8-day itinerary for your holidays in Lesvos

A cultural detour near Mytilene

A visit to the Stratis Eleftheriadis-Tériade Museum-Library is the perfect excuse to discover the Vareias district near the airport. Tériade was a publisher and art critic who founded this gem of a museum to house a collection of the historic magazine Verve, which he published from 1937. It featured works by great artists such as Picasso and Matisse, as well as 26 illustrated books known as Grands Livres. In contrast to Verve, these featured original, hand-made and limited edition works by renowned painters. The museum also houses original collections of Greek artists, such as Yannis Tsarouchis, Orestis Kanellis and Giorgos Vakirtzis. Not far away is the Theophilos Museum, also donated by Teriade and with works by Greece’s most famous folk artist, who was born in Lesvos around 1870. 

Your first swim in Lesvos

Spending a day discovering Lesvos' capital doesn’t mean you don’t get to enjoy a bit of beach time too. Agios Ermogenis beach is about a 25-minute drive south of Mytilene, in a tranquil little bay with fine yellow sand and all the facilities you could need. Alternatively, nearby Charimada beach is another family favourite that is fully organised (including water sports). When you get hungry, you can head to a nearby taverna or return to Mytilene for dinner. 

Photo by: @tonydeli7 (Instagram)

Discover the best beaches of Lesvos 

A stroll around Mantamados village

Mantamados is your introduction to the mountain villages of Lesvos. As with all villages on the island, the best way to get a feel for it is to wander the narrow streets, past the courtyards and homes of the locals. Life here revolves around the cafes and tavernas in the main square, by the 18th century Church of St Basil Mantamados. Many residents are livestock farmers (so be sure to try the local cheese, as well as the honey and olive oil). The village also has a long tradition of pottery, which can still be seen in the pottery workshops.

You can learn how to turn a piece of olive wood into a decorative object in an Olive Wood Lesson at the Olive Wood House in Pamfila village, on the road from Mytilene to Mantamados (advance booking necessary) 

Explore the timeless villages of Lesvos 

A dip and a stroll in Molyvos

Visiting Molyvos (also known as Mithymna) is a must during any holidays in Lesvos. Built on a hill above the sea, it is a protected settlement, with colourful stone houses and a picturesque harbour. The highlight (literally, when it is lit up at night) is the Venetian castle, which offers fantastic views of the town and North Aegean Sea. Whether or not you stay the night, make sure to leave plenty of time to wander Molyvos' cobblestone alleyways and visit sights like the Ottoman Baths (now a museum). Molyvos beach, meanwhile, is fully organised, with a mix of sand and fine pebbles and there is a choice of small tavernas that have retained the traditional style of the region.

The Euphoria Lesvos Festival (a wellness event focused on promoting mental and psychological health) is held in Molyvos every September. 

Enjoy a walking tour of Molyvos 

Dinner with a sunset view in Petra

About 4km along the coast from Molyvos, Petra is a fishing village with more cobbled streets and red-tiled houses. It is best known for its Blue Flag beach and 18th-century Church of the Virgin Mary Glykophilousa. Achilles is said to have passed by Petra on his way to the Trojan War. But your reason for being here is to enjoy a dinner in taverna with a sunset sea view or in one of the picturesque alleyways. 

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Sea fun at a beach near Molyvos

There is a selection of beaches near Molyvos. Anaxos is a family favourite with a Blue Flag and a full 700m of sand, as well as facilities such as sunbeds & umbrellas and water bikes and canoes for hire. Petra also has a Blue Flag and watersports and caters to all tastes. And Tsonia is a semi-circular cove near the settlement of Klio, with a mix of sand and pebbles and green-blue water. It remains relatively quiet even in peak summer and has a taverna and other amenities. 

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Sikaminea or Skala Sikamineas

Next comes a choice of hillside or sea view for a taverna meal. Sikaminea (or Sikamia as it is known locally) is a mountain settlement with mansion houses and a folk museum), while Skala Sikamineas (indicating that it is by the sea) is about 3km below it. Some of the ouzeries and tavernas in its picturesque harbour are a century old. Look out for the almond-based sweets in both settlements. They are local specialities. 

An eco-farm visit & lunch

About half an hour's drive from Plomari, the Toumba Eco Farm offers a range of outdoor activities (hiking, mountain biking, horse riding, mushroom picking and bird watching). But you will also enjoy just visiting the farm or cafe, which offer a genuine farm-to-table experience with the bonus of views of both mountain and sea. To appreciate the beauty of the area, there is a 3km river walk past plane trees, oaks and poplars.

Plomari village stroll & dinner

Make sure to leave plenty of time to explore Plomari and its ouzo-related history. Merchant families from Asia Minor settled here and elsewhere on Lesvos in the 19th century, bringing with them their secret family recipes for distilling ouzo. There are two ouzo museums at the Isidoros Arvanitis Distillery and the Barbayianni Distillery & Museum on the outskirts of Plomari, which tell the full story of the famous spirit associated with the Greek summer. It will whet your appetite for seafood meze with a glass of ouzo, which you can enjoy in many places in Plomari, especially in the tavernas and cafes of the picturesque harbour. 

