Here' s where I'd like to be right now...

What you see in the picture is the fantastic sea of ​​Patmos.
It was the year 2016 and I was on this fascinating and wild Greek island, honeymooning with my wife.

This is just one of the many beaches on the island.

They are spectacular. Isolated, difficult to reach, hidden and silent.

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Yes...because Patmos is an island that almost doesn't want to be found.

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It doesn't have an airport, and, for those who want to get there, it's necessary to travel by plane to Athens, move to the Port of Piraeus and wait for the ship that leads to the Aegean and the Dodecanese islands to leave in the evening. These ships often arrive at night on the island and are not frequent at all (two or three a week in high season). In short, you have to seize the moment and at least one full day of travel is to be taken into account.

Another possibility is to fly to Kos and then travel by ferry, but flights are much less frequent (at least, I have not been able to find a direct one from Naples airport) and also more expensive.

Indeed, this search for isolation is by no means casual.

_{A small monastery near the sea}

Unlike many other Greek islands, which attract tourists of all ages with promises of unbridled fun, there is something different here.

The history of the island is very ancient and even speaks of Holy Scriptures.

Indeed Patmos is the Island of the Apocalypse.

It's here that St. John the Apostle wrote the last book of the Bible. While he was exiled to Patmos and prayed kneeling in a cave, the rock broke, creating three cracks and God revealed himself to him, dictating to him the book of Revelation or Apocalypse. Thus, that became the cave of the Apocalypse.

I was lucky enough to see it and I must say that, even for those who are not religious, it is truly a chills place.

You can't take pictures and I haven't found one that was copyright free, but if you search in Google, you find it.
It's a place of pilgrimage and prayer, it's a corner of the world that makes you feel that in some way it is special.

I don't know if it's a psychological conditioning, but the feeling I had, entering there, was that of being in a different place from the others.

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_{The path leading to the Cave of the Apocalypse}

In any case, the hieratic force of this legend has continued over the centuries and Patmos has been completely immersed in it. Let's try to understand more.

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CHORA

Here is Chora, the upper part of the island.

It's a medieval village made up of hundreds of houses, all painted in white, separated only by narrow tunnels, which act as corolla and protection to the Monastery of St. John. Inside these houses, priceless riches are kept. And even the properties have an astronomical value, there are apartments that are worth between 2 and 5 million euros!

Chora is a spooky place. When walking on the hill, the wind blows not too strongly, but it emits a high pitched hiss. A deafening silence reigns and one gets lost easily, between one and the other alley there seems to be no difference.

_{View of the island from Chora}

The monastery is also very characteristic. Founded by Cristodulo, a Byzantine monk, it has 15 meters high walls, which served as a defense against pirate attacks. In addition, the monks had a balcony at the only two doors, from which they threw boiling oil to prevent invaders from entering.

_{Source Wikimedia Commons}

It is a complex of extraordinary beauty, in which ancient relics are preserved. Among cloisters, cells, frescoes and sacred vestments, you get lost. In the library, then, even precious codes and manuscripts would be kept, including passages from the Gospel according to Matthew. Until 1800, manuscripts with Plato's dialogues were also kept, then stolen and transferred to the United Kingdom.

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But, as I said before, Patmos also has many beaches.

And in some of these, we were alone (in August). At most 6 or 7 people in all, no more.
Just have a scooter and friends who know them. Sometimes I didn't understand where we were going, I only saw rock, fields and sand in front of me. Then suddenly, behind a curve, the immensity of the sea opened. Off with the scooter up to three meters from the shore and then ... just relax!
Pratically, Heaven!

The sea is spectacular, but very cold and with a bottom that is anything but sandy. The best thing is that on the island, the temperature is always cool, even in the height of summer. There is never a need for an umbrella, the olive trees offer a freshness that has reconciled many wonderful sleeps.

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PSILI AMMOS

The most famous and popular bay is Psili Ammos, a sandy and remote beach that can only be reached by sea.

Alternatively, you can get there by climbing a mountain.
Yes, you got it right! Climbing on the rocks for half an hour abundant, up to climb over and pass on the other side of this promontory that hides the sea.

We did it and the journey, although very tiring, was wonderful! The moment when we saw the beach in the distance as a real oasis of salvation is truly memorable.

The sea is fantastic and the sand is very fine. On the beach there are huge trees, which create a lot of shade and make the place very characteristic. It feels like sitting in a park, but then you actually look up and find yourself in front of a breathtaking sea.

There is also a restaurant where you can eat very well and at moderate prices.
Small curiosity: since there is no possibility of arriving by any means by land, the owners of the restaurant transport what they need, using some donkeys, which they keep parked in the space in front of the inn.

They are also very nice and willingly give themselves for a few shots...

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THE BLUE BAY HOTEL

I also wanted to briefly tell you about the hotel where we stayed, the Blue Bay.