Lipsi (Λειψοί) is in Greece’s Dodecanese island chain in the Aegean. It’s a small island with some 800 permanent residents and much to love. Lipsi is blessed with countless gorgeous beaches and crystal clear, turquoise water. The beaches alone are reason enough to visit, but Lipsi is also an incredibly accessible island. So much is within walking distance, the whole island is mapped in intricate detail (link below!), buses service the main beaches, and there’s a taxi with reasonable prices! The authorities have done a great job keeping Lipsi beautiful despite tourism. You won’t find sunbeds and umbrellas cluttering the beaches, and recycling is taken seriously. With so much going for it, it’s no surprise the word is out, especially with Italians, who make up the majority of the island’s visitors. This Lipsi, Greece Travel Guide will give you the lay of the land on all the island offers!
Check out more travel guides, tips, and advice on Greece and the Greek Islands.
Getting to Lipsi
The only way to get to Lipsi is by boat from a neighboring island. If you’re not coming from nearby, your best option is to fly to Leros Island and take the 20-minute ferry from Agia Marina port to Lipsi. Alternatively, you could fly into Samos Island and take a 2-hour ferry from there to get to Lipsi.
Painted map of Lipsi
Getting Around
Lipsi is a great island for walking and hiking. It’s so small that many places are within a 30 to 45-minute trek from town. The island is hilly, though, and the afternoon sun is intense, so we’re not talking leisurely strolls. I never saw locals walking to the beaches outside of town and very few foreigners did either. But for me, the best part was walking through Lipsi’s picturesque hills, along the coast, and by livestock grazing.
If you plan to visit the far east, pack in a lot in one day, or don’t fancy walking in the heat, you’ll want to rent a vehicle from George Rent a Car or Moto Rent Marko & Maria. You can rent a car, scooter, or quad ATV.
The town taxi by the harbor has a price list posted for popular destinations. It only costs €4-5 to go to the most popular beaches, Platis Gialos, Chochlakoura, and Katsadia, so many people take a taxi. The bus also goes to these beaches three times a day in the summer. The bus schedule is posted around town. It costs €3 one-way and €4 roundtrip, so if you’re more than one person, a taxi probably makes the most sense!
Walking back to town from Platis Gialos
Local Tips!
There’s a detailed map of the entire island, including every single beach and transit route, from paved roads to goat paths! I used this map 50 times a day. That alone is your secret to the island and all it has to offer! Google Maps doesn’t have all the beaches and off-road walking paths on it. Note when walking off-road that if you come across a fence, unless it’s next to a home or says “do not enter” or “private property,” it’s most likely to control where livestock graze and you can pass through it to continue on the path.
Things to Do
Lipsi’s Main Town
Lipsi’s lovely little seaside town and harbor are perfect for a relaxing stroll, day or night. Aside from visiting the Church of Saint John the Theologian, the only thing to do in town is walk around the maze-like streets, pop in and out of the few shops, and enjoy a drink or bite to eat with a view!
While not exactly in town, Lipsi Winery is just a 10-minute walk inland. During the summer they offer wine tastings at 7pm on Fridays for €15. Note that you have to make a reservation in advance.
Kimisi Beach + Pano Kimisi Church + Optional Hike
Descending on beautiful Kimisi beach (more on this beach later), after passing a church nestled into the hillside, is breathtaking. What’s even more wonderful is the 900-meter paved, coastal footpath from the beach up through the mountain to Pano Kimisi Church. The views along the way are spectacular (photos below). This is one of the highlights of Lipsi. Not for the faint of heart, you can also trek 1 hour, mostly along uphill goat paths, from town to Kimisi beach, passing several churches along the way. In retrospect, I loved this hike, but I spent the first 30 minutes sure I’d drop dead from heat exhaustion! So if you do it, go early in the morning (before 9am) and bring tons of water.
Chochlakoura Beach + Panagia tou Harou + Dimitris Farm
The 30-minute walk from town to Chochlakoura beach (more on this beach later) is picturesque, passing through verdant hills and by livestock, with figs to pick and eat along the way! Just off the main road, ten minutes before reaching the beach is Panagia tou Harou (Madonna of Charon) Church. In Greek mythology, Charon guides recently deceased souls from Earth to the afterlife. The church is noteworthy for its depiction of the Virgin Mary cradling crucified Jesus, rather than baby Jesus. After the church, you can stop at Dimitris Farm and Vineyard to buy produce or a bottle of wine. PS. You can drive to the beach, rather than walk, and visit the church and farm from there!
5-Island Boat Tour
There’s an 8-hour boat tour that makes stops on Lipsi, Makronisi, Aspronisi, Tiganakia, and Arki islands to swim. I didn’t do this because there was so much I wanted to discover on Lipsi, but anyone who enjoys a classic boat tour that takes you to different places to swim should enjoy this.
