Italy’s past meets Greece’s hidden island

On this secret Greek Island, you wouldn’t expect white boulevards to be used as facade decoration. But step into the main port of Leros and that’s exactly what you get—a blueprint of Mussolini’s dream for the Dodecanese. While the architecture still stands, tourists are few and far between. 

Leros is different from other Greek Islands because it doesn’t market itself the same way. It is a place with many layers, from the Italian occupation to Allied bombings. There are also ghost buildings that have been claimed by goats and graffiti. It is a strange place, both peaceful and political. It’s all part of 2025. 

Find Leros

A local Greek will nod in agreement when asked about Leros. You might hear a shrug from tourists if you ask them about Leros. No postcard skyline and no influencers floating in infinity pool. 

• This island’s geography gives it the appearance of a knot with bays overlapping one another.
• The Inland villages climb the hills awkwardly. 
• It’s not necessary to drive 5 minutes before you feel as if you have landed in a completely different place.

Fewer people leave the port area of Lakki. If you’re still wondering what these people are looking at. The white streets and faded buildings, once designed by fascists, are all there. There’s nothing to tell you what they mean. You either feel it or not as you walk through. 

Lakki without nostalgia 

Lakki does not ease you in, it welcomes you. The harbour looks so huge that it seems to be disproportionate with the island. 

• The building around it is reminiscent of a half-abandoned Italian suburban area, with its curved corners, blocky silhouettes and facets.
• Mussolini built Lakki in 1930, when it was known as Porto Lago.
• Bernabiti Petracco and their team of architects carved out all the buildings and boulevards that are now visible against this aging backdrop.

It is one of quietest and most spacious ports in the entire region. There are no souvenir shops, and there isn’t a cruise ship in sight. Just wide open spaces, and a rich history that can’t be easily explained. 

Clear waters, beaches, and bays 

Alinda has a similar feel to a beach resort, with cafes and umbrellas. The sand curves around for about a kilometer. You may not want you to leave the water, which is calm, clear and warm.

You can see the stone breaking into pieces if you drive further. Blefoutis, Vromolithos, Gourna, It feels more like a local hangout. You’ll see old boats parked half on the beach, and plastic chairs pulled out of the Taverna to accommodate a single customer who has been returning from war for 40 years. 

Divers come to this area primarily for the wrecks. Most of the wrecks are German and British ships that are scattered along the seafloor. Also, there are aircraft with rusted out holes and visibility can extend to 30m. You’re swimming through an unclean chapter of history.

Leros doesn’t care if you notice or not. Most islands ask for a booking, an email, a posting, a promise of a return visit.

There’s an odd architecture with slow rhythms. You can swim over a warship wreck, walk by a cinema from the fascist era, or eat your lunch on a village’s square, where little has changed since 1970. It’s different. It gives you space, without telling you how to use it. And a place like this, you either stop or leave.

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