammos. We ate the most delicious meal at Psistaria Leonidas near Lampi Beach. It was really fantastic and prices were among the cheapest in Greece (25 euros for two people and we couldn't eat a potato more)!!
• afrogr 03 Apr 2008
  Visit Patmos for sure

  We went to Patmos by boat from Piraeus and it took us too many hours to arrive. However, we found a nice island worth the fatigue. All beaches were very nice and the good thing is that they were never very crowded. The monastery and the cave of Agios Ioannis were very interesting, not only for the Greeks or the Orthodox people but also for foreigners. The restaurants were nice, especially in Skala, but a bit more expensive than I was expecting. If you go to Patmos, swim in Kambos or Agriolivado, they are both amazing beaches.
• paul.labbett 12 Dec 2007
  Patmos is a special island

  Patmos is a special island and its attarctions and style are unique. I have been going there for several years, but this year for the first time I felt that it was becoming slightly spoiled by tourism, which even seemed to make the Patmians in the shops ruder. I wish they could keep development and tourism to a sensible level and not spoil the
  charm of the island. There are some very good places to eat if you know where to look, but the more expensive restaurants on the whole do not offer good value for the extra money. I recommend that you visit one of the old Sea Captains' houses, which has now been made into an interesting time capsule folk museum of bygone Hora life. It's called the House of Simantiris and was built in 1625 and is near Plateia Xanthou.
• Livia 17 Oct 2007
  Patmos is not your typical tourist destination

  Patmos is a very special place. It is mystical. It's historical and religious past are present in everything on the island. The village of Chora is very special because of the cave of the Apocalypse and the monastery of St. John. The layout of the town is unique as it was built around the monastery. Skala, the port of Patmos, is very quaint. Since my last visit it has been getting larger cruise ships in for the day, so if you know when they come in, you can avoid the crowds and go to a different part of the island. I think the authorities should make sure the tourist influx does not ruin the flavor of the island an keep the cruise ships to only a few days a week. I was in Patmos once before 8 years ago and had a wonderful experience. I stayed at the Patmos Paradise then too and looked up the Hotel for any changes since my last visit. Now they have A/C!!! All the beaches were great and different one from the other. In Kampos there is one of the nicest beaches, as well as "Georges" taverna. There are many local tavernas with good typical Greek food as well a few high-end restaurants with an international flair. One of my favorite tavernas was on Lambi beach. Patmos is not your typical tourist destination. It is a special place and should be regarded as such.
• M_Borghello 07 May 2007
  Patmos a good suggestion

  After flying to Greece from Italy, I took the boat to Patmos. Some friends suggested it was a very nice island with nice beaches and some nightlife, but without the noise and excess of other islands with drunk people everywhere. And indeed, that's how it was! What impressed me most was that the people I met on the island were at least 30 years old or more -there were no kids! The island was beautiful, with nice landscapes. I didn’t like much the beaches, but they were ok for swimming and sunbathing. I went to the main town and I also visited some villages, which I liked very much. As for the food, there were many good restaurants serving Greek and international cuisine, especially in the town, and at very reasonable prices. I’d give it an 8/10.
• Marco_B 03 May 2007
  Reasonably priced and lots of fun

  After flying to Greece from Italy, I took the boat to Patmos. Some friends suggested it was a very nice island with nice beaches and some nightlife, but without the noise and excess of other islands with drunk people everywhere. And indeed, that's how it was! What impressed me most about Patmos was that the people I met on the island were at least 30 years old or more, there were no kids! Patmos was beautiful, with nice landscape. I didn't like much the beaches, but they were ok for swimming and sunbathing. I went to the main town and I also visited some villages, which I liked very much. As for the food, there were many good restaurants serving Greek and international cuisine, especially in the town, and at very reasonable prices. I’d give it an 8/10.
• jrmi 09 Mar 2006
  A holy island!

  Nationality: German
  
  Age: 50
  
  
  
  The trip: We went to Patmos by flight to Patmos. The flight was fine but then we had a delay of 3 hours for the ferry to Patmos.
  
  Reasons for going to Patmos: The island was recommended by friends. I saw some pictures on the web and it looked really nice. We always wanted to go somewhere in Greece and decided to go there.
  
  Idea before arriving: Not much except from my friend experiences and opinions and some pictures on the web. I was waiting for a typical Greek Island like those that you can see in the documentaries.
  
  Expectations and opinions: It met our expactations and much better. It is a marvelous island with many things to do. It spent the best holidays of my life there. It is a small paradise with great weather, villages, beaches, food, etc, etc... And a very safe place... You can live your bags on the beach for hours or you key on your motorbike for hours and nobody will touch it. What a great feeling.
  
  Favorite thing about Patmos: the friendly people (that are not interested only to your money), the light (for photography), the atmosphere, the landscapes, the clear water, the fact that it is an island with heavy history and a holy island. Don't forget that the Book of Revelation was written here.
  
  Negative opinion: The uncompleted houses everywhere are really ugly and it is a shame for such a lovely island. I had been told that it is a greek habit. You continue to built the house step by step, when there are some money on the bank account. There is only one bus and it is not enough. There are nearly every day ferrys or hydrofoils that have a delay or are cancelled.
  
  Recommendations: Don't go there in July and August. There are too many tourists for such a small island. The weather is better in June and September. Try to come for more that a week because you need one day to go and return.
  
  
  
  I will definitely get back there again!
• warrhol 09 Oct 2005
  Peaceful and relax

  Nationality: American
  
  Age: 50
  
  
  
  The trip: By air from Italy to Kos then from Kos by Dodecanese Express. The trip was good and relaxing.
  
  Reasons for going to Patmos: My husband planned the trip.
  
  Idea before arriving: I didn't have any expectations.
  
  Expectations and opinions: It more than met my expectations. It was one of the most enchanting places I have ever seen. It is really charming, the people are calm and make you feel peaceful and relaxed.
  
  Favorite thing about Patmos: The beaches and the calmness of the people. The quiet sounds of nature.
  
  Negative opinion: Nothing negative about the island.
  
  Recommendations: Be respectful of the natural beauty of the island.
  
  
  
  I hope to go there again!
  
  
• melinda 26 Sep 2005
  Great destination!

  I had heard some very good words about Patmos in Greece so I decided to take my daughter and go to see by myself.
  
  We took the boat from the port of Piraeus, in Athens, and arrived in the small island of the Dodecanese. I loved it at once. The small port was adorable and had a charming settlement built around it. We found a room in the capital of the island, the lovely village called Hora or Patmos town. It is built around an imposing monastery called the Monastery of Saint John and is full of prestigious mansions, whitewashed houses, flowered yards, snow white chapels, small shops and cafes and narrow alleys. A real delight.
  
  My little girl was thrilled by the food and by the crystalline waters and I enjoyed being caressed by the rays of the Mediterranean sun on the numerous, great beaches of the island (available only on the eastern coast, the west coast being rocky, windy and hard to reach).
  
  I think that I made a very good choice for our holiday?s destination and I recommend it to everyone.