Patmos: an island at the end of the world
Small Greek island has a rich history and ties to the Christian tradition

With its arid mountains, rocky coves and "cobalt-blue" seas, Patmos is "magnificent". It is also among the most "serene" of the Greek islands, said John Gimlette in The Guardian, thanks in part to its extraordinary history.
According to Christian tradition, Saint John wrote the Book of Revelation here, after he was exiled to the island by the Romans in AD95, and in the 11th century, a Byzantine emperor bequeathed the island to monks. Their influence is still felt today. The main town, Chora, has dozens of chapels, but no corner-shops, no airport and little in the way of nightlife.
For many of us visitors, Patmos is the Greece we love, with its "wonky" lanes, "biddable" cats, and hiking paths wreathed in the "lingering" scent of "oleander and herbs". The cave where St John is said to have heard the voice of God now contains a temple dedicated to him. And it is not the island's only impressive holy site. Down on Petra Bay, there's a rock for hermits, "rising up like a five-storey Swiss cheese, complete with cells and cisterns and 11th-century plumbing".
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Still more majestic is the fortified Byzantine monastery that towers over Chora, commanding views of the sea in every direction, and of the Turkish coast 15 miles away. Inside, it's a "labyrinth" of tunnels and caverns, and "a repository of the Holy and the Strange", with treasures including the chains of St John, several skulls, a medieval flip-flop, and a jewelled crucifix donated by Catherine the Great.
Despite its ascetic air, Patmos is beloved of the "super rich", whose "fancy" boats gather in Skala (the island's only port) in "a great carnival of nautical bling". There are also upmarket places to stay for those without yachts (I can recommend the Onar Patmos, a sort of "four-star farmhouse" next to a beach), and if you feel like a change, it's easy to visit nearby islands.
Among these are Aspronisi, Arki, and Marathi, where fishermen with "gigantic moustaches" sit mending nets on the quayside "as if the last few centuries hadn't really happened".
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
-
Scientists want to fight malaria by poisoning mosquitoes with human blood
Under the radar Drugging the bugs
By Devika Rao, The Week US Published
-
Crossword: March 31, 2025
The Week's daily crossword
By The Week Staff Published
-
Sudoku medium: March 31, 2025
The Week's daily medium sudoku puzzle
By The Week Staff Published
-
Following the Tea Horse Road in China
The Week Recommends This network of roads and trails served as vital trading routes
By The Week UK Published
-
Roast lamb shoulder with ginger and fresh turmeric recipe
The Week Recommends Succulent and tender and falls off the bone with ease
By The Week UK Published
-
Adolescence and the toxic online world: what's the solution?
Talking Point The hit Netflix show is a window into the manosphere, red pills and incels
By The Week Staff Published
-
Snow White: Disney's 'earnest effort to meet an impossible brief'
Talking Point Live-action remake of Disney classic is not the disaster it could have been – but where's the personality?
By The Week UK Published
-
Don McCullin picks his favourite books
The Week Recommends The photojournalist shares works by Daniel Defoe, Lesley Blanch and Roland Philipps
By The Week UK Published
-
6 breathtaking homes in capital cities
Feature Featuring a glass conservatory in Atlanta and a loft library in Boston
By The Week US Published
-
Playhouse Creatures: 'dream-like' play is 'lively, funny and sharp-witted'
Anna Chancellor offers a 'glinting performance' alongside a 'strong' supporting cast
By The Week UK Published
-
The CIA Book Club: 'entertaining and vivid' book explores a huge Cold War secret
The Week Recommends 'Gripping' narrative explores a covert smuggling operation across the Iron Curtain
By The Week UK Published