General Information & Reviews

Reviews

• janeso 27 Sep 2010
  Fortunately keeps character

  At first appearance, Lesvos was quite different from the typical Greek islands I have visited in the past. There are no overwhelmingly beautiful landscapes or tourist attractions to lure visitors to this huge Aegean island. But, after a week on Lesvos, I realize that the island is quietly impressive in its own way, and could turn out to be a treat for people like me who are looking to experience the provincial side of Greek life before the sharks of package tourism decide to package Lesvos and hand it on a platter to the gullible tourist.
  
  Actually, Lesvos has everything. Charming hillside villages, splendid beaches and varied landscapes, unspoilt and relatively uninhabited spots, add to its allure. The only hitch, perhaps, is the time spent on traveling around the large island and added to this are the bad roads that could be hard on your car suspension. From the capital, I traveled to the southeast of Lesvos, which has perhaps, the most picturesque landscapes on the island. I drove on hillsides dotted with lush olive groves and pine forests and pretty villages perched on rolling hillsides. I loved the village of Agiassos and nearly went missing in the alleyways! Picked up a few ceramic pieces from one shop there. The charming Agios Ermogenis with its double beaches stretching on either side of a rocky promontory on which stands a chapel is a must visit. Surprisingly, it was a bit crowded.
  
• mdgibson 13 Jul 2010
  Wonderful place to fall in love with

  For the first time to Lesvos but for sure not the last time. We were pleasantly surprised by the friendliness of the local population, a kindness we haven't found any where else yet in Greece. We stayed at the Molivos Residence, the owner Roulla a beautiful nice young woman who will go out of here way to make you feel home and give you good advice where to go and what to see, a small apartment complex which has 9 apartments only and for Greek ideas very luxurious.
  
  The apartment we had consisted of a big living room with open kitchen, 2 big bedrooms each with its own big balcony and a third balcony in front of the living room. The few is west so each evening the most spectacular view over the bay at the sunset.
  
  The distance to Molivos/Petra is easy to walk but I do advice a car for a few day's to see the island other beautiful places. Molivos is beautiful with its castle towering above the town, a beautiful little harbour with lots of "TOURIST" restaurants. In the town itself, you find nice small place to eat. Molivos also has its shops but not to many to make it irritating. It's a nice place to walk trough town up the hill and visit the castle.
  
  Petra has a nice beach but very over crowded. If you come from Molivos side the first beach restaurant is the nicest and the quietest. It also has a supermarket next to the petrol station with good priced stuff and full butchery.
  
  The island, I was told, has the most spectacular bird life in the months of April and May when the migrating birds make it their home for a few weeks. A very nice and big monastery (Leimonos Monastery) between Kaloni and Filia.
  
  The other thing that attracts me about tourism on Lesvos is that there are no terrifying teens on motorbikes, these are a more sophisticated breed of tourist, some of them actually carrying books of Greek Mythology and history of the island. And last in Skala Sykaminias are the best places to eat fish.
  
• blim 13 Mar 2010
  Great spirit of countryside

  Legend has it that Makaras, son of Sun God, made his home on the island of Lesvos. The sun, the verdant olive groves and the sea casted their spell on me, and I truly began to believe in myths from the moment I set foot on this beautiful island. Didn't some great poet once say, "if there is a heaven on earth, it is this, it is this". Well I just discovered my heaven on earth on this breathtaking island of Lesvos. The island is referenced in Homer's Ilias and Odyssey, and it is believed to have been the rendez-vous of Menelaos, Diomedes and Ulysses, after the fall of Troy.
  
  Among the many noteworthy sites on the island, one of them is Plomari, a traditional village of Lesvos built on the beach and the ouzo capital of Greece (now you know, why I regard it as one of the best places on the island!). The village is home to big ouzo making factories, and I joined a long line of tourists who flocked to the place in the summer heat to taste the great spirit of the countryside and admire old mansions and marble fountains. I also recommend a visit to the mountainous village of Agiassos, where I witnessed one of the most beautiful sunset in the world.
  
• alP 04 Feb 2010
  Like a second home

  The island of my grandparents, Lesvos is like a second home to me. My family are second-generation Greek-Americans and every summer we return to Lesvosto visit the grandparents and see the island.
  
  Our home is in Agiassos, one of the most beautiful villages on Lesvos, very close to the capital, Mytilene. We usually go swimming to Agios Isidoros and Plomari. Agios Isidoros is a gorgeous sandy beach. Plomari is not that famous for its beach but for the nice taverns with fresh fish and ouzo. In fact, Ouzo Plomariou is a famous trademark in Greece.
  
  If you have a car, go a tour around Lesvos and see the small villages in the inland, the beautiful tourist villages on the north (Petra, Molivos and Eressos) and the monastery of Saint Raphael. This is the protector saint of the island and the locals are very faithful to this saint.
  
