Feature Image: Retro Bike on Leros – disclaimer, not our actual bike!
The Greek Island of Leros
The main past-time on Leros is exploring the traditional Greek villages around the island. The day ferries arrive into the main port town of Agia Marina, a bustling hub of activity with a few shops, tavernas, and small fishing port. Over the hill is the main beach community of Panteli, and sandwiched between the two is the capital town of Platanos, a traditional hillside village with narrow lanes.
The whole area is often referred to as Platanos, because these three villages merge into one, but the heart of Platanos centres around the village square.
The castle and traditional windmills up on the hill are part of Panteli. A road with a series of hair-pin bends weaves up the hill. It’s steep and this walk isn’t for the feint of heart.
From the crest you get a birds eye view of Panteli, and from this photo you can see the sandy colored coastal path we took to reach the next bay of Vromolithos Beach to reach our accommodation.
Walking to Vromolithos Beach
Mad dogs and Englishmen decide not to take the bus or taxi, and instead walk to find our accommodation. Seemed like a good idea when we left the port, not such a good idea when we were climbing our second hill only to reach a dead-end.
I’d listened to Google Maps and followed their advice to take the hilly route from the ferry marina over the hill through the Panteli Beach area, and the sandy coastal path around the bay instead of the main road. When we reached the turning point of the coastal track, we were presented with a glorious view of the bay we were trying to reach.
But were also greeted by a locked metal gate. It was the entrance to a small hillside taverna and bar. We kept ringing the bell, and eventually a sweaty Greek guy reluctantly ambled up the path to let us in the gate and through his property in order to reach the beach on the other side.
This saved us a lot of time, and meant that we didn’t have to retrace our steps back to Panteli Beach to find the main road that would get us to our accommodation.
Our Accommodation on Vromolithos Beach
We stayed at the 3-start Paradisso Studios, run by Giannis and his family. You never know what kind of place you’re going to end up with. It could look great online, but when you get there you realize they’ve been a bit selective with the truth.
But our accommodation hit all the right notes. Even though we’d booked a basic budget room, they had so many vacancies that they put us in a room with a little balcony with a sea view.
Giannis, the owner, rented out scooters as well as rooms, so that meant we didn’t have to go in search of a rental shop. We arranged to rent one directly from him for the following morning to explore the island, and then spent the rest of the day lounging on the local beach.
Vromolithos Beach was one of the longest, and least populated of all the beaches we explored, and everyone we encountered was Greek locals or Greek tourists. It was the ideal beach to have as a base.
The Paradisso Studios offered a couple of sun beds but they didn’t serve food, but it’s a short stroll up the beach to the Taverna Paradisos run by the Makris family. This quintessential Greek taverna was welcoming and friendly, with a bar patio and a restaurant overlooking the water, and table service on the beach.
Paradisos never got too crowded, and we always managed to get a sun bed each time we visited. But on the weekends the influx of locals reached such critical mass, that the beach service slowed to a snails pace. It was much quicker to walk up to the bar and get a drink than order it from one of the laid-back beach waiters. Not too much of a hardship, except that the bar tenders were usually busy chatting with the locals and weren’t in a hurry to be interrupted. Life of a Greek island is a lot about adjusting your expectations and slowing the pace.
Vromolithos beach had a shallow shelf extending out into the bay, before suddenly dropping off into the watery depths, with lots of seaweed and plants obscuring your view of the sea bead—ideal conditions for snorkeling.
After a day on the beach we decided we needed some drinks and snacks to keep us going until dinner time, and set off to walk to the nearest supermarket. The chambermaid was doing washing and ironing as we were leaving, and was aghast that we were thinking of walking that far in the heat, so offered to drive us in her little car.
She dropped us off, and offered to wait, but part of the pleasure of slow travel is that you take things slowly, and we wanted a slow shop, and a slow stroll back to our accommodation. So we waved her off, with thanks and a smile.
It was only a couple of kilometers back to the accommodation. Some of the walk was along the main road that cuts through the island, but most of it was down little narrow roads that weaved between local residences and the occasional family run hotel.
Night out in Pandeli
On our first night out we walked from Vromolithos Beach to Panteli. It was a hilly stroll, culminating on walking down narrow lanes leading between houses. We didn’t encounter any other humans on our stroll, just one lonely little cat.
I love the way the paths are painted, and the whole area is pristine and tidy. It was great walking down, but all I could think about was the walk back up. So we decided the best offense was to enjoy a couple of beers to soften the edges of the uphill climb.
Panteli at night was buzzing. As far as we could tell, the majority of people out for the evening were Greek. We didn’t hear any foreign languages at all. It didn’t take long to explore the village, and find a little bar for that hill climbing boost of beer.
