Lesvos, (Greek Lesvos Λέσβος), better known among the Greeks as Mytilini Μυτιληνη, is in the east of Greece and is the third largest island with a land area of 1633.83 km².
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places
Map of Lesbos
- 1 Mytilene
(Mytilene). 
The island capital is well worth seeing with clear oriental influences, historical buildings, a lively port and a beautiful shopping street. Due to the high number of mostly male refugees and Sinti / Roma, who have come to Lesbos in large numbers to participate in the state benefits, the inner city no longer has a beautiful touristy atmosphere, but rather oppressive. - 2 Agiasos (Αγιάσος Λέσβου).
Agiasos, the artistic and religious center of the island, is a traditionally preserved settlement that has a lot to offer visitors. - 3 Plomari (Πλωμάρι Λέσβου).A place worth seeing, which with its pretty townscape and many beautiful little shops invites you to go for a walk, Plomári lives not only from tourism, but also still from trade, fishing, small businesses and the production of ouzo. It's not very touristy. Tourism can be found in the nearby Agios Isidoros.
- 4 Mesotopus (Μεσότοπος Λέσβου).It is a traditional village with narrow cobbled streets and traditional houses. The inhabitants are mainly engaged in agriculture, animal husbandry and fishing. The sea port of Mesotopos is Tavari, 3 km south, with a beach with cafes and taverns.
- 5 Eressos (Ερεσός Λέσβου).From the end of the 1970s, Skala Eresou has been an international meeting place for lesbians. Every year in September this takes place for two weeks Sappho's Pride - International Women's Festival held.
- 6 Kalloni (Καλλονή Λέσβου).Known for the production of salted sardines and the abundance of birds in its area.
- 7 Mithymna (Μήθυμνα Λέσβου, Molivos).Mountainous little place with a lot of history and small picturesque streets, many small shops and numerous beautiful taverns.
- 8 Scale Sykaminias. Idyllic beautiful little port town with typical Greek taverns and cafes.
- 9 Sigri (Σίγρι Λέσβου).The village is a chaotic collection of summer houses, rented rooms and hotels, which are grouped around a small fishing port, a Turkish castle and the city beach.
- 10 Antissa (Άντισσα Λέσβου).Antissa is one of the best and most interesting of the traditional mountain villages of Lesbos. There is a big and beautiful platia three huge platano trees that make the village a cool place to come here on a hot afternoon.
background
Lesbos or Lesvos is the third largest island in Greece and the eighth largest in the Mediterranean. In the north, the Gulf of Edremit separates the island from Asia Minor with about nine kilometers in a very short distance, in the east the approximately 15 km wide strait of Lesbos. Lesbos is of volcanic origin and extends in several places to almost a thousand meters above the sea. Mountain ranges dominate the island. Almost half of the island is hilly land with olive and fruit trees and forests, predominantly Mediterranean pines with oak and walnut trees, cover about 20% of the island's area. The mountain and hill country is repeatedly interrupted by plains that make up almost a third of the island. Two bays with a depth of around 20 meters each extend into the island from the south coast.
Lesvos is dominated by agriculture. The main sources of income are the high quality olive oil, cheese, including feta, kaseri and ladotyri, the ouzo production as well as the fishing and salt extraction in the Gulf of Kalloni. Another source of income is tourism, which is favored on the one hand by the international airport of Mytilene and on the other hand by the easy accessibility by ferry.
Count to the tourist strongholds Plomari, Petra, Molyvos and Eresos. Due to the high number of refugees seeking access to Europe via Lesbos, the number of tourists visiting Lesbos decreased by around 70% in 2016 compared to the previous year and did not recover in the following years either. If you still want to travel to Lesbos today, you should book the places in the north and east that are hardly affected by the refugee drama. The region around the island's capital can no longer be recommended for tourism.
language
On the island of Lesbos, the official language is Greek, as in the rest of Greece. You get along well with English, but often also with German.
getting there
- With the ship from Kavala, Rafina, Thessaloniki other Piraeus and Ayvalik (Turkey)
- With the plane: Lesvos has an airport: Mytilene International Airport.
mobility
Since the island is quite large, it is advisable to rent a car for at least a few days in order to see the many attractions that the island has to offer. You can also use the public transport network if you have enough time.
