🪪 The island at a glance
📍 Where they are
Arkoi and Marathi lie in the northern Dodecanese, east of Patmos and north of Leipsoi, and belong to the Municipality of Patmos. They have no airport and no large port. In summer, excursion caiques leave every morning from Skala on Patmos and from Leipsoi, and the Dodecanese catamaran stops at Arkoi a few times a week.
📍 Where Arkoi and Marathi are
Arkoi and Marathi lie in the northern Dodecanese, between Patmos and Leipsoi, and belong to the Municipality of Patmos. In red are the islands, and in green Piraeus, Patmos and Leipsoi, where you arrive from.
🗺️ The map
Arkoi is a low island, about seven square kilometres, with a coast full of coves and dry hills with thyme. The village is a small harbour on the west coast, with a few houses and tavernas. At the southeast tip, Tiganakia are shallow channels between islets, with turquoise water. To the south, separated by a narrow channel, Marathi has a sandy beach with tamarisks, two tavernas and a chapel on the hill.
🗺️ The map of Arkoi and Marathi
Arkoi is a low, long and narrow island full of coves, with the little harbour and the village on the west side. At the southeast tip, Tiganakia, shallow turquoise channels between islets. To the south, separated by a narrow channel, Marathi with its sandy beach. Tap each number to see what it is.
Map: United Kingdom Hydrographic Office, 1844 (Public domain) · Wikimedia Commons
⚖️ Is it worth it? The pros and cons
Arkoi and Marathi are worth it for anyone on Patmos or Leipsoi, mainly for the sea. To stay, you need a taste for quiet and simplicity. Here is an honest picture.
📊 At a glance, from 1 to 5
👍 The pros
- Tiganakia, shallow turquoise water between islets.
- The beach of Marathi with its tamarisks and two tavernas.
- No cars, no roads, no noise.
- An easy day trip from Patmos or Leipsoi.
- Fish and kid goat from the few inhabitants.
👎 The cons
- Few rooms, mostly on Marathi and at the little harbour.
- The excursion boats bring crowds to Marathi at midday.
- Very little shade beyond the tamarisks.
- Sailings depend on the weather.
⚓ Arkoi
The village of Arkoi is a little harbour with a few white houses with blue windows, fishing boats, two or three tavernas and a church. The inhabitants are fishermen and shepherds, and in summer those whose families come from here return, along with the sailing boats that anchor in the island’s quiet moorings. Footpaths climb the hills, from where you can see all the islets around, Patmos, Leipsoi and in the distance Samos and the coast of Asia Minor.
The village of Arkoi.
A boat heading out to fish.
This is how you see it as you arrive.
One of the quietest moorings.
Thyme, mastic shrubs and the sea.
As far as Arkoi and the islets.
From a chapel on the hill.
Photos: Vasileiadis33 (CC BY-SA 4.0), Thanasis Christodoulou (CC BY-SA 4.0), Waldviertler (CC BY-SA 3.0), PLAKLE (CC BY-SA 4.0) · Wikimedia Commons
On Arkoi and Marathi there are a few rooms, often above the tavernas. If you stay, you will see the islands without the excursion boats, with the moon over the islets and only the murmur of the sea.
🌊 Tiganakia and Marathi
Tiganakia, at the southeast tip of Arkoi, are the reason many people come this far: shallow channels with white sand between low islets, with water in every shade of turquoise, where sailing boats anchor and you swim as if in a lagoon. The excursion boats stop here for a swim, while from the village you can get there on foot in about half an hour.
Marathi is a small islet with a sandy beach, tamarisks for shade and two tavernas that are also its only houses, along with a few rooms. On the hill, a white chapel looks out over the islets around, Strongylo and Spalathronisi. At midday in summer the caiques arrive from Patmos, and in the afternoon the island grows quiet again.
- Tiganakia: shallow turquoise water between islets.
- Marathi: a sandy beach with tamarisks and tavernas.
- The coves of Arkoi: quiet, with pebbles, only on foot or by boat.
Turquoise, like a lagoon.
Water up to your waist.
With a view of the islets.
The beach with the tamarisks.
White and blue.
From Marathi.
One of the many around.
Between Marathi and Arkoi.
Photos: GSalaveris (CC BY-SA 4.0), Vasileiadis33 (CC BY-SA 4.0), ChristosKaragounis (CC BY-SA 4.0), PLAKLE (CC BY-SA 4.0), Waldviertler (CC BY-SA 3.0) · Wikimedia Commons
Water, a hat, sunscreen and a mask. There are no shops, ATMs or pharmacies on the islands: bring cash and your medicines.
🍽️ What to eat
The tavernas of Arkoi and Marathi are family-run, and they cook whatever there is: fresh fish from the island’s boats, kid goat from their own animals, local cheese, salads from the garden and sometimes lobster spaghetti. The choice is small, but everything is fresh, and in the evening, with few customers, the meal turns into a conversation.
📅 When to go
June and September are the best months: warm sea, tavernas open, fewer excursion boats. In July and August Marathi fills up at midday, and the meltemi wind can cancel sailings. From October to May the tavernas close and the caiques stop.
⛴️ How to get there from Athens
| How | Duration | From | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ferry and caique | A night + 1 hour | Piraeus → Patmos → Marathi | The excursion boats leave from Skala in the morning. |
| Plane and catamaran | About 1 hour + catamaran | Athens airport → Leros or Samos | A catamaran to Arkoi a few times a week. |
| Caique from Leipsoi | About 45 minutes | Leipsoi → Arkoi, Marathi | In summer, with a stop for a swim. |
From Ioulianou 50 go straight to Piraeus on Line 1, or to the airport on Line 1 to Monastiraki and change to Line 3. For your base, see our guide to Patmos.
🗓️ A day on Arkoi and Marathi
Marathi
The excursion boat from Skala on Patmos drops you on Marathi. Swim at the beach before the crowds arrive and sit in the shade of the tamarisks. Climb up to the chapel for the view of the islets.
Fish at the taverna
One of the two tavernas on Marathi, with fish, kid goat and salad, your feet almost in the sea.
Arkoi and Tiganakia
By caique to Arkoi, a stroll around the little harbour and a swim at Tiganakia, in the turquoise shallows between the islets. Back to Patmos at sunset.
Frequently asked questions
How do I get there from Patmos?
On the excursion caiques that leave every summer morning from Skala, in about an hour. They usually stop at Marathi and Arkoi and return in the afternoon.
Can I stay on the islands?
Yes, there are a few rooms on Marathi and at the little harbour of Arkoi. Book early, because they are very few.
Where is the most turquoise water?
At Tiganakia, at the southeast tip of Arkoi, where the sea is shallow over white sand between islets.
Are they suitable for children?
For a day, yes: the shallow water at Marathi and Tiganakia is ideal. For many days, remember that there is no doctor or pharmacy.
— Kathy
