Port Leone sits on the south eastern tip of Kalamos.  It is in fact a small bay with a deserted village and has been since 1953 when an earthquake registering 7.3 on the richter scale damaged the village.

Other local villages were rebuilt but sadly the water supply to Port Leone was cut and the villagers decided to emigrate rather than to rebuild.

 

The houses now stand as shells, whilst the church is maintained. The icon Panaghia i Kefaliotissa is inside the church and is said to have been recorded by St. Luke as being brought to the island by refugees from Asia Minor.

Locals tell the story that in the past the intention was to move the icon to a safer church along the coast to Kalamos town. There was no road link, only passage by boat, in fact a dirt road has only recently been made to connect the settlements.

Each time they tried to move the icon a boat would come for it, storms broke out and the transfer was always cancelled.

Today the church is sadly locked and we couldn’t view inside, however we were told that each Sunday 3 or 4 local ladies from Kalamos town come to open the church, clean it and say a few prayers.

 

Photos of---

Windmills approaching the bay

Tioram in the bay

The derelict village

The Church

Icons

 

Love to all

Tina and Tony x x