Patmos

The quietest island of the Aegean: a white town around a fortress monastery, the cave where St John wrote Revelation, and the discreet villas of old European families.

The Dodecanese
World Heritage
By yacht or ferry

Chora and the Monastery of St John, PatmosPhotograph: Pexels

Kalós orísate

The island of the Apocalypse

Patmos is a small island in the Dodecanese where, by tradition, St John wrote the Book of Revelation in a cave on the hillside in the first century. In 1088 the monk Christodoulos founded the fortified Monastery of St John above it, and the monastery, the cave and the town of Chora are World Heritage.

Chora is a white town of mansions built by the island’s merchants and captains from the sixteenth century, gathered tightly around the monastery walls. Many are now private homes, restored by families from across Europe who have summered here quietly for decades.

There are no nightclubs and no high-rise hotels. Life is the harbour at Skala, the coves of Grikos and Psili Ammos, dinner in Chora, and Easter, when the island’s processions are among the most moving in Greece. Many arrive by yacht.

A few words of Greek
English	Greek	Say it
Hello	Γεια σας	YAH-sas
Please	Παρακαλώ	pa-ra-ka-LO
Thank you	Ευχαριστώ	ef-ha-ri-STO
Good evening	Καλησπέρα	ka-li-SPE-ra
The bill, please	Τον λογαριασμό, παρακαλώ	ton lo-ghar-yaz-MO, pa-ra-ka-LO

Cruises

Patmos by sea

How the ships arrive in Patmos, and the luxury lines that call.

Ships anchor in the bay of Skala and bring guests ashore by tender, below the Monastery of St John.

The luxury lines that call here

From the lines' own 2026 and 2027 voyages. Ports change from season to season, so check the voyage before you reserve.

Luxury Cruise Lines Suites at Sea

Plan your trip

Luxury travel in Patmos and the Mediterranean: your questions answered

Plan your journey to Patmos

Where is Patmos?

In the Dodecanese in the eastern Aegean, Greece, close to the coast of Türkiye. There is no airport: Patmos is reached by yacht, by ferry from Piraeus or from the airports of Leros, Samos and Kos, or by helicopter.

What is Patmos famous for?

The Monastery of St John and the Cave of the Apocalypse, its white town of Chora, its Easter celebrations, and its discretion as a retreat for old European families.

Do you tip in Patmos?

Service is generally included in the price, but leaving 5–10% for good service is customary. Round up taxi fares, or add 5–10% for longer journeys. Luxury hotels: porters €2–5 a bag, housekeeping €5–10 a day.

What should you wear in Patmos?

Dress modestly at churches and monasteries: women cover their shoulders and knees, and men wear long trousers and sleeved tops. At the monasteries, wraps are usually provided at the entrance and men in shorts are turned away. No hard-soled shoes on yacht decks. Fine dining is smart-casual, and Athens and Mykonos can be dressier.

Beyond Patmos

More in Greece

Mykonos, Santorini, the Athens Riviera, the Peloponnese and Crete, and the Mediterranean beyond.

GreeceLuxury Greece Holidays: Mykonos & SantoriniExplore Greece The MediterraneanTwenty-two countries and Gibraltar, first class onlyExplore the Mediterranean Plan your journeyFrom your home to Patmos, with the costsOpen the trip planner

Customs and etiquette

Customs and etiquette in Patmos

How Greece does things.

Language: Greek is the official language. English is widely spoken in hotels, restaurants and anywhere that serves visitors.
Greetings: A firm handshake with eye contact on first meeting is usual. Friends typically greet with a hug or two cheek kisses. Address people as Kyrie (Mr) or Kyria (Mrs/Ms) with their surname until invited otherwise.
Dress: Dress modestly at churches and monasteries: women cover their shoulders and knees, and men wear long trousers and sleeved tops. At the monasteries, wraps are usually provided at the entrance and men in shorts are turned away. No hard-soled shoes on yacht decks. Fine dining is smart-casual, and Athens and Mykonos can be dressier.
Dining: Greeks eat late. Lunch is usually taken by about 3 pm, and dinner rarely starts before 9 pm, often 10 pm or later in summer. Reservations are essential at the top restaurants in Athens and on the islands in high season. Sharing plates is the custom.
Tipping: Service is generally included in the price, but leaving 5–10% for good service is customary. Round up taxi fares, or add 5–10% for longer journeys. Luxury hotels: porters €2–5 a bag, housekeeping €5–10 a day.
Good to know: Avoid the open-palm "stop" gesture towards someone, because in Greece it is an insult (the moutza). It is illegal to approach, photograph or film military installations, vehicles or buildings, and offenders can be arrested; take the same care in border areas.
Tourist tax: Hotels add a climate resilience fee per room per night, €15 at five-star hotels from April to October; cruise passengers landing on Santorini or Mykonos pay €20 a visit in summer.

Every list on this page is checked by hand and dated: last checked October 2026. Hotels, restaurants and events link only to their own official websites, where confirmed.

The Mediterranean Season Letter

Where to be, every season

Four letters a year, one for each season: the Mediterranean from spring to autumn, and Beyond the Mediterranean, into the Alps, in winter. The one best hotel to book, and the events worth crossing a sea for.