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Patmos

Patmos is a Greek island of 45 km, part of the Dodecanese archipelago, in the Aegean Sea. It lies between the islands of Leros and Ikaria. It has 3000 permanent inhabitants. The inhabitants of Patmos grow fruits and olives.

It is a rather rocky and arid island, with serrated coasts, whence the great number of bays and capes. Patmos is a small island with a Christian reputation. It is here that Saint John had his vision and wrote the Apocalypse. This is why Patmos is also called ‘the Jerusalem of the Aegean’. The monastery of Saint John dominates the capital, Chora.

The capital of the island, Patmos or Chora is built 3 km south-west of the port of Skala. The immaculate whitewashed houses cling to the side of the hill. The upper town has retained its traditional architecture of the 16th and 17th centuries. Manors, captain’s residences, narrow streets and narrow streets make the capital of Patmos one of the most expensive in Europe.

The Apocalypse cave in the Patmos Mountains, midway between Skala and Chora, has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1946. The Greek Parliament has proclaimed Patmos as a ‘sacred island’ In 1981.

An ancient Byzantine trail connects it to the monastery of Saint-Jean-le-Theologien de Chora.

In the courtyard of the Monastery there are 5 small churches. In the one of the Panagia, there are wall paintings of the 13th century. In Patmos there are 2 other monasteries, the monastery of Panagia Apellou and Geranou and chapels like that of Profiti Ilias, the highest point of the island (300m). The view is impressive.

According to mythology, Patmos was offered by Zeus to his daughter Artemis, goddess of hunting and young women. She was adored on the island in antiquity, and the monastery of St. John was built on her temple.

Patmos offers about twenty beaches.

The village of Grikos is located opposite the islet of Tragonissi, around a protected sandy cove. The beach at Grikos looks like a lake, as there is a small island off in front. Further, the sandy beach of Diakofti is one of the most beautiful on the island. Petra is another beautiful beach, in the Petra area.

Psili Ammos is considered the most beautiful of the island. It is accessible only on foot or in caique and is frequented by the nudists but the beach is not reserved for them.

The Kampos region in the north of the island is a fertile and green area that has retained its rural and authentic character. The beach of Kampos is also one of the best of Patmos.

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