Distance between the island of Crete and Lesbos. The island of Lesbos in Greece is a symbol of same-sex love

) and a resort that became famous for its artists and poets, including the famous Sappho. Lesbos has everything we love about Greece - beaches, nature and food, but this island has not yet been spoiled by the massive influx of “package tourists”, so this is where you can see a non-tourist country.

Local residents prefer to call their island Mytilene - after the name of the main city. Many people do not like that the rest of the world associates the island of Lesvos primarily with same-sex love. Representatives of sexual minorities really like to come here, and once a year a thematic festival is held on the island, where men are not allowed to enter. But the atmosphere here is absolutely peaceful and calm; adherents of conservative views should not worry.

Lesvos is famous for the production of high-quality olive oil, olives, cheese, as well as the famous ouzo anise liqueur.

How to get there

• By plane

Airport named after Odysseas Elytis (famous poet of the 20th century) is located in the south-eastern part of the island, 8 km from Mytilene. It receives regular flights from Athens (daily Olympic Air and Aegean Airlines), Thessaloniki, Chios and Lemnos, as well as many international charter flights during the season.

• On a ferryboat

In addition, the island can be reached by water. Many large cruise companies organize connections between Lesbos and Athens, for example NEL Lines, Blue Star. A third class ticket (without a bed) will cost approximately 28 EUR, a first class ticket with a bed and TV - 180 EUR. The journey will last 11-13 hours.

Throughout the year, the ferry Jale Tur runs between Mytilene and the Turkish port of Ayvalik. During the season it departs every day, in winter - several times a week, depending on the weather. The journey takes only 1.5 hours: Lesbos is one of the Greek islands closest to Turkey. One way fare is 20 EUR, round trip - 30 EUR. Prices on the page are as of November 2018.

Maps of Lesbos

Transport on the island

Bus service is common in Lesbos. Tickets can be bought in small newspaper shops or cafes. The main bus station is located in Mytilene on El Venizelou street, near the Agias Irinis park. The following routes depart from there:

• to Skala Eresou via Eresos (twice a day, journey 2.5 hours),
• to Mithymna via Petra (five times a day, 1.5 hours),
• to Sigri (once a day, 2.5 hours),
• to Plomari (five times a day, 1 hour 15 minutes),
• to Vatera (four times a day, 1.5 hours).

The fare depends on the distance - from 3 to 15 EUR; the route schedule can be found on the carrier’s website (in English).

You can also take a taxi (they are considered cheap). As a rule, in Mytilene they use meters (bright yellow cars, the tariff is about 1.6 EUR per km), and outside the capital the payment is fixed (gray cars).

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Weather in Lesbos

Lesbos has a typical Mediterranean climate. Summers here are dry and hot, and winters are wet and cool. The beach season begins in May and lasts until the end of October, however, in some bays the sea is very shallow, warms up quickly and you can swim there already at the end of April. The hottest months are July and August, the air warms up to +34...+36 °C, and the water - up to +25...+26 °C.

In autumn and winter it is rainy here, the coldest month is January, the air temperature is +10...+12 °C.

Lesvos Hotels

There are not as many tourists on Lesvos as on other Greek islands, but the choice of hotels here is quite large, there are hotels for every budget.

Most hotels are concentrated in Mytilene, many of them are located in ancient mansions - these are the most interesting and often the most expensive hotels on the island. For example, the Pyrgos of Myteline 4* hotel in a mansion built in 1916 is in demand. The building has preserved many elements of its original interior, and today this hotel resembles more of a museum (accommodation costs from 75 EUR per night for a double room). Another luxury hotel was built on Varia beach (near Mytilene) - Loriet 4*. It occupies an old 19th-century mansion on the seashore; on the territory there is a large garden where century-old pine trees grow.

Near the shore there are beach family hotels with entertainment for children and animation, for example the Sunrise Resort 5* hotel near the center of Mithymna. This is an entire resort complex with playgrounds for children and adults, several swimming pools, a fitness center and a beach with water activities just a couple of minutes walk away. The cost of accommodation is from 80 EUR per day for a double room.

In the area of ​​the thermal springs there are spa hotels offering wellness services.

For budget-conscious tourists, there are small family hotels in Lesvos, where for 30-35 EUR per night you will be offered a spacious room with air conditioning and shower, and sometimes breakfast. Hotels in the center of Mytilene and close to popular beaches are a little more expensive - about 40 EUR per night. For those traveling by car, an option far from resort centers may be convenient; you can rent a room for 20-25 EUR per day.

Beaches of Lesbos

Almost the entire coast of Lesbos has beaches, usually sandy or small pebbles. Absolutely all of them are free, you only need to pay for renting a sunbed. Their main advantage is a very clean sea.

• Vigla (5 km from Mytilene) is considered the best beach near the capital.
• Kratigos is another good resort, but is located further, 12 km from Mytilene.
• Vatera Beach is also located near the capital and is considered the longest and best organized; some consider it to also be the best sandy beach on the island. Yachtsmen especially loved it, but other than them there are usually not many people there.
• Agios Ermugenis, at the entrance to the Gulf of Gera, is the most picturesque beach on the island. The views of this bay are “postcard”, but both locals and tourists have already learned about the beach, so on weekends it is quite crowded.
• Kaloni is the largest bay of the island, with fishing harbors and sandy beaches. There is all the tourist infrastructure here: umbrellas, sun loungers, cafes, restaurants, hotels right on the shore and rental of various water activities.
• Polychnitos is famous not only for its warm springs, but also for the nearby (4 km) beaches of Skala Polychnitou and Nifida.
• The town of Skala Eresu is known for its long sandy coastline and the ruins of ancient Eresu and two early Christian basilicas from the 5th century. Families with children love to come here, and in the summer it is quite crowded.
• Sigri is the westernmost point of Lesbos. There is a charming bay overlooked by a fortress. Near the fortress there is a village - a beach resort popular among tourists.
• For solitude, you should go to Campo Antissa beach, where in some places there are rocky areas among sand and pebbles, but turtles are found here in abundance.

There are many nudist beaches in Lesbos. As a rule, they are all located near “regular” popular beaches: for example, there is one near Skala Eresu, Molyvos and others.

Another popular tourist resort is the village of Molyvos. The beach offers a gorgeous view of the fortress, and along the sandy coast there are many fish restaurants, shops with leather goods, clothing, jewelry and olive oil.

The beauty of Lesvos

Shopping in Lesbos

There are no large shopping centers or outlets on Lesvos; there is even only one LIDL supermarket on the island. But here it is interesting to stroll through private shops and shops where they sell mainly local goods.

Most shops are in Mytilene. There you can buy leather shoes (for example, Greek-style sandals for only 20-25 EUR), fur coats and other fur and leather products (Edika store). In the Feggaropetra store you can buy dresses and other clothes in the national Greek style, in Stelios Stamatis Handmade Ceramics Workshop they sell famous Greek hand-painted ceramics, and they also make custom-made dishes. One of the most popular shops in the city is Olive Wood House, which sells jewelry and souvenirs made from olive wood, as well as natural cosmetics based on olive oil.

There is a good selection of souvenirs in the Aeolia Ers shop; for delicacies it is worth going to the Pailos shop. Jewelry made of silver and gold is sold at every turn both in Mytilene and in other tourist centers, but the Irida Jewels in Art jewelry store in Molyvos is considered the best - it has the most interesting design, and the price-quality ratio is the most reasonable.

Cuisine and restaurants of Lesbos

The cuisine of Lesvos is full of fresh fish and seafood, meat and vegetables. Every restaurant serves a traditional Greek salad with tomatoes, cucumbers, olives, feta cheese and olive oil - this is how you can often tell if the food is good here. For appetizers they offer fried zucchini and eggplant, fried zucchini flowers (the eternal sport of the Greeks with the Italians - who first invented this dish, but the Greeks also add cheese), tzatziki, fried squid and much more.

