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My Favourite Planet > English > Europe > Greece > Dodecanese > Patmos
Patmos, Greece Introduction to Patmos   page 1
 

Panoramic view over Skala, the main port of Patmos island, Greece at My Favourite Planet

Panoramic view over Skala, the main port of Patmos, and the east coast of the island.
 
Patmos – the island of the Apocalypse
 
introduction facts and figures
 
Patmos map Dodecanese map
 

The small Dodecanese island of Patmos is a place of pilgrimage for Christians who believe that The Book of Revelation, the final book of The New Testament, was written here by Saint John at the end of the 1st century AD. It is considered one of the most sacred places in Greece, along with Mount Athos and Meteora.

The main tourist attractions are the Cave of the Apocalypse, in which, according to tradition, Saint John lived during his exile on the island, and the fortress-like Monastery of Saint John the Theologian, built in 1088, with a library and treasury museum which contain ancient manuscripts, icons and holy relics.

The hilltop monastery is surrounded by the charming village of Hora, the island's capital, with its medieval, whitewashed houses, churches and narrow, cobblestone streets.

The largest settlement on the island, however, is Skala, the main port where all ferries land, and where you will find the most shops, hotels, cafes, restaurants, bars and bus connections, as well as the Orthodox Culture and Information Centre, which acts as the local tourist information office.

Other monasteries (such as Profitis Ilias) and churches are scattered around the island and surrounding islets. There are also a number of attractive villages, small farms and vineyards, numerous bays with good beaches and clean, clear water, a couple of small forests and even a wetlands area.

The island was continuously populated from Middle Bronze Age to the Roman period and appears to have been quite prosperous at various times. The main deity here in antquity was Artemis, and an inscription kept in the Monastery of Saint John describes Patmos as "the most august island of the daughter of Leto" (Artemis and Apollo were the twin children of Zeus and Leto). It is thought that her temple here may have been a place of pilgrimage for her worshippers. The monastery was built over the remains of the temple. The scant ruins of the island's ancient acropolis, known locally as Kastelli (Oros tou Kastelliou, Castle Mountain), can be seen just to the southwest of Skala.

Because of its long history as a religious centre - "the Jerusalem of the Aegean" - Patmos has acquired a quiet, conservative character, especially in contrast to other brash, noisy tourist islands. This, plus the island's remoteness (there is no airport!), small size and population, its unusual topography which affords spectacular views from many places, and the clear Aegean light, all lend the place a very special atmosphere which many ascribe to its spiritual heritage.

Patmos is shaped a like a seahorse (see map below) floating on the South Aegean Sea. The head and upper body, at the north of the island, are joined to the lower body by a narrow isthmus. The centre is also connected to the tail to the south by a thin strip of land.

From the ground the topography consists of low rounded, treeless hills, none higher than 269 metres, of hard volcanic rocks such as basalt. This means that much of the landscape is rather arid, and much of the water supply is brackish. Drinking water has to be imported by tanker ships. It is therefore surprsing that there is a wetland area around around Groikos and Petra, some woods of arbutus, pine and cypress trees and a ravine.

Somehow the farmers manage to grow cereals (wheat), fruit, vegetables, olives and grapes, and there is wine and honey production on the island.

There are currently plans to build two new desalination plants on Patmos. The total cost of this project is estimated at 857,240 euros. The government believes that this will completely solve the problem of water scarcity. Anybody who has tried to drink water desalinated by such plants may not agree. Some years ago the construction of a dam and the creation of an artificial lake in the north of island was supposed to solve the problem. Unfortunately, Since the government is also determined to increase the numbers of tourists visiting the island, it seems inevitably only a matter of time before demand once again outstrips supply.

The landscapes of the island make it a wonderful place to walk, cycle or drive around. But hikers and cyclists beware! Many of the roads and footpaths are steep, and strenuous, especially in the summer heat.

