island
Lesvos greek version

VACATIONS IN LESVOS


Lesvos

Vacations in Lesvos (Nothern Aegean - Greece)

Lesvos: The island of Sappho, the island of tradition and harmony



Lesvos islandLesvos seaLesvos mountainsLesvos greenLesvos ancientLesvos foodLesvos accessLesvos transportationLesvos roadsLesvos picturesque
Area Nothern Aegean Best for All
Perfecture Lesvou Cost Low
Access Ship Size 1632 Square Kilometers
Beaches All Distance 375 Kilometers

Vacations in Lesvos island - Lesvos, The island of Sappho, the island of tradition and harmony

39.2645095
26.2777073
Lesvos MolyvosLesvos BeachLesvos Ermogenis

More Lesvos pictures

Why Lesvos

  • To experience true Greece, unaffected by tourism
  • To have a bath in the healing thermal springs which are all over Lesvos
  • To take a stroll at the romantic and picturesque village of Molyvos
  • To admire the palatial houses of Mytilene, Lesvos' capital
  • To make sure that you never run out of places to see and things to do

Information On Lesvos


Lesvos, also called Mytilene (by the name of its capital), is one of the islands of Northern Aegean. It is the third largest island of Greece, which means that you will definitely not run out of places to visit. In fact it would take you three weeks to visit (at a regular pace) every attraction on Lesvos.

Lesvos is the birthplace of Sappho, the ancient greek poet who was, supposedly, a lesbian. Lesvos is also the birthplace of other poets, both ancient and modern, like Alkaios and Odysseas Elytis.

Being on Lesvos, due to its size, is like not being on an island at all. It is more like visiting the inland mountains of Greece where you can find traditional villages.

There is night-life on Lesvos island but to a very reasonable extend. It is generally a quiet and peaceful island, but you will find several bars on Mytilene, Molyvos, Eressos and other popular places. Choose one of the smaller villages for complete tranquillity and quietness.

Lesvos is also a great destination for religious-tourism, as some very important monasteries and churches can be found there, like the monastery of Saint Raphael and the church of Archangel Michael at Mantamados.

Vegetation on Lesvos is somewhat unusual. While the east part of the island is green, the west part is nothing like that, looking like an island of Cyclades.

Due to its rich ecosystem, Lesvos is also great for birdwatching (more information can be found here: http://www.lesvosbirding.com/).

There are many gas stations and banks & ATM machines on Lesvos.
Lesvos informationLesvos informationLesvos information

Beaches Of Lesvos


In a big island like Lesvos, you can find all sorts of beaches, most of which have been awarded with a Blue Flag.
  • Sigri (West Lesvos): A large organized sandy beach with calm shallow sea and tamarisk trees.
  • Skala Eressou (Southwest Lesvos): A stretch of sand of 3 klm that attracts large crowds.
  • Tarti (South Lesvos): Small scenic beach with sand and thin pebble in a verdant landscape.
  • Agios Ermogenis (South Lesvos): A beautiful beach with pebble in a verdant landscape.
  • Vatera (South Lesvos): The largest beach on Lesvos with nice sand.
  • Agios Isidoros (South Lesvos): A large organized beach with pebble and sand.
  • Skala Kallonis (South Lesvos): One of the most famous beaches of Lesvos, an endless stretch of sand.
  • Nyfida (South Lesvos): A long organized beach with sand and tamarisk trees.
  • Petra (North Lesvos): A nice sandy beach with water that gets deep suddenly.
  • Anaxos (North Lesvos): A large and popular organized beach in a growing tourist resort.
  • Molyvos (North Lesvos): The lovely beach of Molyvos village with large pebbles.
  • Eftalou (North Lesvos): Small consecutive beaches with small pebble and clean shallow sea.

Find here in full detail all Lesvos beaches

Lesvos beachesLesvos beachesLesvos beaches

Travel To Lesvos


There is a fast ship (around 7 hours) and a conventional ship (around 11 hours) reaching Lesvos from the port of Piraeus and making a stop at Chios island. There is also an airport on the island with the flight from Athens being just half an hour.
Lesvos travelLesvos travelLesvos travel

Transportation On Lesvos (Car Rentals)


There are many places where you can rent a car or a bike. In case you plan on visiting many parts of Lesvos you should get one, otherwise you will be more or less stranded in the area where you will be staying. The buses are frequent but they cover only the basic routes and not the entire island.
Lesvos transportationLesvos transportationLesvos transportation

Accommodation On Lesvos (Hotels, Apartments, Guesthouses, Rooms to let)