The most expensive seafood delicacy is lobster; it is usually served in expensive restaurants. In taverns you should try lamb ribs (they are prepared well almost everywhere here) and fried liver with spices. Local cheese “ladotiri” is also served in almost every cafe. Another name for it is “butter cheese” because it is made from a mixture of sheep and goat milk and stored in olive oil.

There are as many as five factories producing Greek ouzo vodka on the island, so this drink is an important part of the local culture; it is offered everywhere here. It is not customary to serve complex and heavy appetizers with ouzo; they usually make do with olives, mussels, octopus tentacles and pickled vegetables.

One of the most prestigious restaurants of Greek cuisine on the island is Omega Restaurant & Bar in the town of Anaxos, it is considered one of the most prestigious establishments on the island. Here they cook only according to old recipes, and in the evenings there is live music. Molyvos also has its own gastronomic masterpiece - the Italian restaurant Galliano, which is famous not only for its cuisine, but also for its interesting wine list.

Dinner in a tavern in Lesbos will cost from 30 EUR for two, including a jug of house wine (5 EUR per 0.5 l).

Entertainment and attractions of Lesvos

In the capital

Mytilene (Mytilene) is the capital of the island, a picturesque town with a fortress rising on a hill near the center. According to legend, it was built by the Byzantines as a fortification, and the last reconstruction was in the 17th century, and since then the appearance of the castle has not changed. Today, within the walls of the castle there is an interesting archaeological museum, where various valuable artifacts found here during excavations are collected.

• Church of St. Ferapont (19th century, inside - Byzantine Museum)
• Cathedral of St. Athanasius (17th century),
• Ethnographical museum
• the Kioski area with old luxurious houses - it’s interesting to walk around it.
• Museum of the industrial production of olive oil, since this fishery is one of the most important for Lesvos. The museum contains equipment that was used to produce oil many years ago, and also houses interesting ethnographic collections that introduce guests to the culture and traditions of local residents.

To the north-west of Mytilene, on a hill, are ruins of an ancient theater- one of the largest in Ancient Greece. 4 km south of the capital, in the coastal town of Varia, there is a museum of the outstanding Greek artist Theophilos (Theophilos Museum of Folklore Art).

In other parts of Lesbos

Lim Monastery O nose(St. Ignatius, Moni Limonos) - the largest and most significant in Lesbos; during the years of Turkish rule it was a center of education. Located in the center of the island, 14 km from the town of Kalloni. It was founded in 1523 by Saint Ignatius of Agollian, which is why it is sometimes called the Ignatiev Monastery. The cell of Abbot Ignatius has survived in the monastery, and today it is revered as a shrine. Note the wood carvings on the ceiling of the monastery's main church, the arcades under the high arch of the temple and the holy spring. The monastery has an almshouse, a small zoo and two museums - a church museum and a folklore museum.

Antique Byzantine Ipsilu Monastery(St. John the Evangelist) has an even richer history: it was founded in the 9th century by a monk who fled from Syria. Over the past centuries, it has been destroyed and rebuilt many times; now it is a functioning monastery. It is located on the top of Mount Ordymnos in the western part of the island (near Sigri and Antissos, about 80 km from Mytilene).

Agiasos- one of the most picturesque villages of Lesbos. Here you can walk along the colorful narrow streets, admire the tiled roofs, ancient houses, the Church of the Virgin Mary with a high belfry (1170), and visit the Byzantine and ethnographic museums. Agiasos is located in the southeastern part of Lesvos, 25 km west of Mytilene.

The magnificent landscapes and bright colors of the Greek islands have long captured the imagination of poets and artists who want to settle here and find their own paradise on earth. Less romantic people consider these islands from the point of view of investing in real estate - and also do not remain indifferent to their charm.

For thousands of years, people roamed the seas around the Greek islands. As Homer wrote, Ithaca was the birthplace of Odysseus, where he returned after his success in the Trojan War. The founder of European medicine, Hippocrates, lived on the island of Kos, and St. John went into exile on Patmos, another island of the Dodecanese archipelago, where he wrote his gospel. The poetess Sappho, who gave preference to women all her life, lived on the island of Lesbos, whose name has since become a household name, and she found her tragic death due to unrequited love for a man on one of the Ionian islands - Lefkada.
Many centuries later, in the 19th century, Lord Byron, who wanted to devote his life to the struggle for Greek independence, wrote the famous poem “From a Diary in Cephalonia.” The film “Captain Corelli’s Choice” was shot about the military events on the same island, and the island of Corfu gained worldwide fame largely thanks to Gerald Durrell’s book “My Family and Other Animals.” The interest of the creative elite in the Greek islands was fueled by the cult poet and singer Leonard Cohen, who bought a house on the island of Hydra in the Sardonic Gulf, near Athens.
Real estate buyers, however, have their own favorites among the Greek islands. Most prefer good old Crete, Corfu and Rhodes. Each island has its own reasons for its popularity. Crete is the largest island of all that belongs to Greece; it is home to many unique historical monuments, as well as international airports. The island of Corfu, also called Kerkyra, was part of the British Empire for 50 years, which aroused the love of the British, the number one investors in the world real estate market, for it. Finally, Rhodes is popular, oddly enough, thanks to strict restrictions on construction - it was they who made it possible to avoid over-densification of buildings.

Crete is a rival of Cyprus
Crete is a large island, comparable in size to the super popular Cyprus. According to statistics, more than 10,000 foreigners own property here, the majority of whom are British. Unlike the market as a whole, which was stable for a long time and only began to rise due to changes in tax laws, in Crete house prices have been rising over the past five years. The general trend is associated with a combination of several factors, among which we note the development of tourism infrastructure, the construction of new golf courses and the opening of a new airport in Sitia, which has made the eastern part of the island much more accessible.
“Land prices have risen by 15% over the past two years. Before this, the growth rate was slightly higher, says Douglas Milne of Cretan Traditional Homes. - Nevertheless, the price-quality ratio remains very good. Here in Crete, an investor can get three times more for his money than on the expensive coasts of Spain.”
Milne himself started his business related to Cyprus real estate almost by accident. Twelve years ago he bought a house here, which served more to satisfy the owner's ambitions than to be a shrewd investment. However, realizing how quickly real estate prices were rising, Milne started thinking about starting his own business. Together with his partner, in 1997, he purchased a plot of land on a mountain slope and built his first village of 12 houses there. Business is developing very well, so that in his record year 2004, Milne sold almost 100 houses!
Milna's company focuses mainly on the western part of Crete and operates in the area between Chania and Rethymnon. Some of the houses have already been built, others are at the design stage. Those who buy objects at the zero-cycle stage and even at the construction stage have the opportunity to make changes to the project. Prices here reach 150,000 euros for townhouses and apartments, and a villa with an area of ​​about 100 sq. m. m will cost around 240,000 euros.
Crete is of great interest to those who are planning to buy property for rent. Thanks to the long holiday season, income is quite high - approximately 7-8%. Particularly popular among renters is the part of the island that gravitates towards Heraklion, where most tourists fly. However, in order to rent out a property, it is necessary to obtain official permission from the Greek Tourist Association, indicating that the property meets certain requirements. These requirements can and should be taken into account when buying a house, especially if it is done at the design stage.
Prices for older but renovated houses and apartments, which most often have a small area, are more affordable. Crete Property Consultants has a lot of such offers, one of them is a traditional stone cottage in the area of ​​the village of Aspro Potamos in the southeast of the island. This is a true traditional home with wooden ceilings, stone floors, a living room with an open kitchen area and one bedroom. The area is quite small - 40 sq. m, and for complete comfort there is not enough a full bathroom, which is replaced by a small shower. This is generally a typical picture for small and not new objects, which most likely were built before the appearance of water supply in this part of Crete. The house is located 800 m from the sea, its cost is 66,000 euros.

