Beautiful unspoiled nature, sandy beaches, ancient castles, and colorful seaside towns… If this sounds like your idea of a great vacation, then it’s time to travel to Lesvos.
Greece’s third-largest island is easily reachable via ferry from Ayvalık (Türkiye) or from nearby Greek islands, and offers plenty of things to do — so many, in fact, that we’ve written this Lesvos road trip itinerary so that you can see the best places!
This 3 day Lesvos itinerary is in an easy-to-follow format and also includes what to do, where to stay, places to eat, and a little bit of history behind each attraction. To make it even easier, we’ve recreated the itinerary in Google Maps, so all you have to do is open your app and follow the directions. 🙂
If you’re ready to explore Lesvos, let’s go!
⭐️ Note — we’ll be using the word Lesvos to refer to the island, even though it’s also sometimes called Lesbos or Midilli. The confusion between Lesvos and Lesbos is because in Greek, the word “Λέσβος” has the letter ‘β,’ which is pronounced as either ‘b’ or ‘v’ — hence the two spellings.
Lesvos is also known as Midilli Ada (Midilli Island) in Turkish, so-called because the island’s capital is Mitilini. Although the island has three names, we’re talking about the same thing in this blog post. 🙂
What to Know Before Traveling to Lesvos
Before we jump into our itinerary, here are some helpful travel tips to make your Lesvos trip better:
Driving in Lesvos
This 3-day Lesvos itinerary will take you all over the island, so a rental car is a must-have to access Lesvos’ tourist attractions (and hidden gems!)
If renting a car in Lesvos feels daunting, don’t worry — the roads are in fantastic condition, there’s barely any traffic, and you’ll get to travel on your own schedule. Best of all, there’s free parking and the local drivers are very friendly. 🙂
Helpful Travel Tips
🛂 Bring your passport! If you’re reading this guide, we’re guessing that you’re coming from Türkiye (most likely Ayvalık). Since Lesvos is located in Greece, you’ll need to take your passport with you to cross the border!
🗺️ Check if you need a visa … And while we’re on the topic, make sure you can enter Greece! Since Greece is part of the Schengen zone, you’ll either fall under the visa-free scheme (if your passport is from USA, AUS, the UK, etc) or you’ll need a valid Schengen visa to enter.
🎫 Buy tickets ahead of time — Tickets can get sold out pretty quickly, especially if you’re traveling during the summer.
🛳️ Plan your ferry trip in advance — If you plan to go back to Ayvalık (or continue onto other Greek islands by ship), we recommend checking the timetables before your trip. This is because some routes don’t operate daily, or have reduced schedules during the off-season.
Click here to check ferry timetables and book your tickets →
📱 Your Turkish SIM card won’t work in Lesvos. We recommend buying a cheap eSIM package on Maya (i.e. a 3GB or 5GB package), as you’ll need mobile internet to use Google Maps, translate menus, and so on.
Click here to check current eSIM prices and buy →
🏛️ Most museums in Greece are closed on Tuesdays — Keep this in mind when planning your trip, as we have a few museums to this itinerary. 🙂
Where is Lesvos?
Lesvos (Lesbos) is an island located in the northeastern Aegean Sea, which makes it part of the North Aegean Islands group. Lesvos is about 200 km (125 mi) east of Greece’s mainland and about 20 km (12.4 mi) west of Türkiye, which gives it an interesting blend of Greek and Ottoman influences.
It’s the third-largest Greek island and is especially famous for its diverse nature, including lush forests, valleys, sand and pebble beaches, and waterfalls. Likewise, it has historical significance, having been home to Greek figures like Sappho the poet, Aristotle the philosopher, and Epicurus.
The capital of Lesvos is Mytilene, which is also spelled Mitilini or Midilli (in Turkish). We use both spellings when referring to the city in this blog post.