Tourist Attractions
nature
- 1 Petrified forest (Απολιθωμένο δάσος της Λέσβου).The petrified forest was formed 20 million years ago when a volcano exploded in this part of northern Lesvos, covering the entire area with ash and lava. Some of the logs are 20 meters long and 3 meters in diameter, and you can even see the root systems. The forest extends to the sea and petrified wood can be found between the pebbles on the beaches of Sigri. The volcano's caldera is the area where the villages of Vatousa, Xidira, Antissa, and Zithra are located.
- 2 Salt pans. There are large salt pans on the Gulf of Kalloni, both near Kalloni and near Polichnitos. Aλυκές (alkikés) is the Greek name for salt gardens that are used to extract sea salt through evaporation. They attract numerous species of birds: flamingos, avocets, stilt and wood sandpipers, herons and much more.
Archaeological sites
Archaeological sites
Molyvo's castle
- 1 Molivos Castle (Mithymna Castle). The second most important castle on the island of Lesbos is in Mithymna (or Molyvos). Its current form comes from the Genoese in the 14th century, who were later supplemented by the Ottomans. On the hill there has been since the 5th century BC. an ancient acropolis. The Byzantines built a fortress on the site of the Acropolis, probably in the 6th century AD. In 1373, the Genoese Francis I ordered the castle to be rebuilt after it was destroyed when the Genoese took it in the 13th century. The Ottomans, who occupied the island in 1462, made repairs and alterations of their own in the following centuries.
- 2 Kremasti Bridge. Near Agia Paraskevis. It was built during the rule of the Venetian Gattilusi families between 1355 and 1462. Made entirely of stone, the bridge is a marvel of traditional architecture and is used to this day. Many of the ancient sites of Lesvos are located near Agia Paraskevis.
- 3 Klopedi. The remains of an Aeolian temple dedicated to the god Apollo can be seen near the village of Agia Paraskevis.
- 4 Palaiokastro by Kalloni & Antique Arisvi. During the late Byzantine period, Kalloni was a prosperous city, the castle of which was on a hill called "Palaiokastro" (old castle), 1.5 km northeast of present-day Kalloni. In ancient times, the hill was the acropolis of the ancient city Arisvi or Arisbe. This city was founded in the 5th century BC. From the neighboring city-state Mythimna destroyed. The city of old Kalloni and its castle were destroyed by the Turks in 1445. During the Ottoman period, people gradually moved to the location of the modern village as the need to live in castles decreased.
- 5 Antissa (Οβριόκαστρο, Obriókastro).This place is located on a peninsula between two bays near Skalahori and is easiest to get to by driving towards Gavatha and following the signs. There are remains of medieval walls and a fortress. There are also pillars and pieces of marble scattered in the valley near a small church that overlooks the beach. It can be assumed that most of the ancient Antissa is not excavated underground.
- 6 Sigri Castle (Σίγρι Λέσβου).This castle was built by the Turks in 1757 during their occupation of the island. It is located on a small peninsula above the harbor with a view of the beach and the city.
- 7 Vigla of Eresos Castle. In the Vigla of Eresos, the ancient Acropolis of Eresos is located near the beach and southeast of the village of Skala Eresou. In ancient times, Eresus has been a wealthy city since the time of the Trojan War. It remained wealthy even in the Middle Ages. At the beginning of the 14th century, the Byzantines built a new castle over the old fortress. After 1355 it became the property of Gateluzzi, who ruled the island until the Ottomans took Lesbos in 1462. After the Ottoman conquest, the castle was no longer used and the place fell into disrepair, and today only a few ruins remain: a cylindrical tower (Byzantine or Genoese), a rectangular tower (more Turkish) and a cistern. The two towers are very different and obviously come from different eras. The cylindrical tower, the oldest of the two, is largely built from fragments of the old fortress. The cistern probably dates from Roman times, but is in relatively good condition.
- 8 Early Christian basilica of Chalinados
- 9 Temple of the Messon (Ιερό του Μέσσου).Temple of Aphrodite.
- 10 Pyrra. One of the 5 ancient cities of Lesbos. Remnants of the city that was destroyed by an earthquake can be seen near Achladeri. The remains are now underwater, so bring a snorkel with you.
- 11 Tower of Vrisa. This is the oldest tower on the island and was built by the Genoese between 1355 and 1375. The area is the birthplace of Briseis (Βρισηΐς), a mythical queen in Asia Minor at the time of the Trojan War. Her character is at the center of a dispute between Achilles and Agamemnon that determines the plot of Homer's Iliad.
