This location is #43 on our Best Travel Destinations In Greece & Greek Islands Map!
The Holy Cave of the Apocalypse, located on the Greek island of Patmos, is a sacred grotto situated approximately halfway up a mountain, about 1.5 miles from the port of Skala and 0.5 miles from the Monastery of Saint John the Theologian in Chora. The cave itself is relatively small, measuring roughly 20 feet long, 10 feet wide, and 6 feet high, carved into volcanic rock. It lies along a winding road at an elevation of about 820 feet above sea level, offering a serene yet mystical atmosphere with views of the Aegean Sea. The cave’s compact interior includes a low rock ceiling with a distinctive triple fissure, symbolizing the Holy Trinity, and a natural rock desk where St. John’s disciple, Prochorus, is said to have transcribed the visions. The surrounding monastery complex, built to protect the cave, spans a larger area of approximately 10,000 square feet, incorporating chapels and monk cells.
This sacred site is steeped in fascinating details, one being the triple fissure in the cave’s ceiling, which Christian tradition holds as a divine sign of the Holy Trinity through which St. John heard God’s voice dictating the Book of Revelation. Another striking feature is the niche in the rock, outlined in beaten silver, marking where St. John rested his head during his exile, alongside another niche where he gripped the stone to rise. The cave’s volcanic rock formation, which took centuries to cool, glistens in places due to trapped water, adding to its otherworldly ambiance. A Greek cross relief on the rock, believed by locals to be of divine origin rather than human-made, further enhances the cave’s mystique. These elements make the cave a powerful draw for pilgrims and visitors seeking a tangible connection to one of Christianity’s most profound texts.
Historically, the Cave of the Apocalypse became significant in the late 1st century when St. John, exiled by Roman Emperor Domitian around 95 AD, found refuge there during his 18-month banishment. As one of Jesus’ original Twelve Disciples, John received apocalyptic visions of the world’s end and God’s kingdom, which he dictated to Prochorus, forming the Book of Revelation, the final book of the New Testament. The cave’s spiritual importance grew over centuries, leading to the construction of a hermitage by Osios Christodoulos in the 11th century, followed by the Monastery of Saint John. Declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1999, the cave remains one of Christianity’s oldest pilgrimage sites outside the Holy Land, drawing thousands annually to reflect on its prophetic legacy.
