The beaches of the island of Leros

The village of Alinda is situated three kilometers northwest of the capitol Agia Marina and it is the largest tourist-resort on the island of Leros. The facilities are at its best here, with opportunities to watersports and a wide variety from restaurants, apartments, studios and hotels. The largest beach here is Alinda Beach, which is also one of the largest beaches on the island. It has got soft sand and clear waters. In Alinda there are also mini-markets, bars and car rentals. Another of the attractions is the Belenis tower in which a nice museum is situated. A couple of hundred meters from Alinda Beach is the cozy beach of Panagies, and a bit further down the beach of Lisgaria with its eucalyptus trees. On this beach there are a couple of restaurants and bars where you can have lunch or have a drink. On the way to Alinda is the small Bay of Krithoni where you can yet find another beach. It is a beautiful bay with eucalyptus trees and tamarinds. There are small traditional white houses and some lusuery villas in the bay.

Other beaches on the island of Leros

At about two kilometers distance from the capitol is the beach of Pandeli in the bay with the same name. It is a beach with soft sand and some pebbles, where you can find shade under the tamarisk trees. At the beach fish taverna's serve fresh fish and drinks. Pandeli is a traditional fishing village and populair with the locals and the tourists. The beach of Koulouki is the beach that is the nearest to the most important harbour of Leros (Lakki). It is a sandbeach, but it is very close to the ferries and all the other traffic that sails in and out of the harbour. to avoid this you can go to the smal sandy beach of Merikia which is a few kilometers further away. Lakki, with its buildings in the Itaian Architecture (Art-Deco from the twenties and thirties), is a rather new village and also the commercial center of the island, with lots of shops, supermarkets, internet cafes, restaurants, hotels and apartments. The beach of Agia Marina is situated in front of the village with the same name. It is the beach of the capitol of Leros, and it is near the harbour. The beach is sandy. Agia Marina is the second harbour of Leros. This village is not build in an Italian style, but is more a traditional kind of Greek island village, that can easily compete with other pretty main villages on other islands, with its charm and architecture. There are traditional white houses and there are narrow alleys and stairs. From Agia Marina there are also ferries leaving or several islands like Patmos, Lipsi, Samos, Kos, Kalymnos, Symi, Rhodes and Nysiros. In the village there are plenty of shops, travel agencies, bars, interbet cafes, mini markets, hotels and apartments. The beach of Vromolithos is situated in the Bay of Pandeli, on a short distance from the beach of Pandeli. On the sandy beach there are small colored pebbled and there are oaktrees to lay down in the shade. They say that this is the best place on the island to see the sunrise. In Vromolithos you can also find hotels, apartments, restaurants, mini markets and bars. The Bay of Partheni is west of the bay of Blefoutis, on the northside of the island of Leros. The main beach of the bay is a little bit less attractive as the next door beach of Blefoutis, but the waters are clean and clear. There are some smaller beaches in the area, sometimes with soft sand and sometimes with pebbles. Partheni is an authentic Greek fishermens villages, It is situated in one of the best protected bays of Leros because of the small islands opposite of it. Currently they are building a big harbour there for hundreds of yachts, mainly with the intention to berth them there during the winter season. The beach of Blefoutis can be found in the bay with the same name, in the north of Leros. It is a good and nice sandbeach with tamarisk trees. The water here has a beautiful blue color and there are not such high waves. At the beach there is a good fishrestaurant. The beautiful beach of Xirokambos is also situated in a bay with the same name, 7 kilometers south of Agia Marina, in the soutwest of the island of Leros. It is a popular destination for people that make a daytrip from the nearby island of Kalymnos. The beach has soft golden sand and there are trees on the beach for shadow. Close to the beach is the beautiful small church of Panagis Kavuradena. Another attraction is the Palaiokastro where you can see the remains of an old castle. In Xirokambos there is the camping and there are some hotels and apartments. In the Bay of Gourna on the westcoast of the island you can find the largest sandbeaches of Leros. It is less developped than the resorts at the eastcoast, so ideal for people that are looking for peace and quiet. The main beach in the bay is the beach of Gourna. It has got dark colored and black sand and the sea is shallow, so it's easy to get into the water. In this part of the island you can make the best pictures of the sunset. The area looks a bit like the Cycladic islands of Paros and Naxos. In the bay of Gourna is also the church od Agios Isidoros on a small rock about 50 meters in the sea. This church is a favorite subject for photographers. There is a possibillity to walk to the church.

© Hans Huisman, https://www.angelfire.com/super2/greece/ 2014