Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
the lovely gardens, not the sea. Closed mid-Oct to April. €100
Crithoni's Paradise Krithóni T 22470 25120,
W crithonisparadisehotel.gr. Luxurious hotel, halfway
between Ayía Marína and Álinda. The low-rise complex
holds well over a hundred fair-sized a/c rooms; all have
outdoor space, those on the top floor enjoy bay views. The
vast comm on ar eas include a large pool, gym, sauna and
wi-fi zone. €140
Hotel Alinda Álinda T 22470 23266. Very friendly
family-run hotel, also known as Xenonas Mavrakis , set just
back from the middle of Álinda beach behind the good
eponymous taverna , and offering good-value well-kept a/c
rooms with fridges. €60
Vareladiko Dhýo Liskária T 22470 23726. The last
beachfront taverna you come to, at road's end east of
Álinda. The owners have playfully painted walls and the
hillside itself to make it look like it's a hotel, but all the
“rooms” are just facades. As a restaurant, with seaside
seating, it's fine, with inexpensive options like meatballs or
mussels for just €6-7. Daily lunch & dinner.
Goúrna and Dhrymónas
The best beach on Léros's west coast is Goúrna , at the head of a large bay 2km
southwest of Álinda or 3km north of Lakkí. It's the longest sandy beach on the island,
hard-packed and gently shelving, if wind-buffeted and somewhat scruffy. A road along
the southern shore of the bay ends beside a jetty at little Dhrymónas .
ACCOMMODATION AND EATING
GOÚRNA AND DHRYMÓNAS
Gourna Taverna Goúrna T 22470 25120. Friendly
taverna, with sunbed rental, slap in the middle of Goúrna
beach. Grills include chicken on a spit, wild fish and tasty
mezédhes . Summer only, daily noon-7pm.
Ouzerí Sotos Dhrymónas T 22470 24546. This quayside
restaurant is so close to the sea that they plant some tables
right in the water. Very good food at good prices, with
mezédhes at €2-4, unusual shellfish for €8-10, and fresh
fish daily courtesy of owner Sotos himself. May-Oct daily
lunch & dinner.
Psilalonia Dhrymónas T 22470 25283, W psilalonia
.com. Lovely French-owned little B&B, up on the hillside
above the far end of the bay at Dhrymónas (turn left at the
little chapel where the coast road stops). T hree nice
en-suite rooms, set in a row with fabulous views. €70
8
Pátmos
Arguably the most beautiful, certainly the best known of the smaller Dodecanese, PÁTMOS
has a distinctive, immediately palpable atmosphere. In a cave here, St John the Divine
(known in Greek as O Theológos, “The Theologian”, and author of one of the four Gospels)
set down the Book of Revelation , the final book of the New Testament. The huge fortified
monastery that honours him remains the island's dominant feature; its monks owned all of
Pátmos until the eighteenth century, and their influence remains strong.
For those visitors not motivated by religion, Pátmos's greatest strength is its beaches .
With so many attractive strands, you can usually escape the crowds even in high season,
though you may need a vehicle to do so. Day-trippers exceed overnighters, thanks in part
to the island's lack of an airport, and Pátmos feels a different place once the last excursion
boat has left after sunset. Among those staying, no single nationality predominates,
lending Pátmos a cosmopolitan feel almost unique in the Dodecanese. The steady clientele
can be very posh indeed, with assorted royal and ex-royal families among repeat visitors.
ARRIVAL AND INFORMATION
PÁTMOS
By ferry All ferries arrive in the heart of Skála. Agathonisi (4
weekly; 1hr 50min-2hr 50min); Arkí (4 weekly; 40min);
Kálymnos (2-4 daily; 1hr 35min-4hr); Kos (2-4 daily; 1hr
35min-5hr); Léros (2-4 daily; 40min-1hr 55min); Lipsi (1-3
daily; 25-50min); Pireás (4 weekly; 8hr 10min); Rhodes (1-3
daily; 4hr 45min-9hr 45min); Samos (1-2 daily; 1hr-3hr
10min); Sými (6 weekly; 4hr-8hr); Syros (2 weekly; 4hr).
Travel agencies Astoria Travel ( T 22470 31324,
W astoriatravel.com) and Apollon Travel ( T 22470 31324),
both on Skála's main waterfront street.
Tourist o ce Pátmos has no tourist office, though
W patmos-island.com and W patmosweb.gr are useful.
However, the Orthodox Culture and Information Center
facing the ferry landing (Mon, Tues, Thurs & Fri 9am-1pm &
6-9pm, Sat & Sun 6-9pm) aims to make visitors aware of
the island's religious sites, and posts current opening hours.
 
 
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