Need resources for Patmos

[Markanddonna]

We will be arriving at  Patmos on a Friday in November between 2PM-9 PM. I have looked all over for specifics on the Cave of the Apocalypse and the Monastery of St. John but have found little, especially hours. It seems they have very limited times. We were hoping to go by taxi but these sites might be closed by the time we get onto the island. I've seen photos and YouTube videos but nothing that can help me plan. This is a tender island.

 

I understand you can walk but that hill looks steep!

[cruisemom42]

I'm not sure if either place you mention has their own website, but I did find some hours listed on sites that appear to be from Patmos:

 

http://www.patmosislandgreece.com/patmosapocalypse/holymonasteryofsaintjohnthetheologianandcaveoftheapocalypseoperationhours/index.html

 

https://www.patmos-island.com/en/monasteries/info/apocalypse

 

Unfortunately they do not agree! 

 

According to one, the operation Hours (visiting hours) of the Holy Monastery of Saint John the Theologian and the Cave of the Apocalypse are:

Every Morning Daily from 08:00 to 13:30

Afternoons from 16:00 to 18:30 on every Sunday, Tuesday and Thursday.

 

And the other says:

DAILY FROM 08:00-13:00 AND 14:00-16:00 ON SUNDAYS, TUESDAYS AND THURSDAYS.

 

It's also mentioned that on days when ships call, the afternoon hours may be extended (or added, on days where normally closed).

 

There is an email listed here -- if it were me, I'd send a simply worded email asking about opening hours on your date and mentioning that you will arrived by cruise ship.  I have found most Greek cultural sites are very good about responding to queries:   http://www.patmosislandgreece.com/contact/index.html

 

[Markanddonna]

Thank you for your advice. Like you mentioned, I found the websites rather incomplete. I will write to them as you suggest. It is always risky to assume that these sites would be open when we are there, considering it is an "off day" (Friday) and also the ship arrives rather late. Some places like this are very accommodating while others have a love/hate relationship with cruise ships.

Unfortunately, NCL has zero shore excursions for this port (and several other Med. ports.) Thanks again.

Edited June 12, 2022 by Markanddonna

[pdmlynek]

To clarify on what @cruisemom42 wrote:  

(1)  When a cruise ship is in port, everything opens up.  This is true all over the world, but especially on a small island like Patmos.  If you are traveling by a cruise ship, rest assured that both the Cave and the Monastery will be open.   

 

(2) You cannot rely on posted hours on some website about what is open when.  Firstly, this is Greece -- things change all the time at the whim of the personnel behind the counter; maybe there is a football game to catch so they close early, maybe the manager has a hot date.  Secondly, hours were posted pre-Covid, then they changed to something else during Covid, then they changed post-Covid; thinking that the Greeks care enough to have the webmaster update the website all the time is naïve.  I trust Greek schedules like gas station sushi.  

[pdmlynek]

We visited Patmos on NCL Jade 2 weeks ago, from 18:00 to 23:59.  

 

You are correct: both the Cave of the Apocalypse (the Cave) and the Monastery of St. John (the Monastery) are the prime attractions on this tiny sleepy island.  We wanted to rent a car, but just could not make it work. 

 

In the end, we simply walked to the Cave, and then up to the Monastery.  It is a pleasant relatively short walk.  We watched the sunset from the Monastery, sightsaw the Chora surrounding the Monastery, and walked to the windmills at the northeastern side.  From the windmills there is a hiking path that leads down to Skala (the port).  It was about an hour up, and 40 minutes down.

 

The map that we used is the Anavasi 1:20,000 Topographic map of Patmos to find the hiking trails, but the map is really not needed if you are OK with not finding the hiking paths right away -- the Monastery is on a big hill, so you can just make a bee line to it.  About 2/3 way up you'll find the Cave complex.

[Markanddonna]

Thank you. Very savvy advice.

[A.Emgee]

On 6/26/2022 at 11:31 AM, pdmlynek said:

We visited Patmos on NCL Jade 2 weeks ago, from 18:00 to 23:59.  

 

You are correct: both the Cave of the Apocalypse (the Cave) and the Monastery of St. John (the Monastery) are the prime attractions on this tiny sleepy island.  We wanted to rent a car, but just could not make it work. 

 

In the end, we simply walked to the Cave, and then up to the Monastery.  It is a pleasant relatively short walk.  We watched the sunset from the Monastery, sightsaw the Chora surrounding the Monastery, and walked to the windmills at the northeastern side.  From the windmills there is a hiking path that leads down to Skala (the port).  It was about an hour up, and 40 minutes down.

 

The map that we used is the Anavasi 1:20,000 Topographic map of Patmos to find the hiking trails, but the map is really not needed if you are OK with not finding the hiking paths right away -- the Monastery is on a big hill, so you can just make a bee line to it.  About 2/3 way up you'll find the Cave complex.

Pdmlynek, I greatly appreciate your post about your experience with the evening stop in Patmos.  Most of the information available online is about daytime arrivals, so your advice is invaluable.

 

Did you consider taking the public bus from Skala up to Chora and then walking down? 

 

On the way down, after sunset/during dusk, was it challenging to take the trail/path? (I'm assuming it's not that well lit.)  Thanks again.

Edited July 17, 2023 by A.Emgee