Ionic motifs
The islands of Corfu, Zakynthos, Kefalonia and Lefkada, part of the Ionian Islands, are located along the western coast of Greece. Particularly notable is the location of Corfu, the northernmost among them, neighboring Albania rather than the Greek mainland. Corfu, along with Zakynthos, can safely be called the most popular among all the Ionian islands. Nevertheless, there is still an opportunity to purchase magnificent real estate, although very expensive.
The island of Kefalonia became popular after the already mentioned film about Captain Corelli, and largely thanks to it it became very popular among tourists and real estate buyers. But Lefkada can still be considered little known on the market, especially its western coast. This is partly due to the danger of earthquakes, which is quite high on Lefkada. By the way, thanks to the strict anti-seismic building standards that exist in the Ionian Islands, local buildings are famous for their durability.

Next door to Athens
Looking at the map, it is easy to see that most of the Greek islands are located in the Aegean Sea, but not all of them are attractive for purchasing real estate. Mykonos is rapidly growing in popularity and has become one of Europe's most fashionable resort regions. Those with spare cash at their disposal might like the idea of ​​investing in one of the luxury villas here, traditionally painted white. Here, for example, is a beautiful two-storey house located at an altitude of 350 m above the beach of Saint Stefanos and 3.5 km from Mykonos town. The price is quite high - 650,000 euros, but this amount includes not only three bedrooms, but also a huge terrace, a deep diving pool, a garden and a veranda with upholstered furniture. However, according to the seller of the Property in Greece company, the main highlight of the villa is the gorgeous view overlooking the sea and the neighboring island of Tinos. The area of ​​the house is 145 sq. m. m, and the area of ​​the site is 0.047 hectares
Those who want to feel like they belong to a bohemian should look for proposals on the island of Hydra, next door to Leonard Cohen. The singer himself no longer lives there permanently, but visits only occasionally and for a short time - to take a break from the hustle and bustle and enjoy the colors and aromas of this small island. In 1960, he paid only $1,500 for the house, but now it is valued at approximately 1 million euros. By the way, Hydra is so careful about the environment that motor vehicles are strictly prohibited, with the exception of local garbage trucks. The attractiveness of the island is largely due to its location not far from the capital of Greece - Piraeus, the port part of Athens, is only 1.5 hours away by fast boat.

Non-standard islands
The good thing about the Greek islands is that the buyer can find among them exactly the piece of land that suits his taste. And it doesn’t necessarily have to be a popular place - you can even be proud of your non-standard choice!
Since the time of Sappho, the island of Lesbos has been considered a place favored by fans of same-sex love. Local residents do not like this fame - they believe that the island's reputation has been spoiled and because of this the island is not as visited as it could be. Indeed, tourism here is relatively poorly developed, and few people even think about buying real estate here. But in fact, this is more due to transport problems - getting to Lesvos is more difficult than to the larger islands. However, forward-thinking, open-minded buyers may well be interested in the extensive development opportunities and beautiful pristine beaches. “I received many requests from foreigners who wanted to purchase real estate,” says Panagiotis Karavataskis, head of the Greek representative office of ReMax, “but in practice this interest was never realized. Perhaps little is known yet about the opportunities for property buyers in Lesvos. By the way, this also has its advantages - land on the island is still relatively inexpensive.”
In the ReMax catalog you can find a range of properties in Lesbos. House with an area of ​​100 sq. m in Mitelen, the main town of the island, costs only 58,000 euros. Villa with a living area of ​​170 sq. m and a large plot of 0.45 hectares, on which there is an olive grove, is estimated at only 560,000 euros. A more expensive, truly luxurious villa on the outskirts of Mytelene is estimated at 1.3 million euros. The area of ​​the villa itself is 265 sq. m. m, and although its layout includes only two bedrooms, this is fully compensated by the amazing sea view from the spacious balconies. The land plot has an area of ​​2.2 hectares, and the villa is easily accessible both from Mitelenė itself and from the airport.

The island of Lesbos is located in the northeast of the Aegean Sea. It is the third largest island in Greece and a popular resort. Lesvos was glorified by the poet Odysseas Elytis and the poetess Sappho, thanks to whom the island gained such an ambiguous reputation as a place where same-sex love is widespread. Lesbos is also famous for its high-quality olive oil, delicious olives, cheese and special anise liqueur.

general information

Lesvos is a Greek island with an area of ​​1636 km2, the eighth largest among all the islands of the Mediterranean basin. Almost 110 thousand people live here. The capital is the city of Mytilene.

For many centuries, the island was glorified by talented people living and working on its shores - the poetess Sappho, the writer Long, Aristotle (for some time he lived and worked on Lesbos).

Poetess Sappho

Undoubtedly, the most controversial figure is the beautiful Sappho. Many call her the legislator of same-sex love between women, but this myth causes a lot of controversy. Sappho was not only a talented poetess, she sought to develop her aristocracy and ability to perceive beauty in the souls of other people. In 600 BC. e. a woman led a community of young girls dedicated to the Greek goddess Aphrodite and the muses. Here the pupils learned the art of living - good manners, the ability to attract and charm, and delight with intelligence. Every girl who left the community was a good conversationalist; men looked at the pupils as if they were earthly goddesses. The situation of women on the island was radically different from the situation on other Greek islands, where women were reclusive. In Lesbos, women had freedom.

Another attractive feature of the island of Lesbos in Greece is its fertile lands, where there are groves of olive trees, majestic pine trees, maples, and exotic flowers.

There are many fascinating places for tourists here - beaches, unique architecture, unforgettable cuisine, museums and temples, natural protected areas.

How to get there

The island has an airport named after Odysseas Elytis, located in the southeast, 8 km from the capital. The airport receives international charter flights during the holiday season and flights from other parts of Greece throughout the year.

Almost all major cruise companies offer sailing trips between the islands of the Aegean Sea. The cost of such a cruise will cost an average of 24 € (third class without a berth), if you prefer to travel in comfort, you will have to pay approximately 150 €. The route takes from 11 to 13 hours.

Considering that Lesvos is located near the Turkish coast (which can be seen on the map), a ferry service is organized between the island and the port of Ayvalik (Turkey). Ferries depart all year round, daily in summer, and several times a week in winter. The route takes 1.5 hours, the price of a one-way ticket is 20 €, and a round trip ticket is 30 €.

The most popular transport on this Greek island is the bus; tickets are sold in all newspaper shops and cafes. The main bus station is located in the capital near Agias Irinis Park. Flights follow:

• to Skala Eresu, route 2.5 hours;
• to Mithymna with a stop in Petra, route 1.5 hours;
• to Sigri, route 2.5 hours;
• to Plomari, route 1 hour 15 minutes;
• to Vatera, route 1.5 hours.

Ticket prices range from 3 to 11 €.

It is important! Taxis are quite cheap in Lesbos, so many people choose this transport. In the capital, cars are equipped with meters - a little more than one euro per 1 km, cars are bright yellow; in other cities, the payment is usually fixed, cars are gray.

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Cities and resorts

Mytilene (Mytilene)

The largest city on the island, as well as the main port and capital of Lesvos. Located in the southeast, ferries regularly depart from here to other islands and the port of Ayvalik in Turkey.

The city is one of the most ancient; minting was done here already in the 6th century. Many talented famous people of Greece were born in the settlement.

The city has two harbors - northern and southern, they are connected by a canal 30 m wide and 700 m long.

The most significant attractions are the Mytilene fortress, the Archaeological Museum, the ruins of an ancient theater, the Ethnographic Museum, temples and cathedrals, and the Eni Jami Mosque.

The most visited beach of Mytilene is Vatera. The length of the coast is more than 8 km. There are many hotels, sports grounds, restaurants and cafes. Vatera is recognized as the most organized beach in Lesbos, Greece.

It is located in the north of Lesbos, 2-3 km from the settlement of Petra and 60 km from the capital. In archaic times, the city was considered a large, developed settlement. The first name - Mithymna - was given in honor of the royal daughter; the name Molyvos appeared during the reign of the Byzantines.

This is one of the most beautiful cities where festivals, concerts, and holidays are often held. There is an ancient fortress on the top of the hill. Visitors love to relax in the picturesque harbor with boats. On the streets of the settlement there are many jewelry shops and shops, restaurants and cafes.

Molyvos has one of the most popular beaches on the island of Lesvos. Here tourists find everything they need for a comfortable stay - sun loungers, showers, cafes, areas for active games.

