I heard about Leros from my grandmother’s stories since I was a child. She spoke to us about the place where my grandfather came from, who left the island at the age of 17 to go with his sisters to Egypt and never returned, except for a few times as a visitor. Since then, the family’s traces have disappeared… 

And yet, fate always pulls you to where your roots are. In 1991, as a high school student, I first came with my family for summer holidays on the island: ever since there hasn’t been a summer that I don’t spend there… Leros is my personal paradise. It’s the place where I have lived my teenage summer adventures, the place where I have built strong memories and made strong friendships and relationships with people whom I now consider my family, even if we are far away and only see each other once a year. It’s my reference point, a part of my personal identity. 

For me, Leros means summer: swimming in crystal clear seas with transparent waters, enjoyable walks on small and large trails, evenings on beaches with good and beloved friends, full of music, laughter, and song, high-quality theatrical performances, noteworthy events with dance and music by the “Artemis” Club, traditional sweets and food of amazing quality, but above all an open embrace from the wonderful and hospitable residents of the island, for every visitor, all seasons of the year. And as the poet Yiannis Ritsos wrote when he was exiled on our island, “he loves this place very much”… Visit it!