How to get to Lesvos
By ferry
From Türkiye — The easiest way to get to Lesvos from Turkey is by taking the ferry from Ayvalık. The crossing takes between 45 minutes to 1.5 hours, depending on which type of ferry you choose (fast catamaran vs car ferry). There are multiple sailings every day during the tourist season (late spring to summer), and a few sailings per week during the low season. We’ve even written a blog post about taking the ferry between Lesvos and Ayvalık! →
Click here to check timetables and book your ticket →
From Greece — Lesvos is well-connected to other Greek islands, including Chios (Chios island), Lemnos (Lemnos island), Karlovasi and Vathy (Samos island), Ag. Kirykos (Ikaria island), Patmos (Patmos island), and Lakki (Leros island). There are also non-direct ferry routes to Mykonos, Naxos, Santorini, etc.
You can also get to Lesvos island from the Greek mainland, i.e. Athens (Piraeus) and Kavala.
Click here to check timetables and book your ticket →
By plane
Lesvos has an international airport called Mytilene International Airport (symbol MJT).
The airport offers domestic flights via Aegean Airlines (Athens and Thessaloniki) and Sky Express (Athens, Chios, Lemnos, Rhodes, Samos, and Thessaloniki).
There are also a handful of seasonal routes on European airlines like Brussels Airlines, SAS Scandinavian Airlines, TUI, and so on.
Side note: We took a flight on Sky Express from Chios to Mytilene and loved it. Flying is a good choice if you’re short on time and don’t want to be stuck waiting for the ferry and/or spending hours sailing between islands.
Click here to check airline tickets →
Now that we’ve taken care of the basics, let’s move onto the itinerary!
We’ve broken it down into two days so that it’s easier to read, and added what to do in Lesvos, where to eat, and any other helpful travel tips. Let’s check it out. 🙂
DAY 1: Lush Nature, Beautiful Views, and Essential Tourist Attractions
Click here for the Google Maps itinerary | Total: 75 km
Good morning and welcome to day 1 of our Lesvos itinerary! Today you’ll be making your way along the eastern coast of the island and checking out some of the most popular tourist attractions in Lesvos, plus some cute seaside towns and natural spots. 🙂
❗️ Note: We highly recommend waking up early and leaving Mytilene before 9:00 (9 am) in order to make it in time to visit the final attraction (Molyvos Castle).
Begin your day with breakfast in Mytilene before setting off on this itinerary. Here are some of our favorites:
📍 Mousiko Kafeneio — A super cozy Art Deco-style cafe with a large selection of drinks, smoothies, and breakfast dishes like fruit yogurt, sandwiches, cold cuts, and more. Opens at 7:30 am. Location →
📍 Monkey — Opens at 7:30 am and features a huge menu, including breakfast favorites like omelettes, sandwiches, pancakes, salads, and more. Location →
📍 Mezzo — One of those rare places that are open 24 hours! Besides their iconic pizza, this place offers breakfast pastries, crepes, sandwiches, coffee, and other delicious dishes. If you’re not hungry, you can get a to-go box and enjoy a picnic later on your road trip. 🙂 Location →
Alright, now that you’ve had a nice breakfast, let’s start our trip! From Mytilini center, it’s a short 7 km (4.3 mi) drive to our first stop — the Roman Aqueduct.
It looks like we’ll be starting at the very beginning of the island’s history, because the Roman Aqueduct is one of the oldest landmarks in Lesvos — it was built around the 3rd century! This aqueduct measures nearly 30 km (18.6 mi) and supplied around 130 million liters of fresh water per day to the capital.
Despite being nearly a thousand years old, this aqueduct has been well-preserved, and you can see a piece of its original structure. Click here for location — the entrance is free (it’s literally an “open-air monument,” so to speak) and there is a little gravel area to park your car.
From the aqueduct, it’s a 10 kilometer (6.2 mi) drive to the next stop, the Moni Agiou Rafail Monastery.
This beautiful monastery complex includes a female monastery, church, gift shop, garden, and living quarters. The monastery is dedicated to three saints — Raphael, Nicholas, and Irene — which appear together on icons (you can buy one for yourself in the shop). The monastery is so serene and peaceful, especially the gardens and view of the surrounding sea.
After the monastery, continue 23 kilometers (14.3 miles) to Aspropotamos, a cute little seaside area with a small beach and a few cafes, tavernas, and restaurants. If you’d like to stop for a quick break, you can enjoy some coffee at Yalo Aspropotamos, fish and appetizers at Τα Χαλίκια, or local food at Ταβέρνα Τελωνείο. If not, you can skip this town and head over to the next place.
