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Lesvos exceeds expectations with its breathtaking beauty, often surprising first-time visitors. What might initially be daunting is the island’s vast expanse. Adding to its charm, the fiercely independent locals have deliberately avoided transforming Lesvos into a typical tourist destination, which has preserved an almost elusive, untouched allure. Moreover, the island’s resilient spirit shines through as it has bravely shouldered the weight of the refugee crisis since 2015, adding a profound layer to the experience of visiting this captivating Aegean gem.
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Lesvos: A beautiful island, ideal for everyone!
Lesvos is an ideal island for groups of friends, families, solitary vacations, relaxation, adventurous situations, and of course for all seasons of the year. It is charming in autumn and winter but also in spring. For summer, it’s amazing!
It’s worth noting that Lesvos is the third largest island in Greece after Crete and Evia and one of the largest islands in the Mediterranean with a coastline of 370 kilometers long.
Lesvos is also a fertile island, full of pine trees and olive groves. About 11,000,000 olive trees (!) grow in Lesvos, creating a continuous, large olive grove. The alternations of the landscapes are very intense.
The island has two bays. The largest is Kalloni Bay, famous for its sardines, and the smaller one is Gera Bay. Another intense element of the island’s identity is its vast geological monuments and areas with natural beauty and ecological value. An example is the Petrified Forest, designated as a protected natural monument (UNESCO World Heritage site). We have gathered some (we emphasize some, only!) of the stops you can make on your trip to Lesvos.
Six beautiful stops in Lesvos
1 Thermal Baths at Thermi
The hot springs are located very close to the city of Mytilene (at the 7th kilometer of the national road Mytilene-Kalloni) in an excellent location overlooking the beautiful Gulf of Gera. The location here is called Thermi. The thermal water that you will enjoy in your baths starts its journey towards the surface from a depth of 2,500 meters from the bowels of the earth and gushes out like an artesian well at a temperature of 39.5 degrees Celsius. On their long journey, until they reach this location, they pass through various rocks which enrich them with precious health ingredients. Just as the water gushes out of the earth, it is led to the two pools (one for women, one for men) at an ideal temperature for the body.
These baths have been recently renovated but without losing their intensely mythological aura (they give a sense of atmosphere to a story by Xanthoulis). They are now very modern – with outdoor pools overlooking the Gulf of Gera during the months when the weather is good – very clean, very economical (3 euros per bath) and there is also a café bar on their premises. If you want to cool off immediately after your hot bath, you can take a dip on the beach right in front. And if you want even more relaxation and fun, you can ask for one of the many massage treatments offered there.
2 A walk in Kagiani.
You will find it by leaving the city of Mytilene, heading towards the airport, and following the uphill road with the sign towards Kalloni, 6 kilometers from the city. People come here for three main reasons – one is for the wonderful panoramic view that this location offers to the city of Mytilene. The second is for the café-patisserie in the courtyard of the large and imposing church of Taxiarchs. Delicious and very cheap appetizers, varieties, and sweets but also plenty of space for children to play.
3 Best Ouzo Place
The third – and for others the first – is Antonis’ ouzo place (third-generation ouzo and coffee shop). The locals drink water in his name and it is probably the most popular ouzo place on the whole island. The store has been operating since 1990 and its appetizers are simply dreamy. Some that you can try here are the guzlemédes (pan-fried cheese pies with handmade dough), the marinated anchovy, the stuffed sardines, and the bean soup.
4 The impressive Petrified Forest
5 Agiasos, the visit you must make
6 Molyvos, the pedestrian street, and the picturesque harbor
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Staying in Molyvos
Molyvos, boasts an incredible ambiance and is home to some of the island’s most scenic landscapes. This enchanting area, nestled far from the hustle and bustle of Mytilene, offers a tranquil retreat. The picturesque village, with its charming stone houses and cobbled streets, is perfect for those seeking a peaceful getaway. The region is dotted with a variety of hotels, each providing an ideal base for exploring the island. These accommodations offer not only comfort but also a sense of distance from the island’s busier spots, allowing visitors to fully immerse themselves in the serene beauty and unique atmosphere of Molyvos.
