Leros

Leros Λέρος
View of Panteli village in Leros
Leros
Location within the region
Coordinates: 37°09′N 26°51′E / 37.150°N 26.850°E / 37.150; 26.850Coordinates: 37°09′N 26°51′E / 37.150°N 26.850°E / 37.150; 26.850
Country	Greece
Administrative region	South Aegean
Regional unit	Kalymnos
Area
• Municipality	74.17 km2 (28.64 sq mi)
Highest elevation	320 m (1,050 ft)
Lowest elevation	0 m (0 ft)
Population (2011)
• Municipality	7,917
• Municipality density	110/km2 (280/sq mi)
Time zone	EET (UTC+2)
• Summer (DST)	EEST (UTC+3)
Postal code	854 00
Area code(s)	22470
Vehicle registration	ΚΧ, ΡΟ, ΡΚ
Website	www.leros.gr

Leros (Greek: Λέρος) is a Greek island and municipality in the Dodecanese in the southern Aegean Sea. It lies 317 kilometres (197 miles) (171 nautical miles) from Athens's port of Piraeus, from which it can be reached by an 8.5-hour ferry ride (or by a 45-minute flight from Athens). Leros is part of the Kalymnos regional unit. The island has been also called in Italian: Lèro and in Turkish: İleriye.

The municipality has an area of 74.172 km² (28.638 sq mi). The municipality includes the populated offshore island of Farmakonisi (pop. 10), as well as several uninhabited islets, including Levitha and Kinaros, and had a 2011 census population of 7,917, although this figure swells to over 15,000 during the summer peak. The island has a coastline of 71 kilometres (44 miles). It is known for its imposing medieval castle of the Knights of Saint John possibly built on a Byzantine fortress. Nearby islands are Patmos, Lipsi, Kalymnos, and the small islands of Agia Kyriaki and Farmakos. In ancient times it was considered the island of Parthenos Iokallis and linked to the Hellenistic and Roman literature on Meleager and the Meleagrides. The administrative center and largest town is Agia Marina, with a population of 2,672 inhabitants. Other sizable towns are Lákki (pop. 1,990), Xirókampos (908), Kamára (573), and Álinda (542).