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Leros - A heaven in the Aegean

Leros Island Greece

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Leros Images

Leros is a lovely verdant island with a variety of natural settings. Green valleys interchange with dry hills and sandy beaches with spectacular rocky cliffs over the sea. The numerus bays and little coves offer an excellent selection of beaches.

It is an unspoiled island which retains its Greek character. Leros' inhabitants are friendly and hospitable always happy to assist their visitors.

The island has many sights: The imposing pre-Byzantine Castle, ancient churches, museums, distinguished neoclassical houses of the nobble that match with the white and blue traditional popular houses of the island, tree-fringed beaches, beautiful villages. All placed in a beautiful natural setting for unique and unforgetable holidays.

Leros is the island of Artemis, the goddess of nature and the hunt, is a paradise in the blue waters of the Aegean.

Tradition

According to the tradition, the the miraculus Icon of Virgin which is housed in the church of Megalohari Kyra tou Kastrou in Platanos, set sail from Constantinopole on board lit by a sacred candle, and turned up in Leros during the Turkish occupation having. The inhabitants led by the bishops retrieved it from the seashore and carried it in great procession to the Cathedral. The next day, the icon had vanished and the Turkish captain of the Kastro found it, candle blazing, in the fortress gunpowder store, even though the door had been firmly locked. The icon was taken back to the Cathedral, but the next night decamped to the arsenal again. It kept this up until the Turkish governor was conviced it was a miraculus sign and gave the powder store room to the Christians.

  • Getting There

    By Sea: There is connection with Piraeus. This scedule also connects Leros with Patmos, Kalymnos, Kos and Rhodes. In summer there are schedules to Samos, Agathonissi and Arkoi.
    By Air: There are flights from Athens.

  • Getting Around

    There is a bus service connecting the villages and the beaches.
    Taxis amd car motorbike rentals is also available.

Leros Beaches

Alinda, long sandy beach, one of the best in Leros
Blefouti Bay, pebble beach
Drymonas, beautiful sandy beach
Kokkali, beautiful sandy beach
Gournas, large sandy beach
Xirokambos, nice sandy beach

Touring Leros Island

Platanos
Platanos, Leros Island the capital of Leros, is very pretty especially at night with stunning views to the fishing village of Panteli below. Platanos is crowded by the Castle (Kastro), a Byzantine fortress renovated by the Knights of Saint John and the Venetians and later used a military observation post. During ceasefire the inhabitants used to live in and they were well protected of it. Today there are ruins of about 180 homes in Kastro. The fortress was built over the ancient ruins and a 7th century BC tomb has been discovered. There are 370 steps up or a winding road.

Lovely, flower-decked houses scent the steep march up, a march rewarded not only with views of the village spilling down to Agia (Santa) Marina, but of the "four seas" of Leros, the bays of Panteli, Marina, Gournas and Lakki.

Inside Kastro there is the beautiful church of Megalohari Kyra tou Kastrou, the (Madonna of the Castle) with the miraculus icon of the Virgin. Near the Town Hall in Platanos Square is a small museum housing local finds. There is also the Antonelli family museum.

Agia Marina
is the seaside quarter of the capital Platanos and is the second post of the island. It is a picturesque village with pretty white houses with wooden or stoned balconies decorated with flowers, tiny and narrow streets. At the harbour there is the fortress of Broutzi. During the Italian occupancy, Agia Marina was a very important town and here was the post office, the port Authority and the schools.

Alinda
once a commercial port, is a very pretty seaside village 3 Km north west from Platanos. The chapel of Agios Isidoros in Kokkali area is built on an islet which is connected with a concrete road. Close to Drymonas there is the church of Panagia Gourlomata since the 14th century.
For swimming, Alinda (one of the best beaches of the island), Gournaa Bay, Kokkali and Drymonas beaches are offered.

Lakki
is the largest natural harbour in Greece, 4 Km away from the capital Platanos and it looks like with a lake as it only has 400 meters opening. The view of Lakki changed after the Italian rule in 1923 and as a result of that, new large buildings were built and wide and well paved roads were constructed. For swimming, Koulouki is the nearest beach.

Near the waterfront there is a monument to those who perished in 1943 when a Greek ship, Queen Olga was attached by German planes and sank in Lakki's harbour.

Panteli
(only 500 metres from Platanos) is a picturesque fishing village and it seems to be the united with Platanos and Agia Marina. With its little harbour full of fishing caiques Panteli is very much a working fishing village by day. There is small tree fringed beach and at night the taverna tables and chairs spill out on to the sands. Along the coast from Panteli, Vromolithos is a popular beach.

Xirokambos
is a seaside village, 8 Km south from Platanos. Here is Paliokastro with remains from the Acropolis since 4th century BC. Further up, there is the nice chapel of Panagia. In Xirokambos Bay there are many beaches for swimming.

Useful Info

Population: 8,500
Distance from Piraeus Port: 171 Nautical Miles
Hospital: 22470 23300
Police: 22470 22221
Port Authority: 22470 22224

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