This cozy miniature settlement in the north of the island is located approximately 5 km from Molyvos. The tourism sector is well developed here; this is the main source of income for the settlement. Everything is provided for a comfortable stay - hotels, shops, restaurants and a beach recognized as the best on the map of Lesvos. Petra is a traditional place for families with children. The length of the coast is almost 3 km, along the entire length there are sun loungers, umbrellas, cafes, souvenir shops and a diving center.

The most significant attractions are the huge rock rising in the center of the city, the Church of the Virgin Mary, the Church of St. Nicholas, the local winery and the Valerdzidenas mansion.

Skala-Eressu

A small resort in the west of the island. Tourists note the developed infrastructure; it is located 90 km from the capital. Skala Eressou is the harbor of the city of Eressos.

In ancient times, there was a large shopping center here, where outstanding scientists and philosophers lived.

Skala Eressu has the best beach where you can find everything you need for a comfortable holiday. The coastline stretches for 3 km. There are many hotels, cafes and restaurants near the beach. The beach has been awarded the Blue Flag several times. Sports equipment is available to guests.

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Attractions

The most famous fortress on the island in the city of Mytilene is located on a hill between two ports - northern and southern. The structure was presumably built in the 6th century on the site where the ancient acropolis was previously located.

In 1462, the fortification was captured by the Turks and suffered serious damage. After restoration, the fortress was restored, but in the year of the war between the Ottomans and the Venetians, it was destroyed again. In the period from 1501 to 1756, the fortress was rebuilt, strengthened, and additional towers, ditches and walls were added. On the territory of the fortress there was a mosque, an Orthodox monastery, and an imaret. Today part of the fortress is destroyed, but remains one of the most interesting attractions of the island. The royal tower and the Turkish tower and numerous underground passages are perfectly preserved. In summer, various festivals and concerts are held here.

The Orthodox church is located near the settlement of Mandamados. The last reconstruction took place in 1879. The church is named after the patron saint of the island, Archangel Michael.

The first mention of the monastery was found in 1661; later, in the 18th century, the church was reconstructed.

There is a legend associated with the monastery, according to which in the 11th century it was attacked by pirates and killed all the priests.

One young monk Gabriel managed to escape; the pirates chased the young man, but Archangel Michael blocked their path. After this, the attackers disappeared, leaving behind all the loot. From the earth soaked in the blood of the murdered, Gabriel sculpted a sculpture of the Archangel, but there was only enough material for the head. Since then, the icon has been kept in the temple and is considered miraculous. Many tourists note that the face has a unique energy; when looking at the icon, goosebumps run down the body.

The courtyard is very cozy, filled with flowers. Candles in the church can be placed for free.

Panagia Glykofilus (Church of Our Lady of the Sweet Kiss)

This is the main attraction of the city of Petra. The temple, named after the icon, is located in the center of the settlement on a cliff 40 meters high. There are 114 steps leading to the entrance, so tourists note the difficult path to the temple.

The observation deck offers an amazing view of the town and its surroundings. Previously, there was a convent on the site of the church; the last reconstruction was carried out in 1747. Inside there is a beautiful wooden iconostasis, a throne and a unique icon. The guide will tell you amazing legends associated with the icon.

Not far from the foot of the mountain there are other attractions - the Church of St. Nicholas, the Vareldzidena mansion.

An amazing landmark that received the status of a natural monument in 1985. The petrified forest is located in the west of the island, between the villages of Eressos, Sigri and Antissa. Fossilized plants are scattered throughout almost the entire island - this is the largest accumulation of petrified trees in the world.

20 million years ago, after a powerful volcanic eruption, the island was completely covered with lava and ash. The result was a natural monument. More than 40 species of plants have been identified - birch, persimmon, maple, alder, lime, poplar, various palm trees, willow, hornbeam, cypress, pine, laurel. In addition, there are unique plants that have no analogues in the modern plant world.

The tallest petrified tree is over 7 m high and over 8.5 m in diameter.

The bay is the sunniest place on the island of Lesbos; there is a shallow, warm beach suitable for family holidays, where in addition to noisy, crowded places you can find secluded corners. But the main purpose of visiting the bay is observing rare birds and leisurely walks among exotic vegetation. Perhaps the best photos of the island of Lesbos can be taken here.

Byzantine fortress, Mithymna (Molyvos)

The town is located in the north of the island, just a few kilometers from the settlement of Petra and 60 km from the capital. Scientists believe that people lived in this area during the prehistoric period.

The Byzantine fortress is built on a mountain and towers majestically above the city. It is clearly visible when approaching the settlement. If you are traveling with your own transport, please note that there is no parking at the entrance to the fortress.

Sightseeing buses come here regularly; tourists are dropped off near the entrance and picked up a few hours later at the exit from Molyvos.

There is enough time to explore the surrounding area, towers and ancient buildings. Not far from the fortress there is a restaurant that serves delicious traditional Greek dishes. If you go down to the shore, you can admire yachts and boats, stroll through the narrow streets of the town and visit miniature shops.

Weather and Climate

The island of Lesvos in Greece has a typical Mediterranean climate - dry, hot summers and mild, rainy winters.

Summer begins in mid-May, the highest temperature - +36 degrees - is recorded in July and August. At this time, strong winds blow, often developing into storms.

From spring to autumn, the sun shines brightly on the island for 256 days - this is an excellent reason to choose Lesvos for a holiday. The highest water temperature is +25 degrees. There are also a lot of vacationers here in October, but they spend most of their time by the pool.

The air on the island is healing - saturated with the aroma of pine, and there are thermal springs next to Eftalu.

The island of Lesbos (Greece) is an amazing place where good weather and a unique atmosphere create ideal conditions for any vacation - romantic or family.

Watch the video to see what the beaches of Lesbos look like.

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Lesbos (aka Mytilene) is the third largest Greek island after Crete and Euboea, and besides Sappho, Lesbos was the birthplace of Aesop, Arion and - in not so ancient times - the Greek primitive artist Theophilos, the Nobel Prize-winning poet Odysseus Elytis and the prose writer Stratis Mirivilis. Despite all this highly artistic glory, Lesbos is unlikely to amaze the guest at first glance with unprecedented beauty or something unusually interesting: the landscape is dominated by stone and rocks, quite a few areas with hot springs, as well as modest fields with eared grain, salt marshes and wastelands .

And also coniferous and oak forests, almost endless olive groves, some of which are more than 500 years old. The climate is fragrant, and maybe even healing, the appearance as a whole is tempting, but it does not reveal itself right away, so the longer you stay in Lesvos, the more you will remember it. Those in love with architecture are not in danger of disappointment: there are many medieval and Ottoman monuments. Fortresses survived in the main one, in Eresos, Sigri and in the vicinity of Andissa. Most of them were erected at the end of the 14th century, when the sister of one of the last Byzantine emperors was married to a Genoese prince from the Gattilusi clan and the bride, along with another dowry, also gave the island of Lesbos to the groom’s family.

Lesbos is one of those few Greek islands, along with Crete and Euboea, where the Turks also settled in the rural hinterlands (in other parts of the city they seemed safer), which explains the presence of ridiculous Ottoman bridges, box-shaped mosques or a lonely minaret, although there was nothing left around that would justify their presence. Here again, unlike other Aegean islands, the reforms initiated in the 18th century by the Ottoman authorities helped the emergence of a Greek Orthodox aristocracy, which took possession of lands and industry.

The new nobility rushed to acquire shabby mansions and tower houses, but only a few examples of these properties survived. More common are the “city houses” of merchants and other rich people, built at the beginning of the 20th century in Mytilene according to the models of the Second French Empire (Napoleon II). Many of them are now owned by the state, which needs to locate its institutions somewhere; others, after restoration, have turned into hotels. The oddities and quirks of social and economic life do not want to disappear: if you attend any village festival (paniiri), where music blares for hours, and tables set out on the streets are laden with food and drink, you will not be surprised to learn that there are more alcoholics in Lesbos than anywhere else in .

