Levitha

Levitha

Levitha is a tiny, almost uninhabited island between Amorgos and Leros, 9 square kilometres of rocky hills and scrub that belongs to a single family — the Kamposos family — who have lived there for generations tending goats and a few fields. It rises to 130 metres and has two sheltered bays, with the main house and a tiny taverna near the anchorage where yachtsmen stop for fresh bread, goat cheese and water from their cistern.

Completely off-grid with no ferry, no electricity beyond generators and no shops, Levitha is a symbol of the old Aegean life of total self-sufficiency, and part of Natura 2000 for its rare birds and plants. Most people know it only as a perfect overnight anchorage on a sailing trip across the central Aegean, a wild, silent stop with a light in the window and goats bleating on the hill.

An island run by one family since 1820

Levitha is a low-lying island between the Cyclades and the Dodecanese, about 25 nautical miles southwest of Leros. It’s just over 9 square kilometres with a 34-kilometre indented coastline, and its entire population is the Kamposos family — three to eight people depending on the year, officially five at the last census.

There are no hotels, no shops and no roads, only goat paths and a single taverna in the well-protected bay. They raise goats and lambs on the island and cook what they have — the goat stew with tomato and garlic is famous — in a room decorated with ancient pottery and anchors found in the surrounding water. The island is mentioned by Pliny the Elder and Ovid, and it still holds an abandoned Italian WWII outpost on its highest point, but today it’s defined by quiet: four residents and hundreds of goats, a safe haven for yachts and nothing else.

This is for you if you want true seclusion and to meet a family who have defended their right to live here for 200 years. It is not for beach clubs, itineraries, or anyone looking for facilities.

How to get there & around

There are no scheduled ferries and no tourist traffic — Levitha is accessible only by private yacht or as a stop on a Dodecanese sailing charter, usually between Patmos, Leros and Amorgos. It lies roughly 150 nautical miles from Athens, so most crews include it on a 7 to 9 day route from Kos. The east cove is well-sheltered and popular for overnight anchoring, but permission is not always given and space is limited. On land you move on foot; the only paths are goat trails, and you need to arrange any transfer ahead of time, often via local fishermen from Leros or Patmos if you don’t have your own boat.

Sources

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Last Updated on August 30, 2026 by admin