Solo in the most romantic place in Greece

MOST ROMANTIC GREEK ISLAND

After my Hydra trip, I knew that I want to go back to the Greek island as soon as possible. Dodecanese islands were on my list for the longest time ever,  I still have a dream to spend a month sailing the Aegean sea. However, this time I got a chance to visit one of the northernmost islands of the Dodecanese chain, Patmos. Western Europeans probably know that island as place where Saint John’s  vision and writing of the Bible’s Book of Revelations happened. For this reason, it is an important and ancient pilgrimage site for Christians. Honestly, I didn’t know anything about this neither about many more significant details about the island before the trip, so it was a great opportunity to discover new things which I want to share with you. (more on that to come soon)

At my previous post you learned that I was staying at Porto Scoutari Romantic Hotel & Suites. Except romantic hotel, at the island I could see couples everywhere as well as the ones preparing their weddings here. I know,  the honeymoon capital of Greece, I don’t think I could have picked a more awkward place to travel solo. “Lovers bungalow for one please?” “Couples massage half price?”   Instead of thinking how one day I should visit this place in two, I decided to change my attitude.  This was a place I was dying to visit, that I had only dreamed about on Pinterest, and I was going to enjoy myself.  At the end I had an amazing time! I know, you might wonder what I did at the island of just 34 kilometers? Besides enjoying at stunning beaches, and beautiful sceneries,  walked ancient streets and alleyways, climbed onto rooftops and dined with monks. I ate local delicacies in one of the best tavernas, shared a cold drink with a renowned artist in his home and learned how to make the famous Patmos cheese pies. I also worked on my tan, ignored my emails and reminded myself that travel is a lot more than discovering new things, it is about discovering yourself.

WHAT I DID AT PATMOS

My first day at the island started by visiting the local Christodoulou pastry shop where I learned their secret ingredient to the traditional cheese pie. It reminded me of “proja” the Serbian old recipe. As we are not cooking here on the blog, I decided to take an ice cream and my afternoon devote to exploring Chora.

Chora is the capital of Patmos and is built around the imposing Monastery of Saint John the Theologian during the 12th century.  It is located just few kilometers south of Skala, the main port of Patmos, and it bloomed between the 16th and 17th century during which astonishing mansions and residences were built from the wealthy families of that time. Many of those mansions were built according to the typical Aegean style mingle with the superb mansions, with flat roof tops to save the rainwater. In case you want to buy a house here, today this area is considered one of the most expensive areas in Europe. Many influential people from all over the world have found their peace here.

During my stay at Patmos, I also had the opportunity to meet the major,  Mr Gregory Stoikos. He told me that Patmos is not for everyone. It is a place for people who wants to experience something more, to have the sunny summer with clean landscapes combined with dry rocky hills, small valleys, blending with array of beaches, bays, ports, isolated paradises and many more… An ideal destination for unforgettable holiday!

Have you ever traveled solo in a romantic place?  Have you been to Patmos?  

 

Over the coming weeks look out for more about Patmos and why you should definitely add to your list of Greek islands to visit. I was a guest of the Municipality of  Patmos, but as always all opinions stated in this article are based on my own experience.

A new home in Patmos | Porto Scoutari

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