Excessive importance is attached here to the breeding of special breeds of animals, primarily horses, and traffic jams in which not only cars, but also riders get stuck, are far from uncommon here - at every step you can see road signs with inscriptions in Greek, warning that that tethering animals is prohibited. Herds, or, better said, gangs of apparently ownerless donkeys roam everywhere. The lion's share of the land occupied by olives is still inaccessible to cars and agricultural machinery, and the harvest is transported on donkeys - they are loaded into the backs of trucks that only reach the end of the asphalt. “Organic agronomy” without chemicals, fertilizers and genetic manipulation is enthusiastically encouraged - it is seen as the key to the competitiveness of Lesbos agriculture, and the inscriptions “Organic farming” or “Organic farming” are ubiquitous.

Historically, those who stubbornly do not want to part with their homeland are able to live (and live) by cultivating olives, producing ouzo, livestock farming and fishing or fish farming. But if all the named sectors of the national economy seem to be experiencing stagnation, then tourism is clearly thriving and is certainly not going to stop at the achieved success of development. Moreover, the share of tourism in the economy of Lesbos still does not reach 10%, and large hotels are only in the capital, Molyvos and Skala Kalonis. In fact, there were even fewer visitors after 1996 due to red tape over the construction of a planned new airport, unreasonable hotel pricing and because several major tour operators refused to work with the island.

Bus schedules seem to suit the convenience of villagers who, for some reason, needed to go to the city, but not tourists who are in a hurry to manage the local sightseeing during daylight hours. In any case, trying to accomplish this by relying on public transport is an almost impossible undertaking - the island is quite large: up to 70 kilometers long and up to 45 kilometers wide, and there are few roads and those that exist are far from fast, but disgusting (though On many, the coverage and markings have become better recently). In addition, the situation is complicated by two bays, Kaloni and Yera, which go deep into the land; there are no bridges across them, even in narrow places near the coast. Traveling around the island necessarily involves changing from bus to bus either in Mytilene on the eastern shore, or in the town of Kalloni in the middle of the island.

Southern part of Lesbos island

Two huge bays crash into the southern half of the island - Kalloni and Gera, the first stretches in the north-east direction, the second in the north-west. The bays border a large peninsula, in the middle of which rises Mount Olymbos (967 meters above sea level). Both bays are shallow and almost isolated from the open sea, connected to it by very narrow straits, but bridges have not been thrown across them - and, probably, will never be built. This is the greenest and most generous part of Lesvos for olive oil, dotted with chimneys of oil factories.

One of the largest places on the Gulf of Hera is Perama. Regular boat and ferry services link Perama with the pier at Koundoroudia, at the far end of which there is a stop for blue city buses to (and from) Mytilene. Perama has many old warehouses that are no longer needed by oil producers, but the environment is not without its charm, and since the 1980s, the pelican Makis has lived in the central square.

The best reason to show up there and look at the pelican is the opportunity to visit one of the best ouzeri taverns in the area: Balouhanas (all year round; lunch and dinner), the northernmost of the row of establishments on the embankment, with wooden, reed-covered balconies hanging over the water. The name is a distortion of the Turkish word “balykhane”, which means “fish shop”, respectively, seafood, both from the grill and croquettes, is excellent, for your appetite they serve local snacks such as pancakes with cheese filling yuzlemes, desserts are homemade.

• Plomari town and surroundings

To the south of Mount Olymbos on the coast of the peninsula described, perhaps only Plomari can be called a town. In fact, this is the second municipality in Lesbos, which has an unimaginable combination of natural beauty and a cluster of distilleries, which have blessed the town with the zealous producers of the famous Lesbos ouzo. Despite the obvious lack of good beaches that can be reached on foot, Plomari is besieged by tourists from Scandinavia in the summer, but a room can usually be found (there are plenty of signs with offers) either on the edge of the old and charmingly run-down town, or (and better) in the suburb of Ammoudeli 1 kilometer to the west, where, moreover, there is a beach with talc fine as peas.

And if you're lucky, you'll stay in the friendly Pension Lida above Benyamin Square, far from the sea - these are beautiful restored premises occupying adjacent old mansions, almost all rooms have balconies with sea views. It’s more difficult for gluttons in Ammudeli: only the most ordinary taverns along the embankment on both sides of the post office (there is also an ATM), all almost the same. The largest local car rental agency is Imperial. Tourists for the most part choose to stop at Agios Isidoros, 3 kilometers east. Among the hotels not completely taken over by organized tourism, we recommend Pebble Beach: many of the spacious rooms face the part of the coast where the reefs are found, but try not to get into a room above the hotel bar, otherwise you will not be able to get a good night's sleep.

Of the city's hotspots fighting for the right to feed you, the winner is undoubtedly Taverna tou Panai (all year round), behind the olive grove at the northern road sign on the border of the village. The tavern will offer you large portions of hearty meat, seafood and mayirefta, and the people sitting next to you will be almost entirely Greek. Another beach - 700 meters of sand and pebbles at the entrance to the canyon - Melinda. Located 6 kilometers from Plomiri, along the highway to the west. They also rent rooms here - negotiate at the taverns, but we recommend trying your luck at Maria's: an absolutely charming place with simple but reasonably priced food, and the accommodations are the same. Melinda Studios, two doors down, offers better accommodation (but no food), as does Melinda (Dhimitris Psaros) at the western end of the spit, which not only has food, but a richer menu.

• Ayasos village and Mileglia mill

Situated in a remote wooded hollow beneath Mount Olymbos, Ayasos is the most beautiful mountain village in Lesvos: narrow, cobblestone streets lined with tiled houses. The town is usually entered from the north, and at first nothing hints at its large size until you see the huge accumulation of cars in the parking lot at the southern border of Ayasos (where you get off the bus after 26 kilometers from Mytilene). Do not be intimidated by the endless rows of stalls with crafts made of wood and clay or shops with carved “Byzantine” furniture - the sellers of it prey primarily on the Greeks - stubbornly continue your way to the center past the Church of the Virgin Mary of Panagia Vrefokratoussa, erected in the 12th century in honor and for the sake of preserving icon, supposedly painted by the Evangelist Luke, to the old bazaar with its coffee shop, yogurt shops and butcher shops.

Since the town is built around such a revered image, the local paniiri on August 15 (Assumption) is celebrated on a grand scale, the like of which cannot be found in all of Greece, not to mention Lesbos. Ayasos takes Maslenitsa no less seriously: opposite the post office there is a club that plans the celebration in advance. Best restaurants: Dhouladhelli on the left as you head into the town center from its southern end (from the bus stop), and the nightlife-famous To Stavri on the far northern end of the town, in the Stavri district. If you are traveling to Ayasos with your own transport, along the way you can visit the Mileglia water mill (daily 9:00-18:00): a clearly visible sign marks the access road, leaving the highway to the west 1 kilometer after the turn to the village of Ipios.

The name can be understood as “Mill”, and here once stood several mills, the water wheels of which were rotated by the water of the spring, the source of which is higher, near Carini. Only one survived, it was restored to working condition, but there is nothing to do with it. The watchman will show you how the flour is ground and how the wheel with blades rotates, the flour coming out, after which you can go to a nearby store for tasty pasta and other products. Recently, Mileglia has become involved in cheeses, jams, salted fish, even chef courses have opened - and these products are now sold in all resorts of Lesbos at points under the appropriate signs.

• Vatera Beach, Skala Polychnitu and Spa

Another bus route from Mytilene ends at Vatera beach. The bus passes through such settlements as Polychnitos and Vrissa. Vrissa has collected local paleontological finds at the Natural History Museum (daily 9:30-17:00; 1.50 €) - so far the exhibition is not that interesting, but they promise to open a new, larger gallery. Even 20 thousand years ago, Lesbos (like other islands in the eastern Aegean Sea) was part of the Asian mainland, and Vatera Bay was a subtropical lake, so there were conditions for the prosperity of all sorts of strange creatures, whose fossilized remains are now exhibited in the museum as the best exhibits.

