The northernmost island of the Dodecanese is an important place of Christian devotion: St John the Apostle wrote the Apocalypse here, and an 11C monastery dedicated to him vies with Mount Athos as the centre of Orthodox Christianity. Around it lies the island’s capital Hora, architecturally one of the best towns in the Aegean. Patmos has bright landscapes, rugged coastline and many beaches suitable for water sports.