Beaches
Lipsi has so many incredible beaches, all with crystal clear, turquoise water (bring goggles to look at the fish!). So picking a beach is more about whether you want seclusion or not. To preserve the natural beauty of the beaches, there aren’t sunbeds or umbrellas to rent. Instead, there are trees planted on the main beaches for shade! Bring an umbrella when visiting more secluded beaches.
Most Popular (and Populated!)
Platis Gialos is the most popular beach. It’s in a bay that’s filled with shallow water all the way out, so you can sit like you’re in a pool, making it the best beach for kids to play in the water. It’s always crowded in summer and has a good taverna for lunch perched on a hill above the beach.
Chochlakoura is Lipsi’s second most popular beach. It has light-colored stones that contrast beautifully against the clear turquoise water. The beach is long and narrow, making it feel less crowded than Platis Gialos because there are fewer people directly behind or in front of you.
Katsadia is the third most popular beach and wraps around a large bay. It has a taverna that people like for its music and less traditional dishes. While a fine beach, I think Lipsi has many better beaches (especially if you prefer feeling immersed in nature) and wouldn’t prioritize it.
Liedou is Lipsi’s town beach. It’s crowded because of its proximity and is Lipsi’s only accessible beach with a Seatrac (a Greek invention!) that provides independent sea access to people with mobility issues (love!). Kambos beach is just after Liedou and a bit less crowded as a result. Both beaches have a road right behind them but are otherwise nice, convenient beaches to take a dip.
Tourkomnima and Xirokambos beaches are on opposite sides of a thin stretch of land with a church, so when one is windy, the other isn’t. There’s a third, tiny beach behind the church as well. I didn’t love the surroundings of these beaches because there are rental properties in the area and I prefer to feel more secluded and immersed in nature. There was also a lot of microplastic washed up on the sides of Tourkomnima beach. I wouldn’t prioritize these beaches on a shorter trip.
Kimisi Beach
Chochlakoura Beach
Pougki Beach
Secluded Beaches (My Favorites!)
Kimisi beach was my absolute favorite because, aside from being a stunning beach, there are incredible walks you can combine it with (mentioned above under Things to Do). There are only a few other people there at a time, even in peak summer. If you like goats (I love them), you’ll enjoy this beach. There are a handful hanging around nearby, so if you have food they can smell, a goat may come after it (I had to sacrifice a cheese pie!). The beach has no shade, so bring an umbrella.
Papandria, Pougki, and Tselepaki are gorgeous beaches next to Katsadia beach. They are more beautiful and secluded than Katsadia but have no shade. There are usually people on Papandria beach because it’s the closest to Katsadia, but the others will probably be empty. What’s great about these beaches is you can have seclusion but still get lunch nearby at Katsadia’s taverna.
*Note: I didn’t explore the less frequented, northeast coast between Koumoulia and Kamares beaches. There’s a coastal trekking route that connects them. Adventurers seeking secluded beaches or hikers may want to try that coastal stretch! If you’re hiking, always run your plans by a local first to get their recommendation on what’s actually doable; they know the land best.
Food & Drinks
Bakeries, Cafes, & Bars
Bread for the church and cheese pies at Kristallis Bakery
There are two bakeries in town, Kairis and Kristallis. Kairis is more of a cafe-bar, serving meals, coffee, alcohol, ice cream, and many baked goods and desserts. It has outdoor seating and is a popular spot to hang out, day or night. Kristallis is a traditional bakery with no seating, run by lovely, welcoming ladies that I enjoyed talking to every morning. They offer great bread and pastries to go. I loved their tahini-honey pastries and can’t wait to try and recreate them at home.
My favorite cafe (not for the service, though!) is Avli Botanica. It has great coffee and ambiance and turns into a low-key bar at night. They serve food too, though I can’t speak to that because their chef had disappeared and nobody knew when he’d be back! I also liked Stratos Cafe because it’s by the water and one of the few places I heard only Greek, but their coffee isn’t the best. Coffee Time is another cafe in town that was closed when I was there but has good ratings.
For evening drinks, try Casa Di Vino, which has more than wine despite its name, or Avli Botanica.
Restaurants
Ouzeri Sofoklis
Lipsi has a good selection of restaurants to choose from. Pefko, Yiannis, and Kalypso are traditional Greek tavernas on the harbor. They’re all pretty similar in terms of the food. There are also two ouzeris, Sofoklis and Asprakis, on the harbor serving ouzo with small plates.
Manolis Tastes is the most upscale restaurant in town. It has a lovely setting and is popular with international visitors. While it has the most potential and a broader range of dishes than the traditional tavernas, the dishes can be hit or miss. Lastly, there’s Lolos, a food truck serving gyros!
Fantastic guide! I am planning to combine Lipsi with Patmos, Leros and Samos!
Andrei, thank you so much! That sounds like the perfect trip. Here’s my Leros guide too, hope it helps! I passed Patmos on the ferry and it looked incredible, I really want to go there someday. Have a wonderful trip!!
Excellent article, very useful info!!
Sam, thank you so much – I’m so glad to hear it was helpful!