Fans of hot mineral baths will be pleased by the well-renovated spa, financed by the EU, 1.5 kilometers east of the village of Polychnitos (daily: July and August 9:00-20:00, November to March 14:00-19:00): in a small house under the vaults there are separate rooms in pink tones so that women and men can bathe separately. Other hot springs bubble up at Agios Ioannis: the path 3 kilometers after the village of Lizvori is signposted (daily 8:30-12:00), these best Turkish baths in the area are often booked by groups. 9 kilometers south of the village of Polychnitos, the huge sandy beach of Vatera stretches for 7 kilometers, backed by green hills. The sea here pleases with calm and clear water, and the spit itself is one of the best on all the islands.

If you decide to stay here, you may also want to get your own transport, since the nearest well-stocked shops in Vriss are 4 kilometers away, where the bus goes only a few times a day. The territory is being developed for tourism; considerable areas have already been built up for kilometers in all directions from the central T-shaped fork: mainly villas are being built for summer cottages and apartments for locals. At the western end of this strip, one of the very few consistently successful and professionally managed hotels is built - the Greek-American Vatera Beach (price reduced by 20% when booking online) - rooms with air conditioning and refrigerators.

The hotel has a good restaurant, with herbs from its own garden and tables on the shore, from where you can see Cape Agios Fokas, 3 kilometers to the west, where only the foundations of the Temple of Dionysus and the more than impressive early Christian basilica have survived. On a small pier, hidden in the shade of tamarisk trees, is the passable Akroyiri/Angeleros fish tavern. Usually the food there is much better than in all the taverns east of the triple fork, but not as good as in the taverns in Skala Polychnitou, which is 4 kilometers northeast of Polychnitos itself. We recommend Tasteria, Iliovasilema and Akroyidli.

Skala is pleasant on weekdays, with the only narrow and short beach leading to a much better one at Nifida, 3 kilometers to the west. To the east of Vathera, the road, mostly paved, passes through Stavros, then, in 1.5 hours, leads to either Ayasos or Plomari, so it is quite possible to complete the outing in a day. And when going north, to Kalloni, move along the sharply cutting corner and completely paved path from the naval base to the Akhladeri village by the sea.

Western part of the island of Lesbos

The highway from Loutra-Yeras to the west is laid in such a way that there are almost no villages along the way, and there seems to be nowhere to stop before Kalloni - except perhaps at the remains of the ancient temple of Aphrodite in Mesa (Meson) 1 kilometer north of the highway: look out for the sign to east of the turn to Akhladeri. On the site (sometimes closed for excavations) you will see only the foundations of the 11th century BC and several bases of columns, and also the ruins of a basilica wedged into the ancient ruins, built by the Genoese in the 14th century - the ancient village once stood almost right next to the sea, but for thousands of years the water brought silt, which formed sediments that fenced off the ruins from the shore.

Everyone agrees that Mesa is not worth an intentional trip, but if you have your own transportation, it won't hurt to stop by along the way. And if you have time, you can turn northeast, to the village of Ayia Paraskevi, halfway between two more important monuments from different eras: the ancient Christian basilica of Halinada and the large medieval bridge at Kremasti. Kalloni itself is a rural village with a bazaar approximately in the middle of the island. Kalloni is not particularly fancy, but there are quite a few shops and useful services (including a post office and three banks with ATMs).

To the south (about 3 kilometers) there is a not very attractive resort for vacationers on Skala Kallonis tours with a beach, although long, but with too coarse sand on the shores of a lake-like bay. Those who come here are primarily those who like to watch birds, which nest in the nearby salt marshes in March and May. There are about half a dozen hotels, the best one is located in the garden to the west of the city of Aegeon. The taverns on the waterfront, from which you can see the fishing fleet, are generally faceless, although almost everywhere they serve the famous sardines grown on plankton in the local bay - the best are those from the grill, in August-October (smoked sardines are on the menu all year round), quite decent - Omiros behind the western beach.

• Monasteries and villages in the outback of Lesbos

The road from Kalloni to the west, winding, goes uphill and after 4 kilometers ends at the Limonos monastery, founded in 1527 by the monk Ignatius (Greek name Ignatios), whose cell has been preserved in the surviving medieval northern wing. The vast, sprawling complex is overseen by only a handful of monks and lay workers. The Catholicon, with vaults decorated with wood carvings and arched gates, was built in the Asia Minor style and, according to custom, does not accept women. A sacred spring flows under the southern wall. The former rector established a museum (daily 9:30-18:30, sometimes closed after 15:00 out of season; €1.50) in the west wing. Only the lower floor with a collection of church exhibits is constantly available for inspection, but it is unknown when the more interesting ethnographic gallery upstairs will be opened.

Be content with the accumulation of rural utensils in the corner hall below, next to a hall filled with huge pitara vessels for grain and olive oil, sunk into the floor. Beyond the monastery, the highway passes through the beautiful village of Vatoussa in the heart of the western half of the island, with an ethnographic museum in the mansion that Grigorios Gogos inherited from his ancestors. Turning along the paved road just beyond Watussa, after 7 kilometers you reach the outskirts of the village of Hidira, where the Methymneos Winery (daily July-30 September 9:00-18:00; other times by arrangement) has succeeded in reviving the ancient variety of grapes and wines produced from its wines: several decades ago, the local winemaking was destroyed, as it seemed forever, by phylloxera.

The location (300 meters above sea level) and sulfur-rich soils (you are in the caldera of the Ordymnos volcano) allow winemakers to produce velvety red wine, age it in oak barrels and do without chemicals or genetic engineering. Owner Ioannis Lambrou gives valuable tours of his unique property - he drives for a good 20 minutes and speaks English. Behind Vatoussa, a short (about 8 kilometers) trail begins to the 16th-century Perivolis monastery (daily 8:00-13:00 and 17:00-18:00; donation, no photography): it stands in a garden (perivoli) on the river bank. The electric lighting is weak, but you can see the wonderful, although damp, murals in the narthex.

Bosch himself would not be ashamed of the apocalyptic panel (Earth and Sea give up their dead): the Whore of Babylon rides on her scarlet beast and forces sea monsters to vomit out the poor fellows they have devoured, and on the right, towards the main gate, a fresco with the Three Wise Men and the Virgin Mary on the throne and the Child Christ in his arms. On the north side you will see an extremely unusual iconography with “Abraham, the Mother of God and the Prudent Thief of Golgotha ​​in Paradise”: their feet are washed by the waters of the Four Rivers of Paradise. Nearby on the right is a collection of the Old Testament kings of Judah and Israel.

Nestled in the only present in the entire arid western coniferous forest of Andissa, 3 kilometers further, on the western outskirts of the village, a sign cries out: “Visit our Square.” The idea is actually not bad; there, under the impressive plane trees, hides half a dozen taverns and coffee shops. A paved road from Andissa to the north, after 6 kilometers, leads to the fishing village of Gavatas with a short, but partly sheltered from the winds beach (Kambos is a little larger to the east, but with strong surf) and several places where you can eat and/or spend the night: in a guesthouse and restaurant Paradise, for example, has good fish, and vegetables come from the local garden.

And just west of Andissa there is an important fork. If you don’t turn around, you will get to the still active monastery of Ipsilu, founded in 1101, located on the top of the spur of the extinct Ordymnos volcano. The Catholicon in the corner of the large, irregularly shaped courtyard is remarkable for its vaults with a beautiful wooden lattice, but the frescoes were hopelessly damaged in 1992, when they decided to update the murals. More interesting are the sections of the facade, decorated with Iznik tiles, and the gate - a covered passage with a double arch. One of the few local monks takes you upstairs to the museum (donation): the exhibits are a wonderful collection of shrouds (epitaphios), ancient handwritten books, icons and - most curiously - the image of the Descent from the Cross, painted in the style of the Renaissance by one Turk in the 16th century .