  If I was a tourist in Lesvos, I would stay either in Mytilene to be close to some nightlife (not much, but some!) or in Molivos, a very imposing village on the north with a nice castle and cool beaches.
  
• rania32 11 Nov 2009
  Buy ouzo and oil for home

  Lesvos has some of the most wonderful landscapes. The combination of mountains and plains with pristine beaches on a rugged coastline looked extremely picturesque. The mountains were filled with numerous olive trees and the locals told us that there were almost 11 million of them on Lesvos. We stayed at a charming place in Vatera. Our apartment was close to the beach and our room was sea facing. The streets below were always noisy with tourist crowds. Beside the hotel, there were plenty of cafeterias and restaurants. People would usually hang out in these areas all day long.
  
  We rented a car for our excursion trip. We toured many museums and beautiful villages. Each village was popular for its unique characteristics. In Agiassos we saw some of the finest potteries and wood carvings. Kaloni was a fishing village and filled with various Byzantine architectural marvels. Plomari was famous for its ouzo and olive oil. We tried some ouzo in one of the village restaurants. It tasted fantastic! I also bought olive oil to take back home.
  
• ben67 16 Oct 2009
  Feel the unspoilt area

  When I arrived in Lesvos, I though I was in Peloponnese, not like other Greek islands!
  Definitely you need a car. The majority of tourists that I have met were repeat travellers to the island and could not just get enough of it.
  You will not find better traditional food and olive oil in Greece. Apart from beautiful, Lesvosis also cheap!
  Observe the unique mix of architecture and drink your aperitif underneath the large shadow of the plane tree in the central squares of the villages.
  Hot spots the Petrified Forest, ouzo, sardines and also the pink flamingos!!(yap yap they have also!!).
  Lesvos is one of the few remaining unspoilt areas in Europe, no fast food, English pubs or German beer cellars, but you can eat any time of day traditional yummy food.
  Let yourself loose to feel the real experience of vacation!
  
• hugo995 29 Aug 2009
  Friendly and serene feeling

  We had a wonderful vacation in one of the largest islands of Greece, Lesvos. The most noticeable feature that we came across was that on one side of the island there were mountains and on the other side there were plains with a rugged coastline. As we drove across the island we saw plenty of olive trees and the smell of the fruit was quite strong and overpowering at times. We visited the villages of Agiassa, Kaloni, Madamados and Petra.
  
  We chose to stay at the Porto Lesvos Hotel in the capital city, Mytilene. The town has many museums itself, worth to see. It was our hotel staff who advised us to visit the Monastery of Agios Raphael near the village of Thermi, or we hadn't known of this place. Most travel guides of Lesvosdidn't actually mention it. It is said that miracles tend to occur at this holy place. I did not see any miracles that day (!!) but the experience of wandering about the monastery complex was very soothing in a surreal manner.
  
  Food on the island is too good. It is best to try out food in the local taverns and restaurants. We loved grilled sardines, different kinds of pies, Greek salad, grilled octopus and ouzo, which is a strong local drink. We really appreciated the fact that despite the growing surge of tourism there, it has still retained its traditional culture and the authentic Greek feeling oozes out of every nook and corner.
  
• chelsea34 22 Jul 2009
  Wonderful holidays

  We just returned from an incredible week in Lesvos and we have so many things to share! First of all, if you don't already know it, Lesvosis a very big island and you definitely need a car to get around. If we didn't have our car, we wouldn't have seen all these things. The landscape varies so frequently on Lesvos and so soon. At one time, you see beaches and at the other high mountains. This is nice and I prefer islands with such differences. It makes travelling more interesting, doesn't it?
  
  All beaches on Lesvos look very much to each other. If I have to distinguish some, I would say Plomari, Petra, Saint Isidoros and Eressos. The other beaches were also nice and clean. It was very easy to find a hotel in such a big island and all people (from museums and markets to tavern onwers) were very kind to us. This was the first time that I felt what they call Greek hospitality, in these four years that we are having holidays in Greece.
  
  Do not worry about food, you will like it wherever you sit. Try fresh fish and pies, the best specialties on the island! As for ancient sites, I was mostly impressed by the castle of Mytilene. In general, this town was very beautiful with nice buildings. I found the Aqueduct in Moria and the Petrified Forest a bit disappointing, but still I recommend you to go, just for the experience.
  
• 34gyt 23 Jun 2009
  Great scenery and monuments

  Lesvos has much to offer. Tourists in early May go mostly in NW near Molyvos and Petra in SW near Scala Erresou. Villages all friendly, restaurants tried all universally acceptable to good. Best food was in Petra, Molyvos and Scala Erresou. Found that there is a considerable variation across Lesvos from east to west and between neighbouring villages. My Greek is not good, and most local people were able communicate in English or understandable Greek. Scenery was great: petrified forest well worth a visit. Agiasos very picturesque. Did not sample the nightlife other than the tavernas.
  Historical monuments good, although finding the aqueduct near Moria was difficult becuse half the roads in the village were up because of repairs of some sort. Biggest frustration was being unable to eneter the Byzantine Museum in Mytinini, it never seemed to be open at the posted hours when I was there. We really enjoyed the mixture of Greek, Turkish and Venetian styles in the buildings acorss the island.
  
