Lesvos is the third largest island in Greece and the centre of the North Aegean. It lies very close to the Anatolian coast, about an hour and a half by ferry from Ayvalik. The island is known for its olive oil and its ouzo, and the town of Plomari is the best known ouzo centre in Greece. Near Sigri in the west lies a 20 million year old forest turned to stone under volcanic ash, and the whole island belongs to the UNESCO Global Geoparks network. The Castle of Mytilene in the port town is one of the largest fortresses in the eastern Mediterranean.
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See flights to Mytilene →When to visit Mytilene
June to September is the swimming season, with daytime temperatures above 30C in July and August and a breeze along the coast. May and October suit walking and village trips best, with temperatures between 20C and 26C and far fewer visitors. November to February is wet, and the olive harvest runs from November to January, when village presses can be visited.
Things to do in Mytilene
Castle of Mytilene
Standing on a pine covered hill above the port town, the castle was founded in medieval times and enlarged under the Genoese Gattilusi family and the Ottomans, and counts among the largest in the eastern Mediterranean. Inside the walls are the remains of an Ottoman medrese and a water cistern.
Petrified Forest of Sigri
About 20 million years ago intense volcanic activity buried a subtropical forest under ash, and the mudflows that followed preserved the trees standing upright. Some trunks reach 20 metres and their root systems run seven metres deep. The site was declared a natural monument in 1985 and is visited together with the museum at Sigri.
Molyvos Castle
The castle above the town of Molyvos in the north of the island was built in the mid 14th century under the Gattilusi and took its present form in Ottoman times. On a clear day the Gulf of Edremit and the Anatolian coast are visible from its walls, and the stone houses below step down the slope.
Agiasos village
The village sits at about 475 metres on the slope of Mount Olympus and is known for its cobbled lanes and houses with wooden balconies. The church of Panagia Vrefokratousa at its centre holds an icon dated to 1170, and woodcarving and pottery are still practised here.
Plomari
The town on the southern coast is the best known centre of ouzo production in Greece, a trade carried on here since the 19th century. Its narrow lanes run down to the sea, the distilleries are open to visitors, and Agios Isidoros next door is one of the island's longest pebble beaches.
Vatera beach
Running about 9 kilometres along the south coast, this is one of the longest uninterrupted beaches in Greece, and its shallow water suits families. At its western end, on the Agios Fokas headland, stand the remains of an ancient temple of Dionysus.
Flights from Turkey to Mytilene
A direct flight from Sabiha Gokcen to Mytilene takes about 1 hour 5 minutes and the route is operated by Pegasus. It is seasonal and runs mainly in summer. The alternative is to travel overland to Ayvalik and cross by ferry, which takes about an hour and a half. The visa rules for the two routes are not the same, see the question below.
Mytilene FAQ
How many days do you need in Lesvos?
Two days cover the port town and the nearby beaches. The island is large, and the petrified forest in the west and Molyvos in the north are each over an hour away by car, so adding both calls for four or five days.
How far is the airport from the town centre?
Mytilene International Airport is about 8 kilometres from the port town, a 12 minute drive. Sigri at the far end of the island is roughly two hours away by road, so hiring a car on the island is common.
Do you need a visa for Lesvos?
Greece is in the Schengen area and a visa is required for a Turkish passport. The fast track visa on arrival granted to passengers coming by ferry from Turkey covers Lesvos, but it applies only to arrivals by sea, is single entry and allows a stay of at most 7 days. Anyone flying in needs a Schengen visa obtained in advance.
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