From Aspropotamos, it’s a very short 2.5 km (1.5 mi) drive to Man Katsa Waterfall. However, don’t be fooled — the road here is a bit, well, ‘off road’ with loose gravel and some bumps, so you’ll need to drive slowly and carefully. However, it’s worth it! Our rental car was an Opel Corsa and it survived. 🙂
There is a large parking area near the entrance of the waterfall — leave your car here and look for the metal gate near the signpost. Be sure to give the gate a good pull, because it was stuck when we tried to open it at first. From there, it’s a 10 to 15 minute walk down to the waterfall.
❗️ Note: To avoid surprising any snakes while walking to the waterfall, make sure to stomp your feet as you walk and, if you have one, use a long stick to gently tap the ground ahead of you. This creates vibrations and noise that will alert any snakes to your presence, giving them time to move out of your way. We didn’t notice any during our walk, but it’s better to be safe than sorry!
Alright, where were we? Oh right — the Man Katsa Waterfall has quite an interesting backstory. According to a local legend, a beautiful siren lived in the area and seduced passing men. After she was done, she threw their bodies into a nearby chasm, which over time, became the waterfall. So if you hear any singing, it’s best to run the opposite way. 😁
The waterfall is active (i.e. has water) from the end of winter to mid-May (of course, this also depends on the climate and rainfall as well).
After tracing your way back to the main road, it’s about a 7.5 km (4.7 mi) drive to our next stop, Mantamados.
Mantamados is a small town with pretty church (the Church of Saint Basil), stone houses, and picturesque streets framed by hanging plants. If you’d like, you can park outside and walk around for a bit to stretch your legs.
From Mantamados, drive about 14 km (8.7 mi) to our next stop, the pretty seaside town of Skala Sikamineas. As a nice bonus, you’ll be treated to gorgeous views of the surrounding bay and sea while driving along the highway — make sure your passenger(s) have their camera ready! 😉
Skala Sikamineas is best described by three things: seaside restaurants, colorful houses, and the famous ‘mermaid chapel.’
The first thing you’ll notice as you walk down to the town is the beautiful church perched on top of a rock. This ‘mermaid chapel’ got its name from an icon where the Virgin Mary was depicted with a mermaid tail — there’s actually a lot of confusion surrounding this icon, because nobody really knows why the artist decided to make Mary into a mermaid, nor where the original icon is. 😅 In any case, it’s definitely worth going inside and feeling the peaceful atmosphere.
Skala Sikamineas is also a popular spot to enjoy lunch with a view — some favorites include Kavos Cafe (the owners have a cute parrot!), Goji Cafe (crepes and coffee), and Anemoessa (freshly-caught seafood).
After being recharged by the atmosphere of Skala Sikamineas, it’s time to go to our final destination for today — Molyvos! From Skala Sikamineas, it’s about a 20 km (12.4 mi) drive to Molyvos.
❗️Note: We highly recommend taking the highway (the road that you used to travel to Skala Sikamineas) instead of the small road that goes along the coast. We initially took the small coastal road, but quickly realized it was a bad idea because it was just one long unpaved gravel road. Don’t make our mistake please. 🥲 We’ve even marked it correctly on our Google Maps itinerary (this one).
Once you arrive in Molyvos, your next activity will depend on the time. If it’s before 14:00 (2 pm), you can take the rest of the day to walk around and explore Molyvos Castle.
Molyvos Castle closes at 15:30 (3:30pm). If you arrive after that time, you can spend the rest of the day exploring Molyvos town or relaxing at the beach, and save the trip to Molyvos Castle for day 2. 🙂
Here’s a little bit of information about both:
Molyvos, also known as Mithymna, is considered one of the most beautiful and historically significant towns on the island. It’s especially famous for its steep streets, well-preserved medieval architecture, and stone houses surrounding the town’s iconic Byzantine castle.
Actually, there’s a reason why the town is so authentic — in the 1960s, the town signed an order stating that only natural stone could be used as building material, which is how it maintained its charming and historic atmosphere to this day.
