Lesvos
Photo: Greece Field Guide
The Verdict
A whole world of an island: ouzo country, a petrified forest, a Byzantine monastery and villages that see almost no tourists.
Why go
Lesvos is large enough to hold several islands' worth of things: the petrified forest in the west, where fossilised trunks still stand in the volcanic ground; the monastery of Limonos; the castle and stone village of Molyvos in the north; and Mytilene in the east, with its market and its ouzeries. It is also the island of ouzo, perfected here and poured with small plates in Plomari and Mytilene as a matter of local identity. Nothing about it is polished for visitors, which is most of its appeal.
Understand the place
The third largest Greek island — an unhurried North Aegean world of olive groves, ouzeries, castles, a petrified forest and long empty beaches.
Beyond the built
Outdoors & nature
Towns & villages
Molyvos
A hillside village of grey stone and red roofs on the north coast of Lesvos, with a Byzantine castle on the summit and a fishing harbour at its foot.
“A stone village climbing to a Byzantine castle with a small harbour below — the postcard corner of Lesvos, and better after six.”
Mytilene
The capital of Lesvos, built round two harbours with a Genoese castle, an old market and a waterfront of ouzeries.
“A large, scruffy, lively port city with an old market and a castle, and the best food on Lesvos.”
Easy to combine with
Logically reachable by transport. Confirm current ferry/flight schedules before booking.
Nearby
Related
Sources
Booking links
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Plan this trip
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