The monastery chose John the Theologian as its patron saint - monasteries isolated from the world are often dedicated to this evangelist, especially those surrounded by an apocalyptic landscape - and Ipsilu is right in the ring of sun-scorched hills on which boulders are piled. A sign to the west of the monastery points to a paved road that will lead you after 5 kilometers to the largest concentration of petrified trees, which are already almost ubiquitous in Lesbos (daily June-September from 8:00 to sunset, other times of the year closes at 8 :00-14:00; € 2): the reserve is surrounded by a fence, inside which there are about 3 kilometers of walking paths.

Although in this case one cannot blame modern Greek arsonists for the pitiful state of these trees: volcanic ash erupted by Ordymnos and hot mineral waters worked together here some 15 or 20 million years ago. For the most part, the fossilized fragments of sequoia butts do not reach 1 meter in length - except for a few larger ones: these are the ones you saw on postcards. Another similar and more accessible (and they don’t charge for viewing) forest is south of Sigri.

• The town of Sigri on the island of Lesbos

Perched almost on the westernmost tip of Lesbos, the town of Sigri evokes the feeling of the end of the road, if not the end of the world: the local bay is guarded by both the Ottoman fortress and the elongated island of Nissjopi, which also shelters the town from the prevailing winds. Until the beginning of the 1990s, an important NATO base operated in Sigri, then instead of destroyers, civilian ferries came here from time to time, until this communication ceased. – this is rarely seen outside of Istanbul, so this is a sign of the highest attention to such a strategically important port, and even with excellent water supply.

In the slightly Turkish-looking Trinity Church of Ayia Tryada, which was indeed once a mosque, the lower floor of the bell tower is occupied by a huge water cistern, supplying, among other things, the dilapidated hammam to the south of the church. At the top of the village there is a worthy Museum of Natural History of the Petrified Forest of Lesbos (daily 15 May-15 October 8:30-20:00, other times of the year 8:30-16:30; 5 €), where you can get an idea of ​​the geology of the Aegean Sea with its shores, and the fascinating story is illustrated by samples and maps (with ominous seismic ones included), and also, as one would expect, an assortment of petrified logs and fossil plants that grew in those distant times when the nearby hills were much greener .

Sigri itself is an awkward mess - local architecture juxtaposed with cement and concrete boxes, and the beach south of the cape behind the fortress is narrow and next to the road. Much better are the beaches of Faneromeni, 3.5 kilometers north of the dirt track outside the northern outskirts of the town, and Limena, 2 kilometers to the south, just below the dirt road to Eresos (a distance of 15 kilometers can be covered - only carefully - in 35 minutes), but All beaches have no amenities. Places to stay used to be bought up by British travel companies, but with the cessation of ferry services, accommodation has become easier to find.

One of the best options is Evangelia, with studios and apartments, some overlooking the bay. One of the half-dozen taverns, Cavo d`Oro/Blue Wawe (no sign) - a classic option for lobster and fish, is located near the port, the rest of the restaurants around the square are completely ordinary in comparison. You don’t have to look far for nightlife: Notia (June-September) has long existed with live gatherings, often with several groups of performers (a kind of “jam session”).

Those visitors who choose the west of Lesbos settle mostly in the resort of Skala Eresu, where the southernmost turn between Andissa and Ypsilu leads. The 3-kilometer-long beach is comparable to the fact that Vatera is, therefore, a place on a par with Molyvos, Petra and Plomari, at least in terms of the number of holidaymakers, and this is a motley mixture of British, Germans, Scandinavians, family Greeks, new hippies and women of non-traditional orientation. And how pleasing after the endless fields, although the most attractive rural area of ​​the island, is the lush natural greenery on the volcanic ridges rising to the sky.

The rock is nothing special: blocks of blocks, about five streets along one axis and a dozen along the other. You will find older buildings on the slope of Vigla Hill, which is adjacent to the eastern end of the beach. The coastal pedestrian zone (officially Papanikoli) is divided in half: in the middle is a round square filled with cafes, on which stands a bust - this is a monument to the botanist Theophrastus, who glorified ancient Eresos. Ancient Eresos (Eres) stood, by the way, not on the site of the current village, but on the top of the Vigla hill; some of the classical fortress wall has survived, and if you strain your eyes, you can see these remains even from afar.

When you climb the hill, you will most likely be disappointed by the ruins, but you will be rewarded by the panoramic view that opens up. From there, looking into the sea, you can see an ancient pier that has sunk under the water over the past centuries - look beyond the current fishing pier. Ancient Eresos gave birth not only to scientists: the word “Lesbos” itself is known in the world primarily because Sappho was born in Eresos (about 615-562 BC), who, as all experts agree, stands among the most prominent and significant poets of all times and peoples and reputed to be gay (or even the first gay woman to achieve fame).

Therefore, among the resort public there is always a noticeable share of ladies of unconventional orientation, who specially come here in order to pay homage to the “Founder of the Movement”, and on the beach to the west of the river mouth, which was also chosen by water turtles and where any clothes are optional or completely absent, such women feel themselves if not full-fledged housewives, then at ease.

Ancient Eresos existed before the Byzantine era, from which it was inherited, first of all, the Basilica of Ayios Andreas, located behind the current church; more precisely, the foundation and fragments, albeit restored, of the mosaic floors survived from the temple. Immediately behind the basilica is the tomb of the Saint (this Saint Andrew is one of the first bishops, and not the patron saint of Scotland. It, like Northern Rus', Crimea, Ukraine and Eastern Greece (Constantinople and Asia Minor), is patronized from above by the Apostle Andrew the First-Called).

• Useful information about the resort of Skala Eresu

There are countless rooms and apartments in Skala, but the seaside shelters fill up early in the morning and are very noisy, especially at night. At the height of the season, it is probably better for you to look for a quieter shelter, albeit away from the sea, but with a view of the fields or gardens. With the advent of the new millennium, most companies serving vacationers with vouchers abandoned the exploitation of the Rock - explaining their decision, they most often refer to neglect of “family values”, they say, there are too many gay women on this Lesbos, often militant, but far from all respectable citizens agree to spend their holidays in such a revolutionary environment. Therefore, there is a surplus of rental housing, so you will definitely find a bed.

But still, smart people trust the search for shelter to the Sappho Travel agency: Joanna and her subordinates will quickly get involved in the essence of any request, they will help you with a rental car, a ferry or plane ticket, not to mention an overnight stay that suits you. Another option is several hotels, but note that some hotels are both run by lesbians and prefer guests of the same bent, such as Sappho the Eressia on the promenade with Wi-Fi and a lovely snack bar on the ground floor, or Maskot (room bookings through Sappho Travel "), away from the sea from the previous one. A popular alternative is Kyma: sea views from the eastern edge of the embankment. Taverns, as a rule, with wooden platforms for dining, are located on the beach, and since tourism has not worked out very well, one can expect fierce competition, bankruptcies and establishments changing hands.

Among the survivors, Kyani Sardhini/Blue Sardine at the western end of the promenade is a credible example of ouzeri with seafood on the menu, while neighboring Soulatsos is one of the most reliable spots for grills and mezedes. As for nightlife, here it is the best on the entire island. Lesbians prefer Sappho Garden of the Arts away from the shore, often with live performances. The cafe-bars Parasol and Cooya Caribu at the eastern end of the embankment, as well as the well-placed Primitive to the west of the village across the bridge over the river full of freshwater turtles, are dominated by customers of straight sexual orientation. In the center there is an open-air (summer) cinema (July-early September), which is called, naturally, “Sappho”. In Skala there is a post office, an ATM, a small coastal internet cafe in the eastern part of the embankment and two bars with Wi-Fi.

The local car rental agency is Igfa (representative of Alamo/National). To return to the main road to Kalloni, you will have to circle, driving from Eressos along the western shore of the Gulf of Kalloni through the mountain villages of Mesotopos and Agra. The road is entirely asphalt and you will spend less time on it than returning through Andissa and Skalochori. This route passes by the magnificent beach of Kroussos, with the iconic tavern on the eastern edge of the beach - it is housed in an immobilized bus and, perhaps, that is also why it is so fervently revered: Kira Maria cooks in a home-style manner (snails, dolmades, beans and beans, with in case of milt or caviar of sea urchins) is not only a cut above resort cooking, and the prices are relatively low.