The most famous attraction in Molyvos is the aptly-named Molyvos Castle. Throned upon a hill overlooking the Aegean Sea, this castle was built sometime in the 13th century and served as a fortification against attacks on the island’s northern coast.
Walking up to the castle is a bit of a workout (those stairs!), but the views of the surrounding town and sea are jaw-dropping. If you’re hungry, there’s also an on-site cafe just below the castle (called Byzantino).
❗️Note: Please, please, please don’t actually drive inside Molyvos town — the streets are so narrow that you’ll be craning your neck every few seconds to make sure you don’t scrape the rental car. 🥲 Likewise, it’s pedestrian-only from June 1 to November 1, so you’ll have to do an uncomfortable U-turn near the entrance. It’s best to park near the entrance (like this lot) or along Poseidonos Street.
For lunch or dinner, we recommend dining in Molyvos — if the food won’t amaze you, the views definitely will! 😉 Our favorite place was Martin’s Restaurant, which is run by a sweet family and has an amazing atmosphere. You really can’t go wrong with anything on the menu!
Tip: Be sure to get here before 19:00 (7 pm), as it gets very popular for dinner.
We’ll end our first day in Molyvos. If you love the town’s atmosphere, you can either stay in Molyvos and park your car along the waterfront. If you want something a little more convenient, the nearby town of Petra is also a great idea. We’ll list some options for hotels below:
Accommodation Options
Lampetos Houses (between Molyvos & Petra) — Absolutely gorgeous property featuring one-, two-, and three-bedroom houses (well, technically villas) and an infinity pool. This is a great option for large groups and families. 🙂 Check price & reserve →
Eleia Seafront Villas (Petra) — Beautiful rooms with tons of natural light, a private pool, and sea views from all of the suites — is there anything better? Check price & reserve →
Triena Rooms (Molyvos) — Comfortable, spacious, and cozy rooms right near the beach. Check price & reserve →
Aphrodite Hotel (Molyvos) — One of the most beautifully-designed boutique hotels in Molyvos! Warm staff, plush bedding, a large pool, and delicious breakfast top it off. Check price & reserve →
DAY 2: Monasteries, Ancient Sites, and Museums
Click here for the Google Maps itinerary | Total: 100 km
Welcome to day 2 of our Lesvos itinerary! Today we’ll be exploring ancient sites, lots of interesting museums, and peaceful monasteries.
From Molyvos or Petra, make your way south. Our first mini-stop is Kremastis Bridge, which was built in the 13th century and has a spooky backstory (the builder’s wife was allegedly enclosed in the bridge 😬). The bridge has survived more than 7 centuries and offers an interesting look into the architecture of those times.
From the Bridge, it’s a short 4 kilometer (2.5 mi) drive to the town of Agia Paraskevi and our next destination, the Museum of Industrial Olive Oil Production. This is one of the most well-curated museums on Lesvos island, and takes you through the entire journey of making olive oil (in both Greek and English). You can even see how the old machines work — just ask the staff and they’ll be happy to turn it on.
The museum is open from 10:00 to 18:00 (10 am to 6 pm) every day except Tuesdays. Between Oct. 16 to Feb. 28, they are open from 10:00 to 17:00. Entrance is 4 EUR per person.
If you’re not in a rush, you can walk around Agia Paraskevi and check out the lovely architecture. For breakfast, check out Oasis, a cute cafe serving local dishes and breakfast favorites. The building is an old Turkish hammam from the 17th century, and the owner is friendly. 🙂
From here, drive about 12 km (7.5 mi) until you reach Saint Ignatios Monastery. This is one of the largest monasteries on Lesvos island and has some of the most stunning architecture — in fact, it’s a large two-story complex that includes a beautiful courtyard, living spaces for the monks, multiple churches, small museum, gift shop, and more than 40 chapels in the back.
At the entrance, there are shawls for men and women to use — ladies should cover their head, shoulders, and legs, while men should cover their legs if wearing shorts. We recommend strolling around the courtyard, marveling at the amazing design, and looking inside the church.
