Greek Isles: Levita

Exploring Greece by sailboat certainly had it's advantages. Being able to stop at the tiny island of Levita was one of those advantages. Too small to attract a ferry, WAY too small for anything so ostentatious as a cruise ship terminal. With practically no natural resources, except perhaps an abundance of open land to raise goats, Levita is one of those places that truly feels forgotten in time and history.

Levita:

Population: 1,000 goats, 20 sheep, 3 donkies and 5 humans.

Buildings: Three

Electricity: Generator

Dock: Anchorage

Happy, happy, happy, happy Christy.


One family lives on the island. They raise goats and sheep, which live free-range over the sparsely vegetated, rocky terrain. They run a small restaurant, which you are (unofficially) expected to eat at in exchange for using an anchorage in the perfect little harbor.

An afternoon hike. A great meal. Sleeping on deck under a bright, starry span that went on forever. An early swim in the perfectly clear Mediterranean sea. Levita is on my list of best places visited. Ever.

No wind in most of the Dodecanese at this time, so we motored from Kos to Kalymnos to Levita.

A brutal (no trail, uneven, crumbly, rocky terrain, juniper and other thorny, ouchy brush) three-hour hike from harbor to farthest point to see the ruins of an old Roman lighthouse and a shipwreck. Fail and fail. Neither were visible. But the hike was great exercize.

 Sunset shot of one of the three buildings on the island, the restaurant. The menu included your choice of Goat Kebab, Goat ribs or Goat Meatballs. All served with fries and veggies. I'll have the goat. (It was actually quite tasty.)

All tucked in for the evening.

 Sunset over the dinghy - our mode of transport to the mainland.

Waking to crystal clear waters , 19 feet deep, and diving in: Sheer, uninhibited bliss.

When visiting Levita:

DON'T

-Wear flipflops while hiking, or you'll break your shoes (like the girl who was hiking with me) and probably your ankle.  

-Bother looking for a beach. Not here.

-Be intimidated by the crazy friendly donkey. Emphasis on CRAZY. 

-Forget to close the gates behind you. The animals will get out.

DO

-Bring enough water and snacks for the hike across the island. It'll take 3-4 hours. I misjudged the distance, estimating 1.5-2 hours and didn't take enough resources.

-Slather on the sunblock.

-Sleep under the stars on the deck of your boat. Amazing.

-Go for a morning swim in crystal-clear waters while listening to holiday music. (Madonna's Holiday and La Isla Bonita will set the scene most appropriately).

-Try the goat!

Try the Goat

Allow me to tell you about the tiny Greek Isle of Levita.

Located in the Cycladic islands of Greece, Levita is practically an inkblot on a map. It's nearly uninhabited. I'd place it's population somewhere around, say, 6. That's it. One family lives on the island and they raise Goats. And some Sheep. And I saw a donkey (actually I was almost attacked by said Donkey). This island is a tiny little rocky, thorny paradisical getaway from just about anything and everyone. It's reachable only if you have your own boat. That's right, you can't even catch a ferry to this island. And its practically perfect in every way. And it's got a heavenly little protected bay to anchor in overnight.

The one family that lives on the island runs a tiny taverna that serves (you guessed it) Goat. Goat chops. Goat meatballs. Served up with some mighty tasty fries, tomatoes and cucumbers.

So did I eat Goat the night we anchored little Ekavi in Levita's calm bay? YoubetIdid! And it was REALLY GOOD. Who knew Goat was so tasty? Not I.

Of course it might have had something to do with the fact that I had just finished a three hour scramble across the island to what looked like some ruins on it's far side. (Turns out the ruins weren't quite so ruinous after all. What a let down! Brutal hike. No path. Rocks, thorns everywhere. It's the kind of hike where you have to pay attention every second, or you risk losing a foot.) I was famished. And if you're offered a choice between Goat and *Eh*hem* Goat, you'll eat goat.

Except I think I'd eat it again. But probably not in America. Definitely in Greece. Everything tastes better in Greece. Truly. Well except for pastry. It's decent. But go to France for great pastry. Mmmm. Butter.

But Levita... Get yourself a boat and go. Or don't, actually, because I want to go back there and find it just as secluded and void of humanity as it was a few weeks ago.

 The stupid lighthouse/non-ruins I hiked to. Phew!

 View from our table at the Taverna. Yummy goat!

We anchored overnight with five other boats. Paradise.

Kalimera Levita!

I woke up to a bit of sunlight streaming into my cabin from the open overhead hatch. We had anchored overnight in the shelter of The tiny island of Levita's horseshoe shaped harbor. A quick breakfast of Greek yogurt with granola and honey and I made my way all the way aft, and sat with my feet dangling into the water next to the ladder that connected sea to boat. The azure and sapphire shaded water was perfectly calm and the gentle morning sun caressed it, dancing and laughing against its glass surface. The hills surrounding us were a shade of gold. Suddenly over the boat's speakers came the sounds of 80's Madonna: la isla Bonita, cherish, like a prayer. And it was so stunningly, perfectly ambient.

Captain Robin came up from the cockpit and said "Puhfect day, ya?" (Awesome German accent).

The moment froze in time for me: a lush moment of absolute contentment on the water in the Greek isles.

Ya. Puhfect day.