Exploring Leros Coastline
The next morning we couldn’t wait to get out onto the open road and explore, and retraced our steps, and traveled back to the ferry harbour of Agia Marina, and then followed the coastal road around the island as far as we could go.
The next large bay is Alinda, which had a narrow sweeping beach, is the most developed beach where locals and tourists congregate. There’s a string of tavernas and bars around the bay, but it still has a laid back vibe and seems extremely low-key.
On the first day we continued further around the island to a much smaller and secluded beach, which had one small taverna, Vareladiko, overlooking it.
Although we spent time swimming and snorkeling on Leros, we spent most of our time zipping around on our scooter to explore the island.
What with the coastal views, quaint white-washed village houses, and traditional white and turquoise Greek churches. I had to keep tapping Red on the shoulder to stop so that I could take yet another photo.
The Greek churches come in all shapes and sizes, most of them small. And when I had a peek inside the smaller of the churches in the village of Gourna, there were religious images and icons and a collection of photographs (I’m assuming of the local deceased) with candles you could light in remembrance.
Exploring the Castle and Windmills of Pandeli
The primary sight seeing opportunity on Leros is the Castle high on the hill, with a row of renovated windmills. These have all been renovated, but are no longer used for grinding grain.
They’re the eunuchs of the windmill world, they’re beautiful to look at but no longer able to perform as designed.
One of the windmills has been turned into a cafe, and although these windmills are aesthetically pleasing, the main reason to come up here is to drink in the view.
On one side you have the open ocean with the Turkish coast in the distance, and the other looks down on the coastal village of Panteli.
Find out more about the history Leros Castle from Peter Sommer
Night out in Platanos
On our second night out we took the scooter to Platanos town square, but we had to abandon it on the outskirts of the village because of a roadblock. We had no idea what was going on, but we wanted to find our way back to a little family restaurant we’d had lunch at the previous day. The servings were huge, the bill was cheap, and the service was cheery and friendly.
We navigated through a series of hilly lanes to find the town square, and when we arrived the whole area was a sea of tables and chairs. We got one of the last tables at our chosen restaurant, and they explained that tonight it was a fiesta to celebrate the annual olive harvest.
By the time the evening had drawn in, the town square was packed, and revelers were nose to tail, listening to raucous Greek music, and dancing the with wild abandon.
We ended up having to share our table with other diners, a family with small kids, and through broken English and hand signals they made our night. Just as we thought there wasn’t any room for any more people to join the party, more tables and chairs kept getting added to the square. Good luck trying to navigate out of the celebrations.
Catching the Ferry to Kos from Lakki
The next morning we had to get up early to find our way to Lakki harbour. We figured it’d take us about an hour to walk there, but when we checked out, Giannis offered to drive us to the port and we were there within ten minutes.
Blue Star Ferries are one of the main Greek ferry companies that hop from island to island, and they’re huge. It was so dramatic to see this large ferry loom towards the Lakki port, which is one of the largest ports in Greece, and was part of the Italian occupation during WWI.
Find out more about Lakki History from Peter Sommer
Having never done Greek Island hopping before, it was my first time on a ferry this size, and so we spent the entire trip to Kos on the upper deck just watching the islands go by. We didn’t make any other stops, although we did pass Kalymnos along the way.
We had a few hours to kill in Kos before we headed by to Turkey.
Ferry Service from Turkey to Leros
There’s only a weekly ferry service from our closest Turkish ferry port to Leros, so you’re restricted to a day trip to this Greek Island. But as we wanted to stay a couple of nights so got a one-way ticket on the small Turkish ferry to Leros, and then caught a large Greek island ferry from Leros to Kos, and one of the daily ferries from Kos back to Turkey.
The best way to navigate the hilly terrain of #Leros is to rent a scooter to visit the beaches and traditional Greek villages. #GreekIsland Click To Tweet
I can’t believe it took me until 2019 to tread on Greek soil, especially since it’s only a 15 minute ferry ride from our nearest Turkish ferry port! Well I’m making up for lost time, and here’s my blog posts about exploring Greece:
- Popping my Greek Cherry with Kalymnos
- Day trip to Vathy on the Greek Island of Kalymnos
- Catching the Mastichari Ferry from Kos to Kalymnos
- Getting to know Kalymnos Beaches
- Discover the Tranquility of Telendos
- Visiting Symi for their Famous Red Shrimp
- Exploring Leros on Two Wheels
And coming soon:
- Overnight Trip to Symi
- Afternoon in Rhodes
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I love Greece. The country is such a pleasant place for exploring – amazing food, amazing beaches, friendly locals and the history, oh my! I am quietly envying you the opportunity to explore Leros and other islands. Also, I am inspired to visit soon 🙂
The Greeks are what make Greece! All the one’s we’ve met on our travels have been warm and welcoming.