When you walk out of the monastery, be sure to stop for a minute or two and check out the lovely garden in the front — the monks did a great job growing the roses and other flowers! There’s also a cafe right near the parking lot (this one) if you’d like to stop and enjoy a refreshing drink. The owner, Hristos, is very friendly!
After going back to the main road, drive about 21 km (13 mi) until you get to the small village of Vatoussa (also spelled Vadoussa). If you’d like, you can stop here for a few minutes and walk around the village, see the lovely traditional architecture (stone buildings with wooden balconies), and enjoy a coffee at the beautiful kafenio Kamviselli (the interior is gorgeous!)
This next stop is optional — you can either follow the instructions or skip it 🙂
From Vatoussa, drive 4.5 km (2.8 mi) until you get to the Vathylimnos Waterfall (Καταρράκτης Βαθύλιμνο on the map). When you get to the bend in the road, drive slowly and you’ll see a patch of grass to the side — park here. Then go to the bend, and follow the path that starts near the abandoned house. After about 15 minutes of walking, you’ll arrive at a beautiful (and very hidden) oasis!
Come back to the main highway, drive for about 20 km (12.4 mi), and follow the signs for Monastery of Ipsilo (there should be a left turn that goes up a hill). Follow the road and you’ll get to the monastery.
The Monastery of Ipsilo was one of our favorite stops on this trip — the monks living there were so friendly and welcoming, and they have an interesting ‘mini museum’ full of religious artifacts (and an adorable family of cats :)). Besides the beautiful and well-preserved architecture, the views of the surrounding valleys were amazing!
From the monastery, go back down to the main road. You have 3 options here:
1 – Visit only the Petrified Forest of Lesvos
2 – Visit only the Natural History Museum of the Lesvos Petrified Forest
3 – Visit both! / Visit neither
If that sounds confusing, no worries — we were confused too at first. 😅
The Petrified Forest is an outdoor ‘park’ where you can walk around and look at cool fossilized and petrified trees that were formed more than 20 million years ago when an ancient volcano exploded. It’s the largest petrified forest in the world!
The second location is the Natural History Museum of the Lesvos Petrified Forest, which is an indoor museum that has interesting exhibits about Lesvos’ geology, plants, animals, ecosystem, and so on. It’s very well-designed and there’s even an interesting earthquake simulation!
Our final location for today is Sigri, a cute village located on the westernmost tip of Lesvos. If you have extra time, you can visit the Sigri Castle or walk around the harbor.
For lunch, Cavo Doro is a nice local spot with amazing home cooking (and a view of the harbor).
For accommodations, we recommend staying in either Sigri (if you’re tired of driving) or Skala Eresou (more accommodation options). Both have amazing beaches. 🙂 Here are our picks:
Accommodation Options
Apolithon Premium Houses (Sigri) — A spacious one-bedroom house with all the amenities you need (full kitchen, washing machine, and terrace). Check price & reserve →
Orama Hotel (Sigri) — A cute pansiyon-style hotel with outdoor pool and sea view balconies. Check price & reserve →
Heliotopos (Skala Eressos) — A beautiful property surrounded by nature and with a modern design. It’s also pet friendly! Check price & reserve →
The Courtyard (Skala Eressos) — An absolutely gorgeous modern villa that’s perfect for groups (it can accommodate up to 5 adults + 4 kids!) Check price & reserve →
Aeolian Village Beach Resort (Skala Eressos) — If you prefer an all-inclusive or resort-style stay, then you’ll love this hotel! There’s an outdoor pool, 2 restaurants, an on-site spa, and private beach. You can also include breakfast & dinner in your plan. Check price & reserve →
On day 3, you get to choose your own adventure! You can either explore southern Lesvos, or drop off your rental car and explore Mytilene town center. We’ve outlined both options below.
If you have extra time, you can combine both options — follow Option A, return your rental car, and do Option B the next day!
