Off in the distance, we could see the fortress that is the Monastery of St. John, the other flagship tourist site of Patmos. We would not actually make the trip all the way out to the Monastery, instead choosing to focus on John's Grotto. We did not regret however our decision to go on our own, as our trek to the Grotto felt like a real pilgrimage. We may have followed at least part of the same route by foot that John himself walked from shore.