• matina22 07 May 2009
  Pilgrimage to Saint Raphael

  I went to Lesvos last month on a tour organized by our church for pilgrimage to the monastery of Saint Rapheal. This is one of the most important monasteries on Lesvos and many people believe that it is working miracles. In our group, there were many who wanted to pray for health and sickness recovery and really believed that the saint would help them. The monastery was constructed in 1960 on the site where the dead body of the saint was found, close to the village Thermi. Saint Rapheal was a Christian martyr who was sentenced to death by the Turks because he denied to change his faith. The monks of the monastery showed us his grave and his skull, which is kept intact till today. Outside the monastery, there are some stands to sell small pictures and things for good luck. This I didn't like. I don't like selling things outside monasteries and churches. It is like waiting to finish your pilgrimage and then to buy something.
  
• eleanna 07 Apr 2009
  Plenty of sea urchins in the sea

  Villages are very quaint on Lesvos and beaches are almost empty, lovely. Plenty of sea urchins, etc, so bring suitable swimming footwear. Put more signs remembering people to keep beaches clean. People are friendly, there is not much evidence of customer service though. Prefer smaller taverns to over touristy places.
• ritapatzani33 16 Feb 2009
  It should be more advertised

  My grandparents were living in Lesvos, so decided to meet the land of my ancestors this summer. The island is gorgeous and so big that you can find everything. Vatera village is very nice with crystal clear water for a peaceful and relaxing holidays. Molyvos- Petra- Anaxos are very busy with tourists but the sea in the Petra and Anaxos side is very nice. Eressos is the place which makes you feel that you realy are on an island! Many tourists, excellent food, very nice beach and very clear crystal water. You can find there very nice nightlife as well. Sigri with the unique petrified forest is fantastic. The museum is very well organised and if you are Greek you can follow a small powerpoint presentation and then have a tour in the museum. If you are a foreigner, the tour is also fantastic since they are speaking excellent English. The food all over the island is also very good and not so expensive generally. Just avoild going in the small taverns close to the port of Mytilene. I believe Lesvos is so beautiful that it should be more advertised and more organized. We couldn't find the Museum of Theofilos sicne there were no signs. Also more hotels should be built in the areas of Eressos and Sigri.
• los45 03 Nov 2008
  A touching gesture

  I stayed in Petra village this summer, a tiny village in the north of Lesvos. We rented a room in Loula's apartments and we found the owners very hospitable. The old lady owner seemed to like us but on the last day she really amazed us. She invited us to have dinner with her and she had prepared the most delicious dish I have tasted: onions stuffed with rice and mincemeat. The greatest dish by the greatest hotelier. Thanks, Mrs Maria, we will never forget your kindness. Unfortunately, I couldn't get the recipe because communication between us was not in such a high level, but I will look for it on the Net :))
• heleanatz 06 May 2008
  I will stay in Plomari

  I went to Lesvos for the first time three years ago. We stayed for only five days and didn't have much time to see all the sights and its beaches. I remember my best beach was Vatera, very clean and very organized. We saw only the Roman Aqueduct and the Monastery of Agios
  Raphael. I have already booked to go again this July. There are so many things that I still want to do on Lesvos. I will stay in a studio in Plomari. This is where the best ouzo in Greece is produced. Maybe we meet at the beach!!
• nicholasjan 21 Mar 2008
  Try to rent a car

  Lesvos is one of the best places I have ever visited. The villages are filled with ambience, friendliness and a welcome smile from everyone. The beaches are also ome of the best in the Greek Islands, especially the beaches with sand. Most of them are easy to access. You will also find excellent restaurants throughout the island and my advice is to try those along the beachfront and the harbourside. Customer service is excellent and the food amazingly tasty.
  Also try to hire a car on Lesvos because taxis are too expensive. I believe renting a car is the most economnical way to travel along the island. There are some nice rentals in the airport. Just be careful when
  driving because the roads are curvy and wynding.
• James_Carras 13 Nov 2007
  Many attractions on Lesvos

  Many attractions including Hot Springs of Eftilou, Agiassos, beaches, Molyvos. Most importantly is interaction with people who are the friendliest and kindest ever encountered in traveling. Our best activity: Eating and relaxing at tavernas by the water. The food is amazing: try the local fish especially sardines grilled. Fresh tasty vegetables and of course the ubiquitous Horatiki Salata. Recommendations: Rent a car. Bus travel is sporadic. Driving is a challenge on mountain narrow roads. Learn a little greek and try it out. Goes a long way. Try local dishes.
• Carolyn 28 Aug 2007
  Relaxing holidays and good food