There are two obvious choices when choosing where to stay: Mytilene and Molyvos (also called Mythimna). You could stay at Plomari or Eressos, but both of them are too far from anything else (especially Eressos). The best place, by far, to go out at night is Molyvos, so I suggest staying there (or somewhere close). It is important to choose the right place for staying because distances are big and you would not want to spend 2 hours a day (including the return trip) in order to i.e. go out at Molyvos.
Accommodation in Lesvos is cheap, even during August when you may find a double room for merely 45 Euro. You may not even need to book a room beforehand, even for August, but you are strongly advised to do so for July and August.
Lesvos accommodationLesvos accommodationLesvos accommodation

Food & Drink On Lesvos


Lesvos is not much of a hot-spot for tourism, as a result you can find great traditional food at low prices. As always, the best places to eat are small taverns is low-population villages away from big cities. There are a lot of bars and cafeterias as well in all large villages of Lesvos. Lesvos is Greece's capital of ouzo, a traditional greek alcohol drink that is served usually with sea-food snacks, which you have to try as it is hard to find outside of Greece. On Lesvos you can find many local varieties that you can not find even in Athens.
Lesvos cuisineLesvos cuisineLesvos cuisine

What To Buy On Lesvos


You can get a lot of other traditional products (like hylopites (traditional Greek pasta), whine, honey, jams, home-made sweets), but ladotyri (a type of local cheese) is perfect for frying and highly recommended. You should also consider getting some olive oil, as that of Lesvos is a distinct variety and very light. Finally, do not forget to try the fish "sardela" coming from Kalloni bay, which is not cooked but buried in salt instead. This is what you would call the traditional greek type of sushi!
Lesvos purchasesLesvos purchasesLesvos purchases

Attractions On Lesvos

Mytilene


Mytilene is the capital of Lesvos, an impressive city with palatial houses and plethora of Museums.

Molyvos - Mythimna


A scenic village with alleys ideal for romantic strolls under the castle.

Petra


One of the most scenic villages of Lesvos with the church of Panagia on a huge standing rock.

Stone Forest Park


A large barren park with some fossilized tree trunks, with the tallest at 7 meters!

Stone Forest Museum


A new and well-preserved museum displaying the history behind the Stone Forest and fossils from all over Lesvos.

Archaeological Museum of Lesvos - Mytilene


There are two archaeological Museums in Mytilene. The new Archaeological Museum is new and modern with a lot of space.

Folklore Museum of Lesvos - Mytilene


The Folklore Museum is situated in the harbor and it gives a taste of how life was on Lesvos during the past centuries.

Lesvos Museum of Industrial Olive-Oil Production


The aim of the Lesvos Industrial Olive Oil Museum is to present the industrial phase of olive oil production in Greece.

Taxiarhis Church - Mantamados


The icon of Archangel Michael is said to have been created with mud and the blood of monks. It is also quiet unique to see the iron shoes of the Archangel.

Saint Raphael's Monastery


This is one of the most important monasteries which attracts thousands of people each year.

Ypsilou Monastery


An imposing 8th century castle-monastery with an excellent panoramic view and easy access.

Holy Monastery of Pythario


In a distinct and beautiful landscape, thanks to the small artificial lake, is the Holy Monastery of Pythario.

Panagia Gorgona


This little church, built on a rock by the sea, was named Panagia Gorgona after one of the most important greek novels.

Karini


A beautiful verdant location with huge trees, a river with ducks, a little bridge and the huge cavity in a gigantic plane tree where Theofilos the painter used to come.


Find here in full detail all Lesvos attractions

Lesvos attractionsLesvos attractionsLesvos attractions

Alternative Islands To Lesvos

Lesvos is not what you are looking for? Then one of the following nearby islands might interest you:

Chios (46 klm from Lesvos)
Oinousses (48 klm from Lesvos)
Psara (64 klm from Lesvos)
Lemnos (74 klm from Lesvos)
Agios Efstratios (76 klm from Lesvos)
Samothrace (126 klm from Lesvos)
Samos (140 klm from Lesvos)
Ikaria (146 klm from Lesvos)
Fournoi (152 klm from Lesvos)
Thassos (178 klm from Lesvos)

Lesvos alternativesLesvos alternativesLesvos alternatives

Islands Connected To Lesvos

There is a ferry from Lesvos to the following islands:

Chios (direct connection to Lesvos)
Ikaria (direct connection to Lesvos)
Lemnos (direct connection to Lesvos)
Samos (direct connection to Lesvos)

Connections from LesvosConnections from LesvosConnections from Lesvos

Comments On Lesvos


There are yet no comments on Lesvos...

New Comment on Lesvos:
Name:
Email:
 * (not published)
Comments:
 *
Verification:
= 4-1 *

 I wish to be informed of new comments on Lesvos by email

 


Greece Vacation Search Why Greece Island FAQ How To Use Greek Cuisine Contact