DAY 3 (Option A): Southern Lesvos, Ouzo Museum, and Hot Springs
Click here for the Google Maps itinerary | Total: 150 km
The first part of this itinerary is a bit of driving, so make sure to have breakfast before you start and download some interesting podcasts (or update your Spotify playlist). 😉
From Sigri or Skala Eresou, drive for about 50 kilometers (31 mi) until you get to the Skala Kallonis salt pans, and turn right. There should be a small parking area and a wooden box (Hide-3 on the map) that you can climb up and look at the flamingos.
Yes, that’s right — there are flamingos on Lesvos! The area in front of you is a 260-hectare plot of salt pans that are home to dozens of bird species and hundreds of flamingos. No wonder the area is so popular with bird watchers.
After taking some photos, continue driving for about 30 km (18.6 mi) until you get to the town of Agiasos. This is a typical mountain village (it’s built on the slope of Mount Olympus) that has authentic character, traditional stone houses, and a colorful center.
Agiasos is especially famous for its ceramic products (like the Chatzigiannis store) and the Church of the Assumption, which attracts pilgrims on August 15.
If you’d like to stop for lunch, there are two cute places — DILIS Ouzo Cafe (Καφενείο ουζερί ΝΤΙΛΗΣ), which has homemade Greek food, and Kafentaria if you’re in the mood for coffee and sweets.
After strolling around Agiasos, it’s time to get back on the road and drive about 21 km (13 mi). Our next destination is the cute seaside town of Plomari.
Plomari is known as the “Capital of Ouzo” thanks to its ouzo production — in fact, the famous Ouzo Barbayanni distillery has been making this drink for more than 160 years! Ouzo is a strong alcoholic drink that has an alcohol content of somewhere between 37.5 (the mandatory minimum for it to be called ouzo in Greece) and 50%.
If you’re interested in learning more about ouzo, the town has not one, but two museums dedicated to ouzo.
The first is the Greek Ouzo Barbayanni Museum, which tells the origins of the Barbayanni distillery, the technologies used, and the history.
Just a few kilometers down the road, there’s also the World of Ouzo Museum, which is slightly larger and also talks about the making of ouzo.
When we were in Plomari, we met a nice Dutch couple who went to both museums (Barbayanni and The World of Ouzo) and said that if they had to pick just one, they would go to Barbayanni again because it’s more personal and the staff there did a great job of explaining the process.
Both museums have ouzo tastings included in the ticket, but Barbayanni Museum is free while the World of Ouzo is 2 EUR per person.
If you’re into museums, there’s also the Soap History Museum that recently opened in Plomari. Entrance is tip-based and you’ll get a fun and interactive tour with a local volunteer. 🙂
If you want a late lunch, we recommend Platanelli.
After checking out Plomari, it’s time to slowly head back to Mytilini. Our final stop is the amazing Thermes Gera Hot Springs, where you can soak in mineral-rich waters known for their therapeutic properties and enjoy the gorgeous view of the bay. It’s also an excellent way to wrap up our intense itinerary!
The hot springs cost 5 EUR per person (yes, we were shocked too at the amazing price 😅) but you’ll need to bring your own towel, soap, and flip flops. If you don’t have those items, you can buy them at the check-in desk. From there, you’ll change, put your items in the cubby, and soak in the outdoor pool. There are also massages and indoor pools available, plus a drinks bar (the orange juice is delicious!)
From the springs, it’s an easy 20-minute drive back to Mytilini. 🙂
DAY 3 (Option B): Mytilini Town Center
Click here for the Google Maps driving itinerary + here for the walking itinerary | Total: 95 km (car) + 3.1 km (walking)
If you prefer to explore Mytilini center, Option B is a great choice. We’ll have two stops on the road (plus 2 museums), drop off the rental car, and then enjoy a walk around the center.
From your accommodation in Sigri or Skala Eresou, drive until you get to Mytilini.
Along the way, you can stop at the Skala Kallonis salt pans and look at the flamingos, and/or stop at the Thermes Gera Hot Springs. We talked about these two places above (in Option A) if you’d like to read more information.
For now, you’ll drive around Mytilini center and instead head to the outskirts of the city. There are two fantastic art museums located just across each other: the Museum of Theophilos exhibits the art of a local folk artist, while the Stratis Eleftheriadis Museum has an collection of Greek and international artists like Picasso!