  What we enjoyed most on Lesvos was the local food; it is really good and at very reasonable prices! You shouldn't leave the island without visiting the beach of Vatera. This is the best beach, but there are only two shops in the whole town - both groceries. Molyvos is good for shopping but not great for beach etc, so be prepared to hire a car as the bus services are not very reliable. I'd love to come back.
• Mercedes_C 01 Nov 2006
  There is so much to see

  Nationality: Canadian
  
  Age: 42
  
  Countries visited: 10-15
  
  The Trip: I arrived on the island by Plane with LTU. The trip was good with no delays.
  
  Reasons for going to Lesvos: my mother has a summer home on the island
  
  Favorite things about the island/area
  
  Best Beaches : Tarti, Petra, Vatera
  
  Best Villages : Molyvos, Ayiasos, Petra, Skopellos
  
  Best Activity : Relaxing!
  
  Best Bar/Pub/Club : N/A
  
  Best Restaurant : too many to list
  
  Negative opinion about the island: Find a better way to dispose garbage. Very disappointed that they do not yet recycle. Areas that are not deemed "touristy" were not as clean. Locals need to take a greater interest in their environment as it is truly so beautiful and a great shame for it to be littered
  
  Recommendations for future visitors: Rent a car. It is a large island with varying landscapes. There is so much to see and so many little side trips you can take that the local tours do not take advantage of. Take advantage of the many marked hiking trails into the mountains where you will see authentic Greek mountain villages and unspoiled beauty
  
  Rating of the overall quality/organization/services of this island/area in comparison with other countries
  
  8/10
  
  
• teletaubi 01 Feb 2006
  Great landscape with great people

  Lesvos is a great island with very friendly people. Beautifull landscapes, architecture, and big. You have to rent at the least a motorcycle or a car or you will miss a lot. If you attempt to go around the island, do this in several days, there is no way you can see the whole island in less than 3 days (even in 3 days you have to move fast, no bathing, starting at 10am and returning in the evening).
  It is adviseble to get information from local people and plan your route. The road is very narrow sometimes (through the hill villages) but you get used to it very quickly. Just don't forget to honk your horn in a tight turn, the local people normaly drive quite agressively but let you pass if they see you (or hear you).
  Eat out whenever you can, because the food is great. Some taverns have live greek music on predefined days, some even play the original rempetika music and have shaddow theatre (a tavern between Molivos and hotel Aeolis, alongside a backroad to the castle, turn right from hotel Aeolis).
  Great vacation, but don't go there only for a week, you have to be there at least 2 weeks to see it all.
• johana_tsip 03 Oct 2005
  Beautiful and authentic

  What a great time we had in Lesvos!
  
  We rented a room in the lovely village of Plomari which is famous for producing the best ouzo of Greece, the strong local drink. We enjoyed this drink along with grilled octopus and fresh fish, near the sea. Just perfect.
  
  We rented a car in order to visit the island which is quite big and we went to the capital, to the traditional village of Agiassos which is very picturesque and where people are leaving with their customs and traditions; from there we bought some very nice pottery and wood carvings. We also discovered a village called Polichnitos where all the houses are in stones, forming a superb picture with the remains of the castle.
  
  I don?t remember the names of all the beaches we went to but I do remember their beauty, their soft sand and the crystal-like waters.
  
  We loved the fact that the island, despite its relative popularity, keeps its local colours and its authenticity; we really felt like being in Greece and not in a place made for tourists. We were thrilled with everything.
• aris 26 Sep 2005
  Invited in Mytilini

  I went to Lesvos (Mytilini in Greek) last summer because a friend of mine who lives there invited me.
  
  I live in Athens and I have been to other islands but it was my first time in Mytilini.
  
  As I said, I had the chance to be welcomed there by locals, in a beautiful house, in the capital. We also had a car so my friend show me around and I had the chance to see all the famous places of the island, many beaches and to go out at nights in various bars and clubs.
  
  I was really happy about my holidays in Mytilini and I wish I will do the same thing again very soon.
• bono 31 Jul 2005
  Beautiful architecture of Lesvos

  I really liked Lesvos.
  It is a big and verdant island with beautiful beaches, picturesque villages and a superb architecture; most of the houses are built with heavy stones and have tiled roofs; their facades have laced banisters on them and wooden decorations; some other houses are built with ancient columns, pediments and arched curves.
  The capital of the island is very attractive and has old neighbourhoods and picturesque suburbs.
  I enjoyed wondering around in the small streets of the town and relax at one of the numerous beaches or in a small cafe, in front of a glass of ouzo. Thank you Lesvos for this great time.