Greece is on my must visit, and it’s already on my list for sure. I really appreciate the practical tips about ferry service and getting around, which is really useful and helps to take the stress out of travel planning.
I like including travel plans because all too often, these are the travel elements that are hard to find out ahead of time, and it’s not until you get to a place that you realize how you could have got their easier or cheaper. Hindsight is a wonderful thing.
What I wouldn’t give for a Greek Island right now! I’ve been island hopping around the Cyclades 6 times now & still keen to head back for more, especially when I read & see your photos here! I feel relaxed just reading about it. I’m glad I’m not the only one who looks at a map on arrival, sees it’s walking distance & ends up regretting it. Not heard of Leros but it sounds right up my street. Thanks for sharing.
You’d think we’d learn. But there’s something about being an exploring and just getting to your destination by walking. Not ideal when it’s swelteringly hot!
This sounds so lovely!! We’ve always dreamed of hiring a scooter and whizzing around a Greek island… hopefully not too long before we can travel again!
The best way to travel … as long as there’s a helmet included in the price. What we loved about Leros is that the roads were so empty and easy to navigate. But we had to be careful of stray animals wandering into the road!
Your time on Leros sounds like so much fun! How lucky that you were able to be there for a festival and join in with the locals. Zipping around on a scooter and getting to know the island must have been amazing. I like to take photos of all those little churches when I’m in Greece, too. They’re so pretty! 🙂 I’m always amazed at just how many of them there are.
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This unplanned events, like festivals we didn’t know about, can make a trip. We felt like part of the community, and we were welcomed in and embraced as part of the celebration. That’s what it needs to be like, and that’s part of the Greek’s charm.
It sounds like you had a tonne of fun! I could envision myself driving around the island on the scooter right along with you. It sounds like your host was also very helpful and you lucked out by having a scooter rental right on sight.
Our host was fabulous. I love it when hotel owners offer a little bit of customer service in return for your custom. Too many of them just want to take your money, and don’t seem interested in supporting the local community, or making sure you have a good time on your brief visit with them. It makes all the difference.
Wow! This is a dream trip to cruz around Greece in a scooter! I could definitely live by your saying of, “adjusting your expectations and slowing the pace.” The hills and ocean just look so blue and magical. This is added to my dream vacation list!
We didn’t used to be slow travelers … but as we get older we realize that it’s the best way to travel.
What a great idea to explore Leros on a scooter! This looks like a lovely place and I appreciate how you captured the culture as well as the scenery! Thanks for all the great information!
Culture and meeting the people is what makes or travel adventures memorable for us.
This looks like such a cool town to explore! I’ve never seen windmills like that before
There’s something so iconic about a windmill, and the Greek ones are no exception.
There are so many Greek Islands we have yet to explore. Leros looks like one to add to the list. The little domed houses on the hill remind me of Trulli houses in Italy. Certainly one of the great sights before you hit that great panoramic view over the harbour. So great that your hotel offered scooters for rent. A great way to get a little further afield. I love those sweeping views of the bays by that beautiful blue water. Would definitely want one with a taverna on the beach! One day we plan to use he ferry system to hop from island to island.
Having scooters available to rent at your hotel, certainly takes the hassle out of trying to sort one out from one of the small towns nearby.
Jay, you live life RIGHT and I am here for it!!! Leros looks incredible, I love the lesser visited Greek islands and there are just so many great spots besides Mykonos and Santorini! I was in Sifnos 2 years ago and it looks very similar – I’m going to have to keep Leros in mind for my next island hopping itinerary and scooter around!
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I hear you … there’s so many of these smaller Greek island that only the Greeks visit, and keep to themselves, but it only takes a little bit of effort to visit them, and you’re guaranteed a more authentic local experience. I’d much taverna hop on these islands than those spoiled by mass tourism.
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We did a cruise through the Greek Isles many years back, so we only hit those more commonly known areas, but I would love to go back and explore more of the other islands! I do remember getting turned around a bit while trying to explore with all of the little windy roads, and that was before you could use a map on your phone! And I’m all for laying around on some nice beaches, and it looks like that’s covered!
Having directions on a phone is a bit of a curse, because you tend to believe what it says. So from now on I’m taking the directions with a pinch of salt!
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The Greek islands are so wonderful to explore! I didn’t make it to Leros, but it looks wonderful. And I’m glad you wrote the disclaimer about the scooter, I was a tad worried for a minute there, lol!
It was more photogenic than our rental scooter, but somebody was riding it … I’m just glad it wasn’t us! 😉
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I totally wish I could drive but thats not in the cards for me… the only thing on wheels I am allowed to drive is a wheelbarrow 😀 Did a tour on a scooter as a youngster with my husband on the canary island though, its really special 🙂
At least with a wheelbarrow there’s no helmet required Ann!
