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Route · 7 days · round-tripYacht charter route · Dodecanese

Kos round-trip.

Sail from Kos to Leros, Patmos, Lipsi, Arki and Kalymnos on a week-long northern Dodecanese loop of quiet quays and clear anchorages.

The route

Day-by-day route

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Leros
Day 1

Kos Marina → Leros

A 32-mile shake-down up the Kalymnos coast to Leros, where Lakki gives you one of the Mediterranean's biggest natural harbours.

Distance

25 NM

Sailing

~5h at 5 kn

At a glance

Route at a glance

Best season

May – mid-October (peak Jun – Sep)

Duration

7 days

Departure

Kos

Sailing area

Dodecanese

Route summary

Click any day to jump back to the map and see its photos, narrative and mooring tip.

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The full story

Day-by-day journey

Named anchorages, mooring notes and things to do for every leg of the week — the map follows along as you scroll.

Day 1 / 7
Leros
1
Day 1

Kos Marina → Leros

The first leg runs roughly 32 miles NNW, tracing the pale limestone flank of Kalymnos before Leros opens up ahead. Leave early. The Meltemi here fills in from the north by early afternoon, often 18 to 25 knots by the time you clear the channel, so a nine o'clock departure buys you calmer water. Lakki, on the south coast, is your safe bet for the night. It is one of the largest natural harbours in the Med, ringed by wide boulevards and pale 1930s Italian architecture that feels oddly grand for a small Greek island. If the forecast is soft you can instead tuck into Agia Marina on the north side, with its pastel quay and the castle above. Above 22 knots of northerly, though, Agia Marina turns lumpy and I'd keep south.

Things to do

Wander Lakki's Art Deco waterfront boulevards

Hike up to Pandeli Castle viewpoint

Swim at Xerokambos on the south coast

Try pitaroudia chickpea fritters at a taverna

Mooring tip

Lakki's marina takes you stern-to on lazy lines for about EUR 40 to 60 a night, and it stays flat in almost any weather. The Agia Marina town quay is cheaper at EUR 25 to 40 but gets uncomfortable once the northerly pushes past 22 knots.

Patmos
2
Day 2

Leros → Patmos

A steady 22 miles north brings you to Patmos, which carries more weight than its size suggests. This is where St John is said to have dictated the Book of Revelation in AD 95, and the island has been an Orthodox pilgrimage site ever since. Skala, on the east coast, is the working harbour and the usual berth: a long quay that shrugs off the northerly. From there a single road climbs to Chora, passing the Cave of the Apocalypse and the fortress-like Monastery of St John, both worth the walk up. Go late afternoon once the light softens and the coach crowds thin out. Back down in Chora, the shaded alleys hide a few good bars pouring mastiha cocktails. If you'd rather swim than sightsee, drop the hook in Grikos Bay to the south instead.

Things to do

Walk up to the Cave of the Apocalypse

Tour the 11th-century Monastery of St John

Hike the path to Psili Ammos beach

Sip mastiha cocktails in Chora's alleys

Mooring tip

Berth stern-to along Skala's main quay for EUR 30 to 50 a night; it's roomy and sheltered from the north, so no need to book ahead in most conditions. For a swim-only night, Grikos Bay just south gives good holding on sand.

Lipsi
3
Day 3

Patmos → Lipsi

Only 12 miles separate Patmos from Lipsi, so there's no rush to slip lines. Lipsi is the kind of place charter crews come back for: about 700 residents, a single bakery, and a village square built around a church clock tower. The town quay is the only place to tie up, and the tavernas along the front are family-run, the sort where the day's menu depends on what came in that morning. Try the local lipsiako cheese drizzled with thyme honey, and grab a bag of warm koulouria from the bakery for the next morning's passage. Two miles east lies Aspronissi, a shallow bay over pale sand that snorkels beautifully in flat light. Walk out to the little chapel of Panagia tou Charou too; the icon inside carries a well-loved local legend.

Things to do

Snorkel Aspronissi Bay two miles east

Visit the Panagia tou Charou chapel

Taste lipsiako cheese with thyme honey

Buy warm koulouria from the village bakery

Mooring tip

Lipsi's town quay is your only berth, stern-to for a modest EUR 15 to 25 a night and well tucked from the north. If you'd sooner swim, anchor off Aspronissi on sand in 4 to 6 metres and hold there for the afternoon.