At the end of June and beginning of July, Plomari hosts the Ouzo Festival, where you can taste different ouzos and meet the distillers behind the labels.

Sample the ouzo tradition of Plomari 

More culture in Agia Paraskevi

Heading north, the next stop is the village of Agia Paraskevi Kallonis, where you can enjoy more cultural highlights. Founded in 2014, the K-Gold Gallery hosts contemporary art exhibitions as well as cultural exchanges, residencies and workshops for local and visiting artists. Next, the Museum of Industrial Olive Oil Production explains how pressing olive oil has changed over time and explores the impact of olive cultivation on the region's inhabitants. Located in an old communal olive press on the outskirts of Agia Paraskevi, the museum features early mechanical equipment that has been lovingly restored. You’ll learn about every aspect of olive oil production, from crushing the olives to pressing the olive pulp and separating the olive oil from the water. There is a choice of tavernas in Agia Paraskevi. 

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Swim and meze dinner in Skala Kallonis

After your early start, you are rewarded with an afternoon swim and meze taverna meal in Skala Kallonis, the largest settlement in the area. Don’t miss the opportunity to try the Kalloni sardines, famous for being juicy and delicious and perfectly accompanying a glass of iced ouzo. There are plenty of tavernas and cafes as well as places to stay. But before you settle down to eat, hit the beach, with almost 2km of sand and with facilities from sunbeds & umbrellas to cafes and tavernas. 

A hike to the Pessa Waterfalls

Another favourite of nature enthusiasts is the Pessa Waterfalls, which you reach by following a short trail through the countryside. The walk is pleasant at any time of year, but the waterfalls only flow in winter and spring (to the end of April). The path is signposted from the road midway between Achladeri and Vasilika. The water comes from Lake Agiasos and it falls of 15m at Pessa before continuing to Kallonis Bay. 

Photo by: @ig_lesvos_ (Instagram)

Lunch & a stroll in picturesque Agiasos

Heading into the foothills of Mt Olympus, you reach Agiasos, a traditional mountain village with narrow paved streets and stone houses, surrounded by cherry orchards, olive groves and chestnut trees. There is a Folk Art Museum, where you can learn more about the local craftsmanship (including woodcarving and ceramics) and a choice of tavernas and quaint cafes for lunch in and around the village square, above the church of Panagia tis Agiasou. 

There are a number of walks starting from Agiasos that allow you to enjoy the forest on the slopes of Mount Olympus. Ask in the village for more details. 

A romantic dinner in romantic Perama

End the day in Perama, a picturesque little harbour overlooking the bay of Geras. There are several places to eat and drink, allowing you to soak up the atmosphere of one of the most important fishing settlements in Lesvos. Every August, the local fishermen hold an octopus festival here.

Photo by: @mikekonstantellis (Instagram)

The digital museum & winery of Chidira

Very close to Vatoursa is Chidira, another traditional village which, intriguingly, is home to Greece’s first exclusively digital art museum. The art in question includes digital reproductions of works by Georgios Jakobides, who was born in Lesvos in 1853 and lived until 1932, during which time he became one of the main representatives of the Greek artistic movement of the Munich School. He was also the first curator of the National Gallery of Greece in Athens. Also worth visiting is the Methymnaeos Winery, just outside the village, where you can enjoy wine tasting of organic wines made from grapes found exclusively on Lesvos. Or you can discover Vathilimno Waterfall (flowing in winter and spring months), which involves a 30-minute walk near the village of Pterounda.

Photo by: @explorelesvos (Instagram)

Sunset cocktails & dinner in Skala Eresou

Your last stop today is Skala Eressou (or Eressos), the largest coastal settlement in western Lesvos (there is also a mountainous part of the village, named Eressos, around 7km inland). Eressos is the birthplace of the poet Sappho, famous for her praise of love between women and has plenty of dining options and a Turkish hammam dating from 1850, now luxuriously restored as part of a hotel. Skala Eressou has one of the most popular beaches in Lesvos. Find yourself a beach bar and order yourself a sunset drink, followed by dinner at one of the many nearby restaurants. Skala Eresou also has an archaeological museum.

Relaxation at remote Faneromeni beach

Just a few kilometres north of Sigri, Faneromeni beach is one of the longest and quietest beaches in Lesvos. It has only one canteen and there are trees dotted along its length, providing some shade if you don’t have an umbrella. At one end is the tiny chapel of Panagia Faneromeni, built into a cave, which you can visit. Otherwise, it’s a case of lying back and soaking up the relaxed atmosphere of the secluded setting. 

Photo by: @greecetravel (Instagram)

Dinner in Sigri village

Returning to Sigri village, your holidays in Lesvos end with a taverna meal overlooking the island’s largest natural harbour. The size of the bay explains why the Ottomans built the Castle of Suleiman here in 1757, to protect the area from pirates. Enjoy a stroll around Sigri, looking out for windmills and the church of Agia Triada, before settling on a taverna for a meal to end your day.