Northern part of Lesbos island

After leaving Kalloni, the highway heads north and winds its way up a ridge covered with coniferous forests, beyond which begins pleasant countryside with slender poplars and extensive olive groves. And before you notice any other architectural detail, something like a cock's comb appears on the horizon - this is the Molyvos Fortress. Therefore, you are approaching the oldest and most established center of the tourism industry in Lesvos.

• Resorts of Petra and Anaxos on the island of Lesvos

Since political and practical restrictions were placed on the expansion of Molyvos, many tourism companies are trying to move their business 5 kilometers south to the resort of Petra. The town is spreading uncontrollably away from its wide sandy beach and coastal square, but two attractive cores with old stone houses, often with balconies in the Levantine style, are still preserved. Petra (Greek translation: stone) is named after the huge monolithic rock that rises away from the sea, and the fidelity of this “rocky” name is emphasized by the one hundred and fourteen steps carved in stone leading to the entrance to the 18th century Church of the Virgin Mary.

In the 16th-century St. Nicholas Church of Agios Nikolaos, it is clear that the well-preserved frescoes were not painted at once, but at different times, in just three stages, and in the intricately decorated Vareldziden mansion (Tuesday-Sunday 8:00-14:30; free) the walls are painted with simple-minded pictures: couples in love and a stylized view of a naval battle against the backdrop of Constantinople (current). Most small hotels and studios are booked by entire blocks in advance, so if you haven't bothered with overnight accommodations in time, contact the Women's Agri-cultural Tourism Cooperative on the south side of the seaside square - this organization accommodates rooms and studios scattered around throughout the city.

You can try to get good amenities at the Michaelia Hotel. The restaurant of the women's cooperative, although the management is independent, is good and inexpensive: grill, mayirefta, tables on the roof. Other options include the inexpensive but attractive Kostas grill in a small square east of the cliff, the bright and oldest uzeri in Petra - Rigas (only in the evening), which is further from the sea among residential buildings, in the Tsalikis cafe, on the square, excellent homemade ice cream.

But you are free to get out of the city for excellent homemade food and views from the terrace at the Petri tavern (daily May-mid-October) in the village of Petri, 3 kilometers from the coast, or move 1.5 kilometers southwest along the road to Anaxos to the village of Avlaki , where behind the beach there is a wonderful ouzeri tavern, indicated by signs and signs. Shifted 3 kilometers to the south, Anaxos is a rambling resort for travelers, bordered by the cleanest beach with the cleanest water in the area: 1 kilometer of well-sifted sand with sun loungers and a few tavernas. And what sunsets: the sun sets between three coastal islands, but hides behind them.

• Around Mount Lepetimnos on the island of Lesvos

Rising 968 meters above sea level east of Molyvos, Mount Lepetimnos is dotted with villages, each with a grove of poplars. The exploration of the mountain and the farms on it can be completed in a day, and this is a rewarding undertaking. It makes sense to arrange the first stop at a low altitude at the hot springs of Loutra-Eftalu, 5 kilometers along the road past the campsite, if only so as not to spend money on ultra-modern sterile baths with baths, but to support the building under the Ottoman dome with your money (daily: December-April free access; May-October 9:00-13:00 and 15:00-19:00; June-September 10:00-14:00 and 16:00-20:00; pool for a group - 3, 50 €).

The spa is very well looked after and the water temperature stays at 39-41°C, so there is no need to cool down every now and then. Outside there is a nice elongated pebble beach of Ayi Anaryri, limited by toes, behind which at a distance there are two more coves, favored by nudists. The only skillfully set up tavern, Khrysi Akti (golden coast), also offers rooms - small, but with bathrooms and, by the way, these are cells of the neighboring (inactive) monastery. In Eftalu itself there are enough flashy hotels and bungalow complexes, and the most welcoming and best in terms of price and quality ratio of them (although, like the others, on occasion occupied by tourists and excursionists) is Eftalou: a swimming pool, a well-kept garden and a faithful woman who knows no other havens, clientele.

Two taverns near the spa are worthy of mention: Anatoli (all year round, but only on weekends in winter) and the nearby Eftalou Tavern, also open (except Christmas) all year round: both the food (fish and grilled meats) and the environment (shady trees) are excellent and so on). The asphalt road bypassing Lepetimnos first, after 5 kilometers to the east, leads to Vafios with three taverns of comparable level - Vafios, Ilias, Petrino: the latter is the cheapest and is open on weekends in winter - and then, keeping to the foot of the mountain, turns north.

Luxurious mountain village of Sikaminya (Sikamia, Skamnia): a plaque on one of the impressive basalt houses below the Worker's Day Square, with a couple of traditional coffee shops and views, says that the prose writer Stratis Myrivilis, who made the village famous, was born and raised in this house. A marked trail allows you to cut a corner and take a straight path to the most picturesque fishing port in Lesbos - Skala Sikaminhas. Mirivilis, when writing the novel “The Most Holy Gorgon,” connected many of its episodes with this village, and the church at the end of the pier will immediately be recognized by anyone who has read Mirivilis’ book.

In the port village there are guesthouses, for example Gorgona in the center: there are air-conditioned rooms, breakfasts on a shady terrace, and taverns, of which the oldest is Skamnia with tables under the mulberry tree (“murya”), in whose branches Mirivilis used to spend the night in the hot summer at night, although the newer Anemoessa (closer to the church, open on weekends in winter) surpasses the veteran in quality: they serve stuffed pumpkins with fresh seafood. The only local beach, Kaya, 1.5 kilometers to the east, is sand and pebbles, and one or even two taverns are open during the season. Continuing east from upper Sikaminya, you will soon arrive in Clio, with a single street (“kendriki agora” - central market) leading to a square with a plane tree, a fountain, coffee shops and views of Turkey.

The village on the mountain slope looks very attractive, and the road (6 kilometers, partly paved) from it goes down to Tsonya beach: 600 meters of beautiful volcanic sand. South of Klio, at Kapi, the road splits, and after taking the fork to the right, complete your circle around the mountain on a completely asphalt road. Pelopi was home to the ancestors of Michael Dukakis, an unsuccessful candidate for the US presidency in the 1988 elections (Dukakis finally honored Lesvos with a visit in 2000). In the middle of Ipsilo-Metopo, surrounded by gardens, 5 kilometers further there is a minaret, but there is no mosque, and on July 17 the village receives guests who arrived for the holiday of Ayia Marina (St. Marina).

• Mandamados village and Taxyarchis monastery

The motorway on the way south after Clio and Kapi, on the way back to the capital, passes through Mandamados, a nice little village in the outback, famous for its potters. The pitarjas they fashioned, vessels for olive oil, like in the movie about Ali Baba, are found throughout Lesbos. But Mandamados is even better known for the “black” icon of the Archangel Michael in the huge Taxyarchis monastery (daily: May-September 6:00-21:30; October-April 6:30-19:00), located in a ravine beyond the northeastern outskirts villages where many worshipers flock.

The image - they claim that it was written on mud and clay mixed with the blood of murdered monks - is essentially not so much an icon as an idol: unlike a “normal” icon, it is three-dimensional, and its veneration is characterized by some oddities. At first, there was a general custom of making wishes using a coin: you put the money on the Archangel’s forehead, and if it fits into the outline of the forehead, then your wish will come true. This form of “worship,” along with the lighting of candles after trying on a coin, has long been prohibited, so especially zealous faithful are left with their prayers to another icon of the Archangel, at the main entrance.

They also believe that, being on errands for believers who pester him with prayers, the Archangel, of necessity, changes his shoes even more often than the unforgettable Imelda Marcos (the wife of President Marcos, who ruled the Philippines for 21 years, a former Miss World, who was very fond of changing shoes). Therefore, near his image, heaps of tiny gold and silver shoes and slippers were piled up as votive offerings. Church authorities, concerned about such a “primitive practice,” removed all these donations in 1988, but since then several pairs of tin slippers have reappeared in front of the image, in which you can leave money.

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