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Matt's Lesvos Suggestions

Lesvos is a big island. It is not like going to Mykonos or Santorini where you can see the sites in a couple days and then spend the rest of the time on the beach and clubbing at night. You can if you like of course but the amazing thing about Lesvos is that you can spend 2 weeks there and see something new every day. If I were going to plan the perfect 2 week trip to Lesvos here is what I would do. This page is for people who find it too hard to make a decision because of the amount of info in my Lesvos Guide. This will make it more simple.

Getting To Lesvos

Arriving in Athens Airport I would go into the city and spend the first night there and use the rest of that day and the following day to see the city. I would catch the ferry at 6 or 7pm and be on Lesvos the next morning. Or if I did not feel like hanging out in Athens I would take the ferry the evening of my arrival. I usually stay at the Attalos hotel. If you book your Lesvos trip with a travel agent then getting your ferry tickets won't be a problem. They can have them waiting for you at your hotel. If you want a cabin you may want to do this because there may not be any available on the day of the trip. If you want a second class cabin or are going deck there is no problem and you can even buy your ticket by the boat. I use George the Famous Taxi Driver for transfers to the city and he can sometimes buy ferry tickets for clients if there is no other way. Many people don't want to go to Athens and prefer to take a flight to Lesvos. Make sure you have at least 2 hours between flights. If you find yourself with a lot of time on your hands at the airport you can always go to the nearby Athens Zoo. Just get back before your flight.

I have a rental car waiting for me at the port or the airport when I arrive on Lesvos. I use Aphrodite Rent-a-Car. They have nice, inexpensive cars and reliable service. Yannis and his staff speak fluent English. I park the car and walk around Mytilini before heading out to wherever I am staying. I love the market there. If you want to see the island, spend the money and rent a car. It is worth it. If you just want to hang out on the beach with your kids or your mate then don't worry about it and have the hotel or travel agent arrange for a transfer for you.

Where to stay in Lesvos

This is the hardest choice for most people. In my opinion there are three places to stay and many places to visit. The best place is Vatera Beach. It is a long beach with several hotels and tavernas and it is very clean and not over run by tourists despite the fact that you could not find a place more likely to be commercialized. I suppose some day it will be. The hotels are right on the beach. I like the Hotel Aphrodite Beach best for a few reasons. It is clean, air-conditioned, well run and organized and the owners are Canadian Greeks. They have lots of children so there are English speaking kids for my daughter to play with (this is key). They have a taverna on the beach that can be downright festive some nights with live Greek music, singing and dancing. Everyone is friendly and goes out of their way to be helpful. The hotel has umbrellas, kayaks, pedal boats, beach beds and a press shop with the International Herald Tribune, magazines and books. The area around Vatera Beach is rich in culture and natural beauty and is virtually undiscovered by tourists. It is also close to the hot mineral baths of Polychnitou, maybe the best on the island, and the Museum of Natural History, in the small town of Vrissa. The Akrotiri Fish Taverna at Ag Fokas may be the best on the island. For more info on what to see and do there see the Vatera Beach page.

My second choice of destinations would probably be Molyvos though choosing Skala Eressos next would just be a matter of mood. Molyvos is a medieval town with stone streets and lots of shops, restaurants and houses. It is like a small city really but without the traffic, pollution and noise. I stay in one of two places. The Hotel Seahorse is right in the harbor and you can actually sit on your balcony the entire evening and be very happy. There are lots of fantastic restaurants just steps from the entrance. The owners are Australians and speak English. They have an excursion boat that visits the towns and beaches along the coast that leaves from right outside the hotel entrance. They also have a cafe with good coffee which for my family can be essential. You can easily walk to the town beach. The second choice is the Sunrise Hotel which is a little ways out of town but if you rent a car this won't matter. Close to the beaches and walking distance of the hotsprings and beaches of Eftalou the hotel has a swimming pool that some familes never seem to leave. From Molyvos you can visit most of the island for daytrips.

Skala Eressos is a great beach town. The second best beach in Lesvos but factor in all the cafes and restaurants which border it and the ratings go way up. Almost all the restaurants are good. I say almost because there are some I have not been to yet so I don't know but I have yet to have a bad meal there. It is a mixture of counter-culture and family travel. There is a contingent of Lesbian women who come to the birthplace of Sappho and there are also some spiritual groups who have centers here (as does Molyvos). There are not many bad places to stay in Skala. I like the Heliotopos because it is a little out of the town and has beautiful gardens, big rooms and an African Grey parrot as well as free use of the hotel bicycles. But there are plenty of self-catering rooms and small hotels, lots of kids playing on the beach, half the restaurants and cafes are wireless, and if you are tired of Greek food there are restaurants that serve Italian, Indian, Thai, burgers, fish and chips, pizzas and more. Throw in an outdoor cinema showing first-run films, a cabaret with live shows, some great bars on the beach and beautiful countryside, not to mention the traditional village of Eressos down the road and it would be hard to find a better destination for families, couples, and solo travelers (particularly women).

There are houses and Villas available in these towns and around the island and if you are a family or part of a group these can actually be economical as well as comfortable. See www.greecetravel.com/villas

You can find package itineraries that include Lesvos at www.greecetravel.com/hahathakis-tours and at www.fantasytravelofgreece.com

As for what to see around the island, where to eat, where to swim and other info you have to go back to my Lesvos index and choose for yourself. But if you are having trouble deciding the basics of your trip I figured this page would help. You can also e-mail me for more ideas or questions. Matt Barrett

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