Be sure to double check the working times, because both museums close before 15:00 (3 pm).
After visiting the museums, drive to Mytilini and return your rental car. The rest of this itinerary will be a walking tour of Mytilini. 🙂
Assuming your car rental office was near Mytilene port, our first stop is a 10 to 15-minute uphill walk to the Castle of Mytilene.
The Castle of Mytilene is one of the largest castles in Greece (it covers about 60,000 sq. meters!) and is strategically situated on a hill overlooking the port. The castle dates back to the Byzantine era, and was later expanded twice — by the Genoese around the 14th century and by the Ottomans around the 17th century.
Entrance to the castle costs 3 EUR per person. Plan to budget around 1 hour to walk around the entire castle, take photos, and read the signs.
After checking out the castle, follow the main road down and stop by the Archaeological Museum of Mytilene. This is a small yet interesting museum that’s famous for its mosaic collection (seriously, there are some cool pieces inside!) and marble statues. Entrance is 4 EUR.
❗️ Note: Both the Castle of Mytilene and the Archaeological Museum close at 15:30 (3:30 pm).
From the museum, it’s a short 4-minute walk to our next stop, the Statue of Liberty. Who needs a ticket to New York City when you can see the famous statue in Lesvos? 😜
Just kidding, both places are great. 😉 The Lesvos version of the Statue of Liberty was unveiled in 1930 and stands about 15 meters (59 ft) tall. The statue was created to commemorate Greece’s independence and struggle for freedom (hence the name) and, although it’s quite different from the one in New York, there are similar symbolic elements.
After walking the eastern part of Mytilini, you’ve probably worked up an appetite. Let’s take a break and enjoy lunch or dinner! We particularly liked Umami (a concept cafe with food from different countries), Alley Dog (a cute hipster cafe with European dishes), and Mother’s Kitchen (home cooked Greek meals). ΜΟΥΣΙΚΟ ΚΑΦΕΝΕΙΟ is a cute Greek kafeneion that features drinks and light snacks.
To finish off our tour, walk along Ermou street, which is Mytilini’s “Main Street” and full of colorful storefronts, handmade goods, and cute restaurants. At the end of the street is the Historical Hammam, which was built in the 1800s and restored. Entrance is free and there are sometimes art exhibitions inside. 🙂
Accommodation Options
If you’re planning to stay longer, here are some of our favorite accommodations and hotels in Mytilini:
ISSA Lesvos — Located in the center of Mytilene port, this cozy restored stone house offers comfortable and large rooms, as well as hostel-style dorm rooms. Check price & reserve →
Utopia View — Like the name says, this apartment offers an amazing view of the entire harbor. A modern design and spacious rooms makes your stay even better. Check price & reserve →
Art of Urban Hospitality — We stayed here during our last trip and were so impressed with the owner — he’s so knowledgeable about Lesvos (he’s a local, after all :)) and helped us plan the perfect trip. In fact, some of his suggestions were included in the itinerary above! Check price & reserve →
Theofilos Paradise Boutique Hotel — A boutique hotel in every sense of the word — this beautiful 1912 building has a rooftop swimming pool (!), room service, bar, and complimentary breakfast. Check price & reserve →
Did you like this blog post?
First of all, thank you very much. We poured our hearts into creating this Lesvos itinerary and had a lot of fun testing it out and tweaking it to make sure it provides the best possible experience for travelers like you. 😊
Instead of turning this content into a paid product (i.e. an ebook or map location), we offer it for free because we want everyone to enjoy Lesvos and all the cool things it has!
If you found this itinerary helpful or interesting, you can support our work by booking a hotel, car rental, and/or ferry ticket with the links above. We earn a small commission at no cost to you.
If you’re looking for more resources, may we suggest the following blog posts?
🪞How to Island Hop Between Türkiye and Greece — Everything you need to know about island hopping between the two countries! Read more →
🪞Levos to Ayvalık Ferry Guide — You can easily travel to/from Lesvos via a direct ferry to Ayvalık (Türkiye). Read more →
🪞 Ayvalık Travel Guide — If you’re planning to travel to Ayvalık (Türkiye) after Lesvos, this Ayvalