🪪 The island at a glance
📍 Where it is
Lesvos lies in the northeast Aegean, between Lemnos and Chios, a few kilometres off the coast of Turkey. It is the third largest island in Greece, after Crete and Euboea. Ferries come from Piraeus and Thessaloniki, and from Mytilene small boats cross over to Ayvalık.
📍 Where Lesvos is
Lesvos is in the northeast Aegean, very close to the coast of Turkey. The island is shown in red, and in green are Piraeus, where the ferry leaves from, and Athens airport.
🗺️ The map of the island
Lesvos has two large gulfs that cut deep into the land, the Gulf of Kalloni and the Gulf of Gera. The east side is green, with olive groves, pine forests and Mount Olympos. The west side is bare and volcanic, with the Petrified Forest. Distances are long: from Mytilene to Sigri you need more than two hours by car.
🗺️ Map of Lesvos
Mytilene and the airport are in the east. Molyvos and Petra are on the north coast, Kalloni in the middle, by the large gulf. Sigri, the Petrified Forest and Skala Eressos are in the west, and Agiasos and Plomari in the south. Tap each number to see what it is.
Map: Cristoforo Buondelmonti, c. 1420 (Public domain) · Wikimedia Commons
⚖️ Is it worth it? The pros and cons
Lesvos is one of the most authentic islands in Greece, but it needs time. Here is an honest picture.
📊 At a glance, from 1 to 5
👍 The pros
- An authentic island that lives all year round.
- Molyvos, Petra and the mountain villages.
- The Petrified Forest, with nothing like it in Greece.
- Ouzo, sardines and very good food.
- Good prices and little mass tourism.
👎 The cons
- A very big island, it needs a car and time.
- The ferry from Piraeus is a very long trip.
- The best beaches are far from Mytilene.
- Little nightlife outside the town.
- The west side is bare and dry.
🏛️ Mytilene
Mytilene is a lively town with a university, neoclassical buildings and cafés around the harbour. Above the harbour rises the dome of Agios Therapon, and behind it Ermou street, the old market street with shops and cafés. On the hill to the north stands the castle, one of the largest in the Mediterranean, with walls from Byzantine, Genoese and Ottoman times.
Just outside the town, in Varia, is the museum of Theophilos, the folk painter born on Lesvos, and next to it the Tériade Museum, with works by modern painters. Lesvos is also the home of the ancient poet Sappho and the poet Alcaeus.
Neoclassical buildings around the water.
The dome that stands out from the sea.
One of the largest castles in the Mediterranean.
Byzantine, Genoese and Ottoman walls.
Built around two harbours.
The folk painter of Lesvos.
Photos: Timeheritage (CC BY-SA 4.0), Borasak (CC BY-SA 4.0), Katsiaryna Naliuka (CC BY-SA 3.0), Geraki (CC BY-SA 4.0), Bj.schoenmakers (CC0), Theophilos (Public domain) · Wikimedia Commons
On Lesvos, ouzo is drunk with small dishes, never on its own. Order Kalloni sardines, octopus and ladotyri cheese, and drink slowly, with water or ice.
🏰 Molyvos and Petra
Molyvos, or Mithymna, on the north coast, is one of the prettiest villages in the Aegean. Stone houses with tiled roofs climb the hill up to a large castle, and below is a small harbour with fish tavernas. From the castle you can see the whole north coast and, opposite, Turkey. A little to the east, at Eftalou, there are hot springs by the sea.
A few kilometres south, Petra has a long sandy beach and, in the middle of the village, a tall rock. On top of it is the church of Panagia Glykofilousa, which you reach by more than 100 steps. The view of the village and the sea from there is wide.
A stone village below a castle.
The houses climb up to the top.
Views over the whole north coast.
The north coast with its beaches.
A church on top of a rock.
Photos: Mike Peel (CC BY-SA 4.0), Rosa-Maria Rinkl (CC BY-SA 4.0), Dimitris Eleftheriou (CC BY-SA 4.0), .marc. (CC BY-SA 3.0) · Wikimedia Commons
🌳 The west and the Petrified Forest
Western Lesvos is bare and volcanic. Here, around Sigri, is the Petrified Forest: tree trunks that were buried by volcanic ash about 20 million years ago and turned to stone. Many are still standing upright. The area is a UNESCO Global Geopark, and in Sigri the Natural History Museum explains how it was formed.
Further south, Skala Eressos has a long beach with tavernas on the sand and a lovely sunset. Ancient Eressos is thought to be the birthplace of Sappho. In the middle of the island, on the Gulf of Kalloni, the salt pans fill with flamingos and other birds in spring, and many people come here for birdwatching.
Trees that turned to stone millions of years ago.
Still where they grew.
The finds and the story of the forest.
A fishing village at the western tip.
Sunset at the western tip.
A long beach, Sappho's homeland.
Flamingos and many birds in spring.
Photos: Giorgos ab1234 (CC BY-SA 4.0), Tomisti (CC BY-SA 4.0), Costis Stefanou (Public domain), Mikedelis (CC BY-SA 4.0), Tromios (Attribution), Nikostakis78 (CC BY-SA 4.0) · Wikimedia Commons
🫒 The south, Agiasos and Plomari
On the slopes of Olympos, Agiasos is a mountain village with stone lanes, cafés and pottery workshops. The church of the Panagia is one of the island's great pilgrimage sites, especially on 15 August. To the south, by the sea, Plomari is the town of ouzo, with distilleries you can visit and a square with a plane tree.
West of Plomari, Vatera has one of the longest sandy beaches on the island, with shallow water. All over the south you will see olive groves, because Lesvos is one of the largest olive oil producing islands in Greece.
A mountain village with stone lanes.
On the slopes of Olympos.
The town of ouzo.
Cafés under the plane tree.
One of the longest sandy beaches on the island.
Oil and olives all over the island.
Photos: Tryfon Manolis (CC BY-SA 4.0), Rutger2 (Public domain), Phelim123 (CC BY-SA 3.0), Enginius1 (CC BY-SA 4.0) · Wikimedia Commons
🏖️ The beaches
- Skala Eressos: a long beach with tavernas and sunset.
- Vatera: a very long sandy beach with shallow water in the south.
- Petra: a long sandy beach in front of the village.
- Eftalou: pebbles and hot springs near Molyvos.
- Sigri: quiet beaches at the western tip.
- Tsamakia: Mytilene's beach, inside the town.
Lesvos is big and the roads are winding. From Mytilene to Molyvos takes about an hour and a half, and to Sigri more than two hours. Stay in two places so you don't drive every day.
🍽️ What to eat
Try ouzo from Plomari, Kalloni sardines, grilled or salted, and Mytilene ladotyri, a hard cheese matured in olive oil. The island's ouzeris serve lots of small dishes, with fish, greens and oil from the olive groves of Lesvos.
📅 When to go
The best time is May, June and September: warm sea, green countryside and quiet roads. In spring the Kalloni salt pans fill with birds. In July and August it is hot, but the island doesn't fill up like the Cyclades. Mytilene lives all year round, so Lesvos is also good for an off-season trip.
✈️ How to get there from Athens
| How | Duration | From | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Plane | Less than an hour | Athens airport | The fastest way. The airport is just outside Mytilene. |
| Ferry | About 11–13 hours | Piraeus | Often an overnight trip, with a cabin. Arrives in Mytilene. |
From Ioulianou 50, you reach the airport on Line 1 to Monastiraki and then Line 3. For Piraeus, Line 1 takes you straight to the port. On the island you need a car, because it is very big. To compare ferry and plane, see our guide to ferry or plane.
🗓️ Four days on Lesvos
Mytilene
Morning at the castle and a stroll down Ermou street. In the afternoon the Theophilos museum in Varia and dinner at the harbour.
Agiasos and Plomari
Morning in Agiasos, with its stone lanes and the church of the Panagia. Then Plomari for ouzo and a swim at Vatera.
Molyvos and Petra
Via Kalloni to Molyvos and up to the castle. In the afternoon Petra and sunset on the north coast.
The wild west
The Petrified Forest and the museum at Sigri. In the afternoon a swim and sunset at Skala Eressos.
Frequently asked questions
Where should I stay on Lesvos?
In Mytilene, for the town and the airport. In Molyvos or Petra, for the north coast. In Skala Eressos, for the west and the beach. If you stay longer, split your stay between two places.
Can I go to Turkey from Lesvos?
Yes. Boats go from Mytilene to Ayvalık and, at times, to Dikili. You need a passport and, depending on your nationality, a visa.
Is Lesvos good for children?
Yes. Vatera and Petra have shallow water, and children love the Petrified Forest.
How many days do I need?
At least four to five days for Mytilene, Molyvos, the Petrified Forest and the south. To see the island at your own pace, a week.
— Kathy
