In Patmos there are many picturesque villages where the visitor can find great hospitality, friendliness and good services.

The geological marvel of Patmos! On the southeast part of Patmos, as you pass by the beach of Grikou, you face the source (to many) of this strange aura which springs in Patmos, inspires and will inspire artists and non artists. It is a rock (as the name of the area, Petra, says) which seems to be floating on the surface of the sea and at the same time looks so massive and impressive! It is not by chance that this rock has been chosen by many hermits as a place to live on and to benefit of its aura. Those hermits managed to turn this apparently inhospitable rock into a convenient place, carving steps on it, digging a cistern, a place to cook, to install candles and whatever could help them to soften their difficult life, leaving their prints forever on it! Petra however is linked to a myth which is not that well known! This myth says that in the monastery of St John there is a secret door to a crypt which opens on a tunnel leading, as it is said, through the entire southern part of Chora to the rock of Petra! According to this oral tradition, the tunnel was opened because the monks wanted to transfer the skull of the apostle Thomas and other relics and treasures from the monastery into a boat waiting in the protected harbour of Grikou, at the time of the frequent raids of the pirates!!! Surely, for strange and impossible this story may sound, one should never exclude anything and the next time you will climb on Kalikatsou, please notice on the side facing Tragonisi, a rock about one meter high and wide, which seems to be closing one hole, like the entrance of a cave. Notice too that between this rock and the hole, there is a vacuum which seems to be finishing nowhere!

Holy Christodoulos of Latros to whom The Byzantine emperor Alexis Comnenos the First gave the entire island by a Deed of Grant bearing the golden Seal started the construction of the monastery of Saint John The Theologian in 1088. He was called " Latrinos" because before coming to Patmos, he had founded a monastery on the Mount Latros, near Millet. But because of the Turkish advance, he asked from the emperor to be given the small deserted and arid island of Patmos. With him came and settled a few monks and laymen, originated mostly from Crete and Asia Minor. The latest, according to a clause contained in Alexis Comnenos's Grant, were obliged to come without wives and children! As soon as the construction of monastery was achieved, the necessity of cultivating the island became evident! But as the Holy man could see that it was impossible to insure permanent inhabitants without allowing the settlement of families, he decided to allow it. He however imposed on all the laymen to live far from the monastery, on the northern part of the island, where the monks were not allowed to go. The limits of the laymen's settlement started from Saint Nicholas Evdilos and reached the area of Vaghia. The workers were working and living for five days in the monastery and were going to visit their families for the rest of the week. This agreement, though, appeared to be not that convenient and during the 12th century the abbot imposed to the peasants and soldiers to live inside the monastery during summer in order to protect it from the raids of the pirates, which started at that time of the year. And thus, during the 13th century, the laymen were allowed to settle in the area around the monastery, seeking protection within its enclosure and defending it in case of danger! The monastery is reattached to the Ecumenical Patriarchate and it is a patriarchal exaggerate with as ex-arches (nuncio) the abbot who enjoys special privileges. With its huge 15 meters high impressive walls, it dominates the whole island. Above the two doors of its main entrance is the so-called "Killer", a sort of balcony from which burning oil was poured to prevent the assailants from forcing the entrance.

At the entrance of the Sacristy, there is a copy of the icon of the Revelation of 1626, which can be seen in the cave of St John. Here, from the time of Holy Christodoulos, are kept the sacred relics, placed in preciously adorned chests of St Stephen, St James the Persian, St Panteleimon and others. The Treasure or Museum contains icons of great value, among which the mosaic icon of St Nicholas from the 11th century. The vestments and ecclesiastical garments with golden embroideries, presents of rich Patmian, the silver and gold vessels of worship are unique masterpieces, among which the mitre of Patriarch Neophyte the 6th which is ornamented with precious stones and golden thread. Another very important part of the Monastery is the library. The library contains the written memory of the monastery as well as of the whole island. Among its most valuable documents is the Deed of Grant, exposed in the Treasure room, in which the emperor Alexis Comnenos gave possession of the island to the monk. It is a rich source of information concerning the monastic life and the conditions that were imposed by the various occupants (for example taxes, trade and management).

