DODECANESE

Leros

Size: max 14km x min 1km
Martian Risk: minimal

An unusual island in that it has some 15 villages within a very small area. The island is easy to explore on foot or scooter but too small really to justify car hire unless there are more than two of you. There are steep hills, one topped by a ruined castle with a wonderful panorama of Alinda Bay. Roads wind down to the coast from the capital, Platanos, on one side to enchanting Penteli with a good beach, on the other to the more commercial (and beach-less) Agia Marina, port of call for most catamarans and hydrofoils. The wide sweep of Alinda Bay starts here and the first place you reach is Krithoni. A long thin sand/shingle beach runs from there for a kilometre or two to Alinda, backed by shady almarikia trees.

At Alinda you can hire a motor boat and go pottering round the coastline to find your private beach or just walk round the bay to the sandy beach and taverna at Maina. Or you can head off in the direction of the airport, spend half the day there plane-spotting (one arrival/departure daily) and continue round the NW end of the island to tranquil Plefouti Bay for a day on the beach away from almost everybody. On the other (western) side of the island is the huge harbour of Lakki, one of the most sheltered in the Med and scene for much Italian activity during WWII. Italianate architecture here is still very visible – too visible, some might say. By boat you can visit Patmos, Lipsi, Kalymnos or even Kos in a day. Plenty of local Greek life to enjoy – Leros has not gone in for unfettered tourism development.

Leros: Penteli beach

Leros: Alinda Bay, with Ag Marina (l), then Krithoni and then Alinda

Leros: Alinda beach

Leros: evening on Plefoutis beach

Leros: Ag Marina harbour