The tiny European island you won’t have heard of – with 22C winters and multi-coloured beach

EUROPE is home to hundreds of stunning little islands that you may not have heard of - but are great for avoiding the crowds.

In Greece, tourists often head to Mykonos or Santorini, yet overlook the island of Patmos.

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It is often called the Island of the Apocalypse which is less scary than it sounds.

This is because it was believed that Patmos was where St John wrote the Book of Revelation, which is the end of the New Testament.

Pilgrims often visit the island to see the Cave of the Apocalypse which is where he is said to have had his visions.

But now, it is a stunning holiday island in the shape of a seahorse, with just 3,000 locals living on the 16sqm island.

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It's attracted a number of celebs over the years during the summer months, including Julia Roberts, David Bowie, Richard Gere and Tom Hanks, with the most recent being Pierce Brosnan.

George Fotinopoulos, who owns the bar owner of Astivi, spoke of his famous guests.

He told "Every year, for nearly a decade, Bowie came to Patmos for the first ten days of July.

"Last summer we had Jennifer Connelly with her husband, Paul Bettany."

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And it is yet to become popular with British tourists.

Whitewashed houses line the coast, with the town of Chora is home to tiny restaurants serving local Greek seafood.

Or the port town Skala has more shops and bars, where the cheapest drink is the local Mythos beer or island-grown wine.

And of course it has stunning beaches on the island, one of the most well-known being Lampi Beach with it's multi-coloured stones, with many of them a soft pink.

Or one of the only sandy beaches on the island is Petra Beach, the most popular on the island.

Other popular attractions include the Windmills of Patmos and the Monastery of St John.

One tourist wrote: "Not as touristy or crowded as Santorini or Mykonos, I fell in love with this gem of an island."

Another praised the towns, with someone else commenting: "Chora (also known as Hora) is absolutely gorgeous. Every narrow street is a photoshoot in and of itself."

A new Marriott hotel is set to open on the island, which will be the first luxury resort with 56 rooms, bar and spa.

The best way to get to Patmos is by a 2.5 hour ferry from Kos or 1 hour boat from Leros - although you can also take an eight hour ferry from Athens.

Flights from the UK to Kos start from £64, or to Leros from £149.

Greece is home to several other little-known islands too.

Paros, dubbed the 'new Mykonos,' is found between Mykonos and Santorini and can be reached by 45-minute plane from Athens.

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Or the island of Naxos is cheaper the many of the other islands - with more goats than locals.

Don't want to leave the UK? We've found some beautiful British islands are home to sandy beaches, clear seas and dolphins.

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