The Holy Cave is at midway between Scala and Chora and is the link between matter and spirit. As you go down the 43 steps, you pass from past to future. Past because you feel the presence of St John the Evangelist who wrote there the Book of Revelation, future because the Book of Revelation is foreseeing it. The view of the rock, the mysticism that emanates from the atmosphere of the place is forcing your respect. Holy Christodoulos restored the cave when he came to Patmos. Nowadays, the pilgrims can see the place where the Book of Revelation was written, the spot where the saint was lying down, the crack in the huge rock which fissured when the voice of god was heard ,dictating the book of Revelation to John, the hole in which he was putting his head to rest and the smaller hole in which he was putting his hand to steady himself. For the necessity of the worshipers, this southern part of the cave has been turned into a chapel.

The foundation of the Patmian School "General School of the Nation" is the most important event of the 18th century. Based in Constantinople, eminent men and learned men of the nation were forming teachers who were to be sent in different parts of the enslaved Greece in order to open schools of Greek Studies which would help to awake the desire for liberation! One of those enthusiastic and full of faith teacher was the founder of the great Patmian School, the Patmian Makarios Kalogheras. Makarios Kalogheras followed theological and philosophical studies in the patriarchal school of Constantinople. Eminent families as the Mavrocordatos family and the Ypsilanti family supported him and the bishop of Nicomedia named him as his successor. Makarios, however, loved to teach and returned to Patmos in 1713 to create the School near the Holy Grotto of the Revelation! His supporters and advisers were the professors of the nation and Emmanuel Ypsilanti who supported with means his work. There he built a few cells for his few students and himself. The fame of the school spread very quickly and students started to come not only from the nearby islands but also from Peloponnese, Athens, Bucharest, Asia Minor or Russia! This forced Emanuel Ypsilanti to build new cells. In the beginning, Makarios was alone to teach but soon his advanced students started to help him. Thus his friend and pupil Jerome the Byzantine continued his work when Makarios died in 1737. The progress of the School was very difficult on the following years. From 1902, it started to be working as an ecclesiastic school and in 1907 it had to be transferred to Samos because of economical difficulties. In Samos, it will be successful for a few years then it will have to close. Its activity will continue after the liberation of the island in 1947. Only then was it rebuilt a few meters only above its ancient location. The founder of the Patmian School, Makarios Kalogheras, was one of those honest educated men of the orthodoxy, wise and virtuous, bright example for his students who were coming to the far off Patmos from every part of the dispersed Greek Nation, in order to increase their knowledge and to spread their faith in education and in freedom to the far away and oppressed communities of the enslaved nation!

A former idyllic fishermen's village, it has nowadays nothing to envy to other touristy place as far as amenities, life and good food are concerned . It is built on a magical bay with a view of the rock of Kalikatsou (Petra). Tradition says it was a place of hermitage. Grikou is 4.5 km from Scala. There, there is much to enjoy, the beach with sun beds and parasols, but the quiet beaches around too, shaded by trees, where you can relax. You find good food in the taverns and nice water sports. Grikou is connected with all the other place of the island by bus and taxis or by ancient paths, which lead to Chora or Scala.

From Hoklaka, in Scala. On the seashore, there are benches for the dreamers. From Merika, just in the big turn of the road to Kambos, there are benches as well for your dreams.

Not to be missed either the festivities during the Orthodox Easter where you will have the opportunity to assist to the unique representation of the Lord's Supper on the Thursday of the Passion Week. On Easter day, in the Monastery, you will hear the Gospel in seven languages, including the Homeric dialect. On the Tuesday after Easter, do not miss the blessing of the icons, which are taken around in every place of Patmos.

It is the most beautiful sandy beach of the island with a good tavern waiting for you. You can take a boat from Scala, at 10.00am which will take you back at 4.00pm to Scala. You can as well go by motorbike or by car, leave it at Diakofti and follow the path for a 20 minute fantastic walk.