The main road, which runs roughly north-south between the main settlements, and a few smaller branch roads are paved, but little provision has been made for pedestrians: there is often no sidewalk, hard-shoulder or space to get out of the way of traffic. There are many dirt track roads and footpaths away from the main roads.
National flag of Greece at My Favourite Planet
 
Patmos
photo gallery
 
photos of Patmos island, Greece at My Favourite Planet

photos of Patmos island, Greece at My Favourite Planet

photos of Patmos island, Greece at My Favourite Planet

photos of Patmos island, Greece at My Favourite Planet

photos of Patmos island, Greece at My Favourite Planet

photos of Patmos island, Greece at My Favourite Planet

photos of Patmos island, Greece at My Favourite Planet

photos of Patmos island, Greece at My Favourite Planet

photos of Patmos island, Greece at My Favourite Planet

photos of Patmos island, Greece at My Favourite Planet

photos of Patmos island, Greece at My Favourite Planet

photos of Patmos island, Greece at My Favourite Planet
 
Patmos Facts and figures  
name: Patmos (Greek, Πάτμος)

 
country: Greece

location:

Patmos is one of the northernmost islands of the Dodecanese,
in the southeastern Aegean Sea.

It is around 250 km southeast of Athens,
35 km south of Samos,
56 km west of the coast of Turkey

periphery:

(administrative region) Southern Aegean islands
(Greek, Περιφέρεια Νοτίου Αιγαίου), which is divided into 13 regional units.

Capital: Ermoupoli, on the island of Syros.

For further information about Greece's administrative regions,
see our introduction to Greece, page 4: Facts and figures.

regional unit: Kalymnos

capital:

The main settlement of Patmos is the village of Hora (Χώρα, literally means "village"; also known as Chora, or simply Patmos), built around the fortified Monastery of Saint John, on a hill 250 metres above sea level, 4 km south the main port Skala (Σκάλα).

The two other large villages are Kambos (Κάμπος), 4 km north of Skala, and Groikos (Γροίκος), 1.5 km east of Hora. Both are on the east coast of the island.

area:

34.05 square km

Patmos is 12 km long from north to south,
and at its widest 10 km from east to west.

highest point: Profitis Ilias (Προφήτης Ηλίας, Prophet Elias),
1 km southwest of Hora, 269 metres above sea level

population: 3,047 (2011 census)

local time: Eastern European Time (EET)
Daylight Saving Schedule:
Summer (from last Sunday in March)
GMT/UTC +3 hours
Winter (from last Sunday in October)
GMT/UTC +2 hours

currency: Euro (€)

climate: Mediterranean (temperate, with wet winters and hot, dry summers)

language: Greek

post code: 855 xx

telephone code: +30 22470
Further information for Greece can be found
in our introduction to Greece pages.
Patmos Patmos Map  
Map of the Patmos island, Greece at My Favourite Planet

Map of Patmos
 
Patmos Area map  
Map of the Dodecanese and the Southern Aegean islands at My Favourite Planet

Map of the Dodecanese and the Southern Aegean

Colour key for Greek island groups (west-east)

    Argo-Saronic       Sporades       Cyclades       Northern Aegean       Dodecanese

See also our interactive map of Greece.
Maps, photos and articles: © David John,
except where otherwise specified.

Some of the information and photos in this guide to Patmos
originally appeared in 2004 on davidjohnberlin.de.

All photos and articles are copyright protected.

Images and materials by other authors
have been attributed where applicable.

Please do not use these photos or articles without permission.

If you are interested in using any of the photos for your website,
project or publication, please get in contact.

Higher resolution versions are available on request.

My Favourite Planet makes great efforts to provide comprehensive and accurate information across this website. However, we can take no responsibility for inaccuracies or changes made by providers of services mentioned on these pages.
 
 
See also
The Cheshire Cat Blog
photo essays and articles
about Greece:

Athens 1

Athens 2

Dion

Kastellorizo

Meteora

Pella

Polygyros

Thessaloniki
 
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  page 2: Practical information for Patmos >
 
 
 
 

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