7 The Lesvos of Elytis…
We close this winter tribute to Lesvos (since another full-time guide of the exploringgreece.tv will follow in
the summer) with a few words by Odysseas Elytis, (a Greek Nobel-priced poet) who came from Lesvos.
“Nowhere else in the world, the Sun and the Moon do not co-rule so harmoniously, they do not share so fairly their power, as on this piece of land that once, who knows in what times unlikely, which god, to make his mood, cut and blew away, same plane leaf in the middle of the sea. I’m talking about the island, which later, when it was inhabited, was named Lesbos and whose position, as we see it marked on the geographical maps, does not seem to correspond much to reality. It may seem strange, but an hour or two after the ship of the line leaves Chios it is as if it leaves the whole known world. It enters seas that suddenly seem unexplored and the unannounced traveler, who swings with the rhythm of the morning bubble sea, held by the railings of the bridge, stares at the horizon with the same feeling that he would have in times of old a lucky sailor”
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Read also:
Lesvos: The unknown well of Achilles and the legend about his horses
Which nation calls Greece Si-La and what it means
Molyvos: The village that has one of the most beautiful pedestrian streets in the world
Frequently Asked Questions
Lesvos is a breathtaking island that exceeds expectations with its untouched allure, fierce local independence, and unique charm. It's the third largest Greek island with 370 kilometers of coastline, featuring diverse landscapes, 11 million olive trees, UNESCO-protected sites, and rich cultural heritage.
Yes, Lesvos is ideal for groups of friends, families, solo travelers, and those seeking relaxation or adventure. It offers compelling experiences across all seasons - charming in autumn, winter, and spring, and amazing in summer.
The Petrified Forest of Lesvos is a geological monument and protected natural area designated as a UNESCO World Heritage site, representing one of the island's most significant areas of natural beauty and ecological value.
Approximately 11 million olive trees grow on Lesvos, creating one of the world's largest continuous olive groves and defining the island's agricultural identity and landscape.
Lesvos has two main bays: Kalloni Bay, the largest and famous for its sardines, and Gera Bay, the smaller of the two, both offering unique natural and economic value to the island.
Mytilene's old town features the historic old market with narrow cobbled streets, the Holy Temple of Agios Therapon, Ottoman monuments like the Geni Mosque, Christian churches, and shops selling fresh fish, handmade soaps, cheeses, ouzo, ceramics, and traditional crafts.
Yes, Lesvos is the third largest island in Greece after Crete and Evia, and one of the largest islands in the Mediterranean with a coastline stretching 370 kilometers.
Lesvos features significant historical monuments including the Holy Temple of Agios Therapon, the Metropolitan Church of Mytilene, Agioi Theodoroi, Agioi Apostoloi, Agios Symeon, the Geni Mosque, and the Tsarsi Hamam from the Ottoman period.
Lesvos has been deliberately preserved by its fiercely independent locals who avoided transforming it into a typical tourist destination, maintaining its authentic, almost elusive allure and unique island character.
Since 2015, Lesvos has bravely shouldered the weight of the refugee crisis, adding a profound humanitarian layer to the island's identity and experience for visitors seeking to understand contemporary Mediterranean issues.
Lesvos is a fertile island full of pine trees and olive groves, with the landscape characterized by intense alternations between different terrains and agricultural zones, dominated by millions of olive trees.
Lesvos has been a continuous source of inspiration for artists, painters, writers, and poets throughout history, contributing significantly to Mediterranean cultural and artistic heritage.
Lesvos is the seat of the University of the Aegean, the Regional Unit of Lesbos, the Region of Northern Aegean, and hosts the Ministry of Aegean, making it administratively significant in Greek governance.
Lesvos offers handmade olive oil soaps, traditional cheeses including famous oil cheese and mizithra, fresh fish, ouzo, pottery, and ceramic decorations, many from shops with half a century or more of history.
The old market and town of Mytilene is the most beloved spot among locals, where modern city life truly beats with residents enjoying traditional sweets and authentic island experiences on its charming cobbled streets.