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haha with me driving, it should be law-bound 😀
🙂
I have never traveled by scooter before ! This seems like such a better idea! so much easer to get around than in a car. Much easier to find parking too. How stunning are the windmills! I hope i get the chance to visit Greece one day!
Parking is a breeze. Just pull up anywhere and hop off for a wander around. I like taking lots of photos, so it’s easy to pull over on a scooter to snap away, and then get back on the road.
What a great idea to explore the island on a bike. I had no idea that this is such a fascinating island. The castle and traditional windmills up on the hill look great. I would love to photograph old windmills and this small church. You had a great adventure
I’d hoped there were a lot more churches, but there was only a few of them along our routes, so I stopped to take pictures of each one I met along the way!
Last winter, I visited Greece for the very first time. Since it was in winter, I just went to Athens and Meteora. However, that trip was enough to make me fall in love with the country. Now I would love to explore more – mainly the islands. And roaming on a scooter is sooooo……vacation!
It’s such a big country with so much to offer, you could quite easily come back again and again, and again, and never get bored of the different landscape and scenery.
Greece is my dream come true! I have rented a scooter in Cozumel, Mexico for a day and it was the best day of the trip, doing it in Europe sounds even better!
We love wandering around and exploring on foot, but when time is tight and you want to cram a lot into your trip, a scooter is the best option.
Greece looks like a dream destination and I can’t wait until all of this virus restrictions are over, as I would love to explore the island on a scooter! Love that you’ve included so many helpful travel tips. Less planning for me, means more time to explore 😊
That’s kind of why I like returning to the same place for the second time, it makes it easier to know what to do and get around. So you can enjoy your time more.
Wow talk about picturesque vacation! Greece is truly where dreams come true and your photos show that. Thanks for sharing! 🙂
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It’s a picturesque island for sure .. but that can probably be said for any of the Greek Islands. 🙂
Wherever I go on vacation, no matter is it Montenegro, Croatia, Greece, or Italy, two wheels help me out a lot. I think that it is the best thing for traveling around crowded cities. Bdw, I love photos, need to visit Leros.
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It’s certainly a lot easier to get about on two wheels, and cheaper than a car.
I’m yet to venture to any of the Greek islands. I’m only explored Greek mainland during my last trip to Greece. Its been a year since that and I hope to travel again to Greece to see the islands in the future. Like everyone else I too want to stop over at Santorini, but I do want to visit a couple of quiet islands too and Leros looks like a perfect fit.
OMG, your tryst with Google Maps and a walk through private roads and hills sounds a bit exhausting, but that beautiful view of the bay makes it worth it! That Beach looks beautiful. I don’t think I’ve seen a picture of Greek island beach with so little people!
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I’d love to visit Santorini as well. It’s the classic Greek island isn’t it? I’d also like to explore Crete on the same trip.
That’s a great way to explore Leros. I wasn’t aware of this island before. It looks beautiful and pristine – a great place to soak your soul. I loved the way you did nights out at different places, also the Vromolithos Beach looked like the perfect find.
There’s so many islands to explore … Leros was a perfect find. We’re lucky to have a string of Greek islands on our doorstep, and a frequent ferry services that lets us visit them so easily.
I love Greece from all the stories I have heard. My daughter visits Greece every year. Leros sounds beautiful with its lovely coastline. What a beautiful experience to be there on the annual harvest festival
It had a real authentic feel to Leros. It’s more of a Greek holiday destination that a foreign tourist one. Unless of course they’re traveling off the beaten path.
Can’t wait to get over and explore Greece again. Had two aborted attempts this year, going to try again in late September. Love exploring on two wheels, although I’m a far better passenger than driver lol.
Late September is an ideal time to go .. once all the kids have gone back to school!
Reading this on a cold, damp afternoon in North Yorkshire almost transported me to the sunshine of Greece. Almost. It reminded me of how much I love the Greek Islands, and has got me Googling to see if I can get something booked in the diary for next spring. I think the reward for a year of no international travel could well be a trip or two to Greece. So many glorious islands to choose from!
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Yes there are so many islands. We just got to visit the one’s off the Turkish coastline – but I’d love to get on a ferry and explore those further afield.
I have heard a lot about the Greek island, and I just added it to my next year’s travel list, thanks to you.
I really enjoyed the article. Keep up the good work.
Thank you for sharing this place, I love Greece and this looks like all the things I love the most about this beautiful country. I am definitely going to include this on one of my next trips to Greece. The ferry’s are huge aren’t they? I remember getting a blue star from Athens to Mytilene I got lost at one point.
I couldn’t believe that a ferry that big was coming to such a small little island. I don’t think I’ve ever been on one that big before. We sat on the outer deck and didn’t venture inside.
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