Arki
4
Day 4

Lipsi → Arki

This is barely a passage, eight miles of easy sailing east, but the payoff is one of the finest anchorages in the Dodecanese. Arki has around 40 permanent residents, no scheduled ferry, and a single taverna on the harbour front. Come here to slow all the way down. Tiganakia, on the south side, is the reason most people make the detour: a scatter of islets sheltering water so clear and shallow the boat seems to hover over white sand. Anchor, swim, and let the afternoon go. Ashore, Stavento is the only kitchen going, run by a fisherman who lands the catch himself, so the astakomakaronada lobster pasta is about as fresh as it gets. If your legs need a stretch, the footpath up to the hilltop Panagia chapel rewards you with the whole archipelago laid out below.

Things to do

Swim the turquoise shallows at Tiganakia Bay

Eat astakomakaronada lobster pasta at Stavento

Hike to the hilltop Panagia chapel

Read on deck to the cicadas

Mooring tip

Tie stern-to on Arki's small harbour quay for EUR 15 to 20 a night, sheltered from the north. Most crews prefer to anchor in Tiganakia itself, over sand in 3 to 5 metres, for the swim before moving into the port for dinner.

Kalymnos
5
Day 5

Arki → Kalymnos

Turn south now for 22 miles to Kalymnos, an island with two very different reputations. For generations its men dived for sponges across the eastern Med, and that history still shapes the place. More recently its sheer limestone has made it a magnet for climbers, who fill the west-coast crags each autumn for the October festival. Pothia, the main port on the south coast, is where you'll spend the night: a noisy, colourful working harbour stacked up the hillside. Across a narrow strait the bare pyramid of Telendos sits a mile offshore, best caught at sunset. If you climb, the sectors at Massouri and Armeos are a short taxi from the quay, and the Grande Grotta cave above them is the island's signature wall. Otherwise, take the dinghy round to Vathy, a green fjord of citrus groves cut into the east coast.

Things to do

See the Grande Grotta climbing cave above Massouri

Visit the Sponge Diving Museum in Pothia

Snorkel the narrow inlet at Vathy Bay

Try stuffed squid at a Pothia ouzeri

Mooring tip

Berth stern-to in Pothia harbour for EUR 30 to 50 a night, sheltered from the north but lively with ferry wash by day. For a calmer, more scenic night, the fjord-like inlet at Vathy on the east coast is the alternative worth the extra miles.

Kos
6
Day 6

Kalymnos → Kos Marina

The last real sailing day is a gentle 15 miles south back to Kos. Break it halfway at Pserimos if the wind allows: a low, sandy island with good holding in 4 to 6 metres and a sheltered bay for a final long swim. Kos Marina is the biggest charter base in the Dodecanese, with full services, lazy lines, and shelter from every direction, so coming alongside is straightforward. Top up the tanks at the fuel berth by the entrance before you tie up for the night, and confirm your handover slot with the base a day ahead so the morning runs smoothly. With the boat squared away, there's still time for Kos Town: the ancient Asklepion above the harbour, the thermal spring pooling into the sea at Therma, and slow-cooked kleftiko lamb under the old plane tree in the square.

Things to do

Swim off Pserimos on the way south

Walk the ancient Asklepion above Kos Town

Bathe in the sea springs at Therma

Eat kleftiko lamb by the Hippocrates plane tree

Mooring tip

Kos Marina takes you stern-to on lazy lines at EUR 60 to 90 a night with full shelter. Refuel at the fuel berth by the entrance before mooring, and phone the base to confirm your handover time 24 hours out.

Kos
7
Day 7

Kos → Check-out

The last morning is easy. Have the boat cleared and ready for handover at Kos Marina before nine, when the base manager runs the inspection walk-through. Assuming all is in order, your deposit is released within about a week. If the flight isn't until later, there's no reason to sit on the quay. Kos Town is a short stroll for a proper Greek coffee and a wander round the old harbour, and the long sandy beach at Tigaki, on the north coast, is a fine spot for one last swim before you pack the bags away. Kos airport is only about 25 minutes by road from the marina, so transfers are simple to time. A week among the northern Dodecanese leaves most crews already sketching out where the next charter should go.

Things to do

Final inspection with the base manager

Last swim at Tigaki's sandy north coast

Greek coffee at a Kos Town café

Twenty-five-minute transfer to Kos airport

Mooring tip

Hand the boat back at Kos Marina before 09:00 for the inspection. The deposit is typically returned within seven days once the base has checked her over.

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