Like many of you, Patmos holds a coveted place in my heart. The combination of extraordinary beauty coupled with unmeasurable spirit can only be found on that island. I consider myself fortunate to be able to visit Patmos yearly. It is a spiritual home for many of us.
But it seems something amiss is afoot that will alter Patmos’ character significantly. I have caught winds of discussions, in Greek, on certain Facebook pages. There is a proposal to expand the port of Skala to the render it possible, that the large cruise ships can actually dock directly on the harbour via a new ‚mooring jetty‘. (See:
https://www.patmostimes.gr/…/14927-touristiki-epitropi…). I wonder where this jetty will be constructed? In any case, it will allow passengers to disembark directly into Skala, eliminating transfer by tenders. The merchants, restaurateurs, cafes all see greater profits resulting, both in Skala as well as Chora. I understand their support for the initiative, as the time window to earn a living on Patmos is limited to the the 3-4 summer months.
But there is a darker danger on the horizon. The harbour of Skala is more a shallow bay than it is a deep port.
Indeed, the depths at quayside are 2.75 metres in the southern end before the bend and 3.8 to 4.25 metres along the remainder to the north end. The hull of a large cruise ship requires depths ranging from 8 to 15 meters. The logistics of dredging, not once, but repeatedly 10 meter of seabed silt is both costly and a daunting task to say the least. ‘Time and tide’, is wisely said, ‘waits for no man.’
And there are yet other concerns. Take, for example, a cruise ship called the ‘Norwegian Jade‘ (which does visit Patmos). It holds as many as 3,593 passengers and cruise staff members. If they all disembark, on foot, and pour simultaneously into Skala (assuming they will have some free hours) can the shops, cafes and restaurants handle the traffic. Remember the summer of 2021 when they had to ferry in taxis and rental cars from Samos to handle the onslaught of tourists? Many describe that as a nightmare. Furthermore, the Norwegian Jade is nearly 300 meters long and weighs 94000 tons. This is very large vessel, a virtual trojan horse, for a small port and island.
Patmos is one of the very few Greek islands that live fully from tourism, but to call tourism ‘βαριά βιομηχανία‘ (“heavy industry”) indicates a new and worrisome trend. Let us not forget the cruise ships offer all-inclusive packages. Meals are included in the price. Meaning most will not take a meal at a local restaurants. Sales of coffee, beer or glass wine will surely increase, as seating in the main square of Skala will become problematic.
To be honest it is a ‘cheap tourism’ with limited respect for Patmos’ cultural and spiritual heritage. The lovely city of Venice faced, and reversed, the same temptation and learned from it. In 2021 the Italian government banned all but the smallest cruise ships from central Venice. Many large ships now arrive and depart at Marghera (an industrial district) and other locations on the Italian mainland. However, check-in is usually in Venice’s city centre as before.
In my private conversations with my Patmian friends, they foresee a major tragic division visiting the island: The wealthier residents of Chora will surely oppose this project, as they have the idea of building a landing strip for air travel. If the commercial class is denied the jetty, they will blame the vocal and entitled class. If it goes through there will be bitter resentment towards the tourist sector. The residents of Patmos need to stand together.
Incidentally, late this past September I had a group on Patmos and we were in need of bus transfer. At the agency I work with I was told to consider another day, as on the day of my choice, a large cruise ship would visit the island and flood the island with the masses. I agreed, only to learn later the cruise ship cancelled because Patmos increased the visitations fee it levies on the cruise ships, per head, from 7euro to 10euro (I believe this was the increase).
All the work to organise buses and drivers was for naught. I find it paradoxical that the island can both encourage ‘cheap’ tourism and at other times discourage the sector.
Nobody wants an outsider to lobby or advise a closed community.
Study, please, closely the case of Venice and give this thorough examination. The welfare of Patmos’ soul weighs in the balance.
Paul Skorpen, 2022
