Leros and Lipsi, apartments and villas - Leros Island
Leros and Lipsi, Greece's most unspoiled islands
Leros is an island of the Dodecanese situated between Patmos and Kalymnos, not far from Lipsi.
The first villages of the island were founded by Carian, Lelegian and Phoenician farmers; they developed when the Cretans of Minoan times came to settle on the island. There followed a wave of Dorians and Ionians, the cultural influence of whom was seminal.
During the Classic period the island was governed according to democratic Athenian principles and rose to splendour.
During Byzantine times the history of the island follows that of the rest of the Dodecanese; it is during this period that the Castle and the Church of the Virgin Mary are built, as well as the Paleokastro, or Old Castle, on the site of the ancient Cyclopian walls.
In 1309 the island was conquered by the Knights of Saint John of Jerusalem, who held it until 1523, when it bacame part of the Turkish domains.
In 1821 Leros took active part in the national uprising against the Turks. During the Balcanic wars of 1910-1913 the place of the Turkish Guard was taken by the Italians in order to guarantee regular seafaring through the Aegean and the strait of the Dardanelles.
According to the Lausanne Treaty of 1923 the control of the Dodecanese was officially confirmed to Italy. Subsequently, during the Fascist era and World War II, Leros bacame the most important operational base and arsenal for the Italian fleet in the Dodecanese. On March 7 1948 the island eventually became part of the Greek state.
Beaches
The jagged outline of the coast forms innumerable bays, creeks and inlets, with beaches of both rock and sand.
Aghia Marina, located in a natural harbour between two hills sloping gently on both sides of the village, is the centre of all the activities and services of the island. Notwithstanding, it remains a picturesque little town, with small white houses huddled one on top of the other and neoclassic buildings of great charm.
Perched on top of Apitiki hill, 900 feet over the sea, the remains of an old Venetian castle overlook the whole village, to the west of which the Church of the Blessed Virgin, with its grand gilt iconostasis and numerous ancient icons, is to be visited.
Panteli is a picturesque fishing village situated immediately after Platanos,
to the south-east of the island, with a beautiful sandy beach and innumerable
restaurantsserving delicious fish.
It is also a haven for sailors seeking shelter from the wind and for the many fishermen's caiques. Not far from here lies the beautiful beach of Vromolithos.
Located on the the south-western coast of Leros, Lakki is the biggest of natural harbours in the whole of the eastern Aegean. When at the turn of the last century the Italians settled here, they called the locality Porto Lago, and they deeply modified the architectural structure and the landscape.
The water system fully operating even today dates back from then; many of the buildings of that time, in Neoclassic and Fascist style, typical of Lakki, are now being refurbished.
Xirocampos is a bay of ravishing beauty 5 miles south of Aghia Marina, on the southernmost tip of the island, facing Kalimnos.
Apart from the remains of the castle or Paleocastro, the tiny church of the Virgin Mary of Kavouradena, built on the rocks of the beach, is worth a visit.
Alinta is situated in the innermost part of the bay of Aghia Marina, only 2 miles from Platanos main square.
The tower of Belleni, where the Museum of History and Folklore, the public library, the Museum of Print and the picture gallery are located, is renowned and definitely worth the visit.
Krithoni, where the Nefeli Hotel is located, is a sea village between Aghia Marina
and Alinta. The vegetation is luxuriant, the sandy beach is beautiful, and there are many small tavernas and shops.
Partheni is situated on the northenmost part of Leros. This is where the airport is. Lost in the maquis and in luxuriant spontaneous vegetation it is possible to discover the ruins of the ancient temple of the Maiden goddess Artemis. Excavations done in Partheni have brought to light a prehistoric village dating back to 3800 b.C. and the ruins of a Hellenistic temple. There is also a small harbour from which boats to nearby Lipsi often depart.
Gourna and Drimona. The wide gulf of Gourna is located in the western part
of the island; the gulf is a favorite locale for families with children, as it offers sandy beaches and shallow waters.
Leaving Gourna and traveling down the road that hugs the beach, visitors can reach Drimona, where the fourteenth century Madonna of Gourlomatas Church is located.