- 12 Ambeliko Tower. In the center of the village is a tall, narrow tower, a relic of the island's Genoese times. The tower is 16 m high today, but it used to be 27 m high. It was modified and shortened in 1830 for security reasons. The general consensus is that the tower is Genoese. However, many architectural elements indicate that it is very likely that it was built much later during the Turkish occupation.
- 13 Ottoman hamam ruin (Çarşı Hamam)
- 14 Mytilene Castle (Κάστρο Μυτιλήνης).It is one of the largest castles in the Eastern Mediterranean with an area of 200,000 square meters. The fortification was originally built in Byzantine times on the site of the ancient Acropolis. The first significant changes to the castle took place during the reign of the Genoese Gateluzzi family and in particular of the ruler Francisco Gateluzzo in 1373. Francisco took the island as a dowry in 1355 after he had married the sister of the Byzantine emperor John V Palaiologos. A strong earthquake destroyed a large part of the castle in 1384 and killed the entire royal family with the exception of one child (Giacomo). Repairs were not made until the beginning of the next century. The Turks conquered the castle and the island after a brief but violent siege in 1462. A number of other changes and additions were made by those of the Ottomans, especially in 1677. The Turkish occupation ended in 1912 when Lesbos became part of the Greek state. After the liberation, the fort was used as a military barracks in 1912.
- 15 Yeni Tzami Mosque
- 16 Ancient theater in Mitilini
- 17 Roman aquaduct. About 600 meters west of the village of Moria you can see the imposing arches of the large aqueduct built by the Romans. The ancient aqueduct started in the region of Agiassos and went through the villages of Lambou, Mylou, Larsos to Mytilini.
- 18 Archaeological site of Thermi. The only prehistoric site on the island that has been systematically excavated to this day. The location of the settlement, on a small peninsula, between two streams and two sandy beaches - favorable for the small prehistoric boats - is typical of the early Bronze Age of the Aegean.
- 19 Towers from the Thermi. Thermi is an area in the east of the island of Lesbos, which consists of three settlements: Loutropolis of Thermi, Pyrgi (towers) of Thermi and Paralia (beach) of Thermi. It is here that the island's rich built mansions with some defensive features since the time of Genoa. There used to be over 100 such towers in the region. Some of them still survive, but they have undergone serious changes over the course of the 20th century. The Tsoukaladelis Tower in the center of Loutropoli by Thermi is a characteristic example of the towers of this group (and one of the few that are still standing). It was most likely built in the 18th century. The Magnisalis tower is probably the oldest of this group of tower houses from the 16th century.
Monasteries
- 1 Panagia Glycofilousa. Church on a 35m high cliff in the village of Petra with 14 steps. It is estimated that the first church built on the rock was built in 1609. The church, which has been preserved to this day, was built in 1747 and restored in 1840. The view is worth the effort.
- 2 Limonos Monastery (Μονή Λειμώνος), Μονή Λειμώνος.The Limonos Monastery is the largest and most important monastery in Lesbos. It is located 4 km northwest of Kalloni and is open to visitors. The monastery dedicated to the Archangel Michael was built in Byzantine times. Women are not allowed to enter the monastery.
- 3 Panagia Agia Sion (Παναγία της Αγιάσου).Worth seeing church in the beautiful old town of Agiasos.
- 4 Agios Raphael monastery. This monastery is said to work miracles and houses the skull of Agios Raphael. It was built on the site of two previous monasteries and is a sacred pilgrimage site. Saint Raphael is the protector of the island.
- 5 Archangel Michael Monastery (Μονή Παμμεγίστων Ταξιαρχών Μανταμάδου Λέσβου, Taxiarches monastery).Taxiarchis - the most famous monastery on the island of Lesbos, dedicated to the Archangel Michael, the patron saint and guardian of the island.
- 6 Ypsilou monastery (Μονή Υψηλού).The Byzantine Monastery of Ipsilou was founded in the 9th century in honor of St. John the Theologian. It is located on the way from Andissa to Sigri, at an altitude of 511 m.
Culture
- 21 Museum of Industrial Olive-Oil Production of Lesvos (Μουσείο Βιομηχανικής Ελαιουργίας Λέσβου).in Agias Paraskevis.
- 22 Archaeological Museum (Αρχαιολογικό Μουσείο Μυτιλήνης).in Mytilene.
- 24 Natural History Museum of the Lesvos Petrified Forest (Μουσείο Φυσικής Ιστορίας Απολιθωμένου Δάσους Λέσβου)
activities
Thermal springs
- 1 Polichnitos. 80-90 91 degrees, the warmest healing springs in Europe. Salty. Separate pools for men and women. Suitable for rheumatic diseases, joint problems, skin diseases.
- 2 Eftalou / Molivos. At Molyvos you will find the Eftalou springs with their newly renovated bath house with individual private bathtubs or shared baths. These baths are among the most popular on the island.
- 3 Therme / Gulf of Gera. The separate baths for men and women are the largest on the island.
- 4 Thermi. In Skala Thermi, the historic baths have been in use since ancient times and were once the divine source of the goddess Artemis. Behind the relatively new bath house with its individual bathtubs are the old baths, which are now closed to the public. Well worth a visit though if you can ignore the trash and rubble.
beaches
Map of Lesbos
- 1 Scale of Sikamias. narrow stone-sand beach with a few taverns.
- 2 Kagia. nice unorganized beach.
- 3 Agios Stefanos. long, unorganized beach.
- 4 Mistegnon scale. This is a beautiful and secluded beach with pebbles.
- 5 Mytilene beach. Mytilene Beach is furnished with lounge chairs and umbrellas, although the coast is a bit rocky in some places. It is only a few minutes walk from the city center and the port.
- 6 Geras
- 7 Agios Isidoros. Long sandy beach equipped with sun loungers, parasols and many water sports centers.
- 8 Plomari Amoudeli
- 9 Plomari beach. This is a small bay with clean water and a few tavernas and cafeterias.
- 10 Melinta. nice unorganized beach.
- 11 Fathera. long sandy beach.
- 12 Nifidas
- 13 Polichnitou scale
- 14 Kalonis scale. It's a popular beach with umbrellas and lounge chairs, lined with cafes and restaurants. The sand is soft and the water is shallow.
- 15 Scale Eressou. is a long and organized beach with sun loungers, parasols and beach bars that stretches northwest from the village, and nudism is also possible (especially popular with lesbian couples) if you walk a little outside the beach area.
- 16 Sigri beach. Sandy beach, rarely overcrowded.
- 17 Campos
- 18 Anaxos Ampelia. A quiet sandy beach is not organized and offers its visitors a relaxed environment.
- 19 Anaxos Skutarou. Sandy beach, organized.
- 20 Petra beach. This large organized beach is very popular. On the beach there are parasols, deck chairs, showers and changing rooms as well as various restaurants and taverns.
- 21 Psiriara Beach. Sandy beach that stretches from Molyvos to the south and is lined with a few small hotels. Nudism is established at the extreme southern end of the beach behind the hotels and has a spectacular view of Molyvos and its castle on the hill.
- 22 Molyvos beach. long pebble beach, partly managed.
- 23 Eftalou. Pebble beach with several bays in a row. Popular with Nudism Friends are the back bays that extend east from the main entrance to the beach.
Further
- International Eressos Women’s Festival. The women's festival takes place every September on the sandy beaches of Scale Eresou instead of. Hosted by women for women, there is two weeks of live music, an open-air LGBT film festival, beach volleyball, yoga, meditation and partying. The reason of the festival is Sappho, one of the greatest poets of ancient Greece. Her sensual and passionate verses about women have led lesbians from all over the world to come to their birthplace, the village of Skala Eresou, to spend their holidays in like-minded company.
kitchen
- The salt-dried sardines (anchovies) from Lesvos are known throughout Greece, as is the oil cheese.
nightlife
The town Mytilene a pronounced night life due to the university with its approx. 5000 students. The most famous clubs in the city are at the port, in a row. These are cafes, which are practically converted from about 9 p.m.
The night life in Scale eressos offers many smaller cafes and bars. Especially in the high season in August there is live music and dancing as well as karaoke, open-air films and the occasional art shows. The atmosphere here is very open-minded and you are rarely left alone. Night swimming is also a popular activity.
security
Due to the high number of refugees, security near the refugee camps is not as relaxed as is usual in Greece. Here you have to inquire locally and the beaches nearby are better avoided as a woman.
- 25 Moria refugee camp
climate
literature
Web links
- http://www.lesvos.gr/ - Official website of Lesbos
- Lesbos Guide English
- English guide
