Towns and villages of Leros
Traditional villages and picturesque fishing villages, small spotless beaches and interesting hinterland. Leros seems to have it all!
Except that you have to indulge in new searches beyond the established ones, to look around you with a different eye, to remember what you have forgotten, to live simple, genuine island moments.
The tourist infrastructures that have been developed in recent years are important, but the prices are maintained, in contrast to other more “illustrious” islands of the Aegean, within reasonable limits.
If you want to really get to know Leros and explore the coast and inland, the means of transport is essential. If you can’t afford the admittedly high fares, you should rent a car for a few days to go to places where local transport doesn’t go.
Panteli
From the whitewashed alleys of Platanos you will descend towards Panteli with its picturesque harbor where the boats moor.
It has an organized beach and is considered one of the most idyllic spots of the Dodecanese.
Lined up here are the famous fish taverns that are flooded especially in the evening by visitors who arrive here from every corner of the island to try seafood and fresh fish.
Agia Marina
One of the two harbours of the island is Agia Marina. Once a small seaside settlement it spread with time and joined with Platanos, the oldest settlement on the island and once the capital. It is now the administrative and commercial centre of the island.
From a distance it looks like a small town which extends amphitheatrically between two the sides of two mountains. Its small white houses spread from the beach up until the foot of the hill on which the castle stands.
As the visitor approaches the town it reveals its fascinating sights, one by one.
Platanos
Patanos in fact is the main town of Leros, here are the most of the shops and markets of the island, the taxi stand as well as the municipality library and the city hall of Leros.
In Platanos you will find one of the best souvlaki shops of the island as well as the best bakeries. There are two cafeterias and a few hotels. From Platanos start the steps that lead up to the Castle of Leros.
Lakki
The ship will drop you off in Lakki which is one of the largest and safest natural ports in the Mediterranean and the Italians intended it as the naval station of their fleet in the eastern Mediterranean.
The imprint of the Italians here in Lakki, you can clearly see in the majestic buildings and the wide streets with exemplary paving. In the spacious bay are two of the best beaches of the island, Koulouki and Merikies. Also an important attraction is the Byzantine church of Ag. John the Theologian (11th century), with mosaics of rare value.
Krithoni and Alinda
After the tiny port of Agia Marina, in a northwesterly direction, after enjoying the sight of the windmill protruding into the sea, we will find ourselves in the coastal neighborhoods of Krithoni and Alinda which share the embrace of the same bay.
This is the most utilized area of the island and the most frequented. In Krithoni you will visit the “Bishop’s Mansion”, a neoclassical mansion, the church of St. Sofronios, while in Alinda the Beleni tower which today houses the Folklore Museum.
Partheni
It is an anchorage for boats, and has the largest marina in Leros, at the western end of the bay is the airport of Leros. From Partheni you can easily reach the well-known beach with the homonymous settlement of Blefouti and the beach fish taverns, for a quieter beach you can go a little further north to the small sandy cove of Agia Kioura.