Leros, an island immersed in the history of the largest natural harbor in the Mediterranean.
What to see: The World War II Museum of War, housed in a tunnel used during the war, the Bellesi Tower, which served as a German hospital during the war.
What to eat: The famous pastry of Leros (Alipasta Leros) and unique fresh fish.
The island of Leros is located in the northern Dodecanese a few miles south of Patmos. It is also located near Kalymnos.
The capital of the island is Platanos, located in the east of the island. Agia Marina is the second port. In the capital there are many traditional single-storey and two-storey houses, and among them many mansions, densely built, which create narrow picturesque alleys, causing you to wander in them. In the center of the island grow two strong poles that gather the whole of social life: the residential complex of Agia Marina and Lakki, which are connected through the main road axis of the island.
Many small islands are scattered around Leros such as Ag. Kiriaki and Pianousa opposite of Panteli, Archangelos in the north and Glaronissia with the island of Leriko between Leros and Kalymnos.
History
Despite the “stigma” that the island acquired with the creation of the psychiatric hospital and the prisoners of the dictatorship, it is a place with natural beauty, ideal for holidays.
The first traces of habitation on the island were found in Partheni and Gourna and belong to the Neolithic Age (4th millennium BC). Thucydides emphasized the importance of the bays and ports of Leros during the Peloponnesian War (431 – 404 BC), in which Leros supported the Athenians. Also on the island is the famous sanctuary of the Goddess Artemis.
Leros has small hills, creeks with the largest bay of Lakio which is the largest natural harbor in the eastern Mediterranean. There, in 1932, the Italians set up their main naval base in the Dodecanese.
The beaches
Organized beaches can be found in Alinda, Panteli, Vromolithos, Gourna, Xirokampos, Blefouti and Dio Lisgaria. Most have sand or pebbles. You will find other small beaches towards Tourkopigado and Vourlidia opposite of Panteli. The road after Merkies to the mouth of the port will lead you to countless small bays and secluded beaches. For all those who love fishing and diving, Leros is the right island. The beaches of Leros, in addition to swimming, are also suitable for water sports: skiing, windsurfing, diving and even jet skiing.
In Leros you can find hotels, rooms, studios, furnished apartments and a campsite. In Leros you will find a cinema, playgrounds, football and basketball courts, bowling alleys, water sports, museums and libraries.
