Pagostas Guest House, Patmos

In short… Pagostas Guest House is a deeply soulful and beautifully curated guesthouse at the edge of Chora

The vibe… This three-room guest house had come up at auction around the same time that owner Grigoris Kambouroglou had retired from his life as a surgeon. He spent months with a carefully chosen small team, including designer Leda Athanasopoulou from Studio Pale, Athenian garden designer Helli Pangalou, and, of course, his wife, Maria (owner of our favorite store Mouki Mou, and founder of fashion showroom Rainbow Wave)–working out the vision. While they were both raised in London, Grigoris and Maria had grown up coming to Greece all the time, and spent the last 20 years visiting Patmos. They weren’t necessarily looking to get into the innkeeping business, but they agreed they wanted to create something very special on the island, guided by the concept of philoxenia–literally, the love of strangers, but more practically, Greek hospitality.

The rooms… Grigoris and Maria wanted to create a place that reflected Greek values, history, and aesthetics beyond the obvious cliches of blue and white and sea. To include objects within the space from different parts of the country–ceramics from Lesbos, bath products from Naxos, and antiques from Patmos…but also pieces from other places in the world that reinforce their values of simplicity, quality, and story. So often places that strive for depth of narrative have so much clutter to help them tell their story–but this is an exercise in restraint. Bedrooms are spare–but there is always one piece with a great story–a framed antique lace from a grandparent’s trousseau, or Thonet chairs that Maria scoured for in Athens. We were introduced to Naxos Apothecary products in the bathroom there, fell in love with them, and now they’re a part of our toiletry kit. 

The food and drink… Breakfast is the only meal served, and we liked to have it in the jasmine-perfumed garden. I love the jam made by Mouki, Grigoris’ mom. She only makes it when the local fruit—sour cherry, lemon, grape, orange—is at its peak, and she doesn’t add any sugar. After a day at the beach, we would meet on the roof terrace for a sunset cocktail. Grigoris would put on a record (Maria Callas singing “Madame Butterfly” or Nana Mouschouri singing “Hadjidakis”), and then we’d head out to dinner. 

The location… Patmos is a holy island, a place of pilgrimage for Christians who come to see the Cave of the Apocalypse, where St. John wrote the Book of Revelation, and the Monastery of St. John, built in 1088. Pagostas is in Chora, the ancient hilltop town, with views over the whole island. If you want to jump out of bed and run into the sea, or need a pool–this isn’t for you. It’s at least a 10 minute drive to the closest beach. I’ve stayed near the beach and in Chora–and I quite like coming back to Chora and not having to get in a car to go anywhere. 

Be sure to… Visit in any month except August, which is when it is far too crowded, with a scene that feels more Paris Fashion Week than sleepy Greek island. 

Date of Stay… July 2022