Leipsoi
Chora in the morning, Platis Gialos and Katsadia for swims, sunset drinks at the harbour.
Leipsoi (also Lipsi) is a miniature archipelago — one main 17 km² inhabited island and 24 smaller islets, all Natura 2000-protected, all circling around the single village that shares the island's name. The harbour is classic Aegean postcard: whitewashed cubes, blue doors and shutters, fishing boats bobbing against the quay, church bells on the hour. The locals say there's a chapel for every family on the island; the Panagia tou Harou church contains a rare icon of the Virgin Mary holding the crucified Christ. Wine is a real tradition here — the annual August festival is the island's biggest event. A single day is enough to see the highlights; longer and you're there for the silence.
Getting there
No airport. Reach Leipsoi via Patmos — daily summer hydrofoil takes ~30 minutes.
Read full route
Direct Piraeus ferries exist on the Dodecanese line but are slow.
Tip: Stay overnight — the day-trippers from Patmos clear out by 5pm.
When to Visit
Leipsoi is the small island next to Patmos — sleepy, beach-fringed, almost no scene. Open June-September. June and September are sweetest. The wine festival in mid-August is the only event that brings real crowds. The 30+ uninhabited islets around Leipsoi are a snorkel/boat-day paradise.
1-day itinerary for Leipsoi
Day 1: Chora, Platis Gialos & Katsadia
- · Lipsi Town (Chora)
The only proper settlement — classic Aegean harbour with whitewashed cubes, blue doors, fishing boats, a slab-paved waterfront. Start at the Ecclesiastical and Folk Museum in the centre: 16th-17th century icons, gold-woven vestments, a 4th-century BC marble ionic pillar head. Panagia tou Harou church just above holds the unusual icon of the Virgin with the crucified Christ. - · Lipsi Winery
Family-owned winery next to the main village — produces Aposperitis (red) and Ageriko (white). Lipsi has a real wine tradition going back centuries; the August Wine Festival is the biggest event on the island calendar. Tastings by appointment. - · Platis Gialos Beach
3.5km northwest of Chora — considered by many the most beautiful beach in the entire Dodecanese. Turquoise shallow lagoon with tamarisks, family-friendly, a single taverna behind the trees. Ducks live on the beach. Bus runs from Chora in summer. - · Moschato Bay
Small detour over the headland from Platis Gialos. Less-visited cove with sparkling water and a single tavern/bar. The escape when Platis Gialos feels too popular (which isn't often). - · Katsadia Beach
3km southeast of Chora — sheltered sandy cove with big trees for shade, shallow water. Two tavernas, Christo's and Dilaila Bar-Café, both right on the sand. Many small adjacent coves, some nudist. Yachts often anchor in the bay. - · Monodendri (The Lone Tree)
White-pebble beach at the eastern tip of the island, named after a single juniper tree growing out of the rock — grown from seeds carried on the wind from Africa. Reached by 45-minute walk from Chora or dirt road. Nudist-friendly, rarely more than a handful of people. - · Sunset at the Harbour
Back in Chora for dinner. Seaside tavernas with fishing boats moored two metres away. Local specialities: octopus in red wine, stuffed eggplants, lamb kaldereta. Pair with Aposperitis red from the winery.
Top beaches of Leipsoi
Platis Gialos Beach
The signature beach of Leipsoi — turquoise lagoon-shallow water, fine sand, tamarisk shade. Often called the most beautiful beach in the Dodecanese. Family-friendly, always warm, and the resident ducks make it memorable. The one beach you can't miss.
- Type
- Fine sand
- Length
- 200 m
- Depth
- Shallow lagoon — wade-deep for most of the bay
- Wind protection
- Northeast-facing — exposed to the meltemi (the dominant summer N/NE wind); often windy on meltemi days
- Facilities
- Light: one family-run taverna behind the tamarisks, some sunbeds. Bus from Chora (3.5km).
Katsadia Beach
South-coast sandy cove sheltered by hills and tamarisks — calm shallow water, small adjacent coves (some nudist), two tavernas where the food is the kind of homemade Greek cooking the island is quietly known for. Many consider it even better than Platis Gialos.
- Type
- Fine sand
- Length
- 150 m
- Depth
- Shallow
- Wind protection
- South-facing — sheltered from the meltemi (the summer N/NE wind); calm in summer, exposed only to rare southern winds
- Facilities
- Two tavernas right on the sand (Christo's, Dilaila), big trees for natural shade, yachts anchor in the bay.
Monodendri Beach
The island's most distinctive beach — white pebbles, aquamarine water, and a single juniper tree growing from a rock that gave the beach its name (seeds carried on wind from Africa, according to legend). Hard to reach, worth the effort, almost always empty.
- Type
- White pebble
- Length
- 100 m
- Depth
- Medium — clear
- Wind protection
- East-facing — mostly sheltered from the meltemi (the summer N/NE wind); can be choppy on the strongest NE days
- Facilities
- None. 45-minute walk from Chora or dirt road access. Nudist-friendly.
Kambos Beach
The longest beach near Chora — easy walk from town. Sandy, calm, with tavernas at the edge. Less famous than Platis Gialos or Katsadia but more convenient, and with genuine sunset views over the open sea.
- Type
- Sand
- Length
- 250 m
- Depth
- Shallow — gradual
- Wind protection
- West-facing — sheltered from the meltemi (the summer N/NE wind); calm most summer days, sometimes choppy on rare westerly winds
- Facilities
- Light: some tavernas at the edge, tamarisk shade. 15-minute walk from Chora.