North Star Yachting, Leros Island

Leros		back
Leros - the Island of Artemis - is an island of untouched natural beauty and great harmony. Leros is an island in the South Aegean and belongs to the Prefecture of the Dodecanese. It lies between Patmos and Lipsi to the north and Kalymnos to the south. It is 179 nautical miles from Greece’s main port Pireaus and 7 nautical miles from the coast of Asia Minor (Turkey). Leros covers an area of 53 square kilometres with a long coastline of 71 metres filled with beautiful pristine beaches. Along the coastal areas many large natural gulfs and bays have evolved as a result of intense sea activity along its shores. Thanks to sea’s intensity, Leros today is one of the last small, island paradises for all visitors searching for peace combined with a traditional way of life. It provides peace of mind and body surrounded by a wonderfully hospitable environment that will make you feel at home right from the first moment. This is the local inhabitants of the island emphatically declare. “Those who experience the island will never forget it.” One of the most essential gulfs of Leros is Lakki, which is also one of the largest, naturally secure ports in the Mediterranean. During the Italian occupation of the Dodecanese, the Gulf of Lakki was used as a naval base because of its natural element. The other important gulfs are at Partheni with three successive creeks and another one at Belfouti. Both of them are protected from the north winds by the smaller islands of Stroggili and Archangelos that function as natural barrier. Additional, remarkable bays are Alinta, Xerokambos and Panteli. Also, there are beaches ideal for swimming, in smaller bays all along the coast. Leros has a constantly changing landscape. It has an outline that demonstrates profound sea partitions and forms deep leeward shelters and large bays at many points. The greater part of the island is flat with valleys that reach as far as the sea and with low-lying mountains and its highest point being at Kleidi at 320 metres. This is why the island has derived its name from the ancient Greek word “leros” meaning smooth or level. The landscape of Leros has a rather soft texture with Skoumbardos at 327 metres as the highest peak, in the south. From north to south, the hills of Kasteli, Turloti, Katevati, Klidi, Patelos, Turturas and Vathia Lagadia unfold lengthwise. Low, flat areas and fertile valleys are formed among those hills. Because of the mild climate, the cultivation of a variety of fruit including citrus fruit and olive trees is extremely favourable. In the central part of the island, two powerful communities have been developed. All public services are concentrated within these polar communities. The populated area at Agia Marina and Lakki are linked along the axis of the main road with the rest of the island. Agia Marina is the capital of Leros’s Municipality and has a detailed, street infrastructure uniting the neighbourhoods of Agia Marina along the northern coast of the central region, Platanos between Castle Hill and the Merovigli high-grounds to Panteli creek and the bay by the same name. Panteli has a remarkable harbour which is alternatively used when weather conditions do not allow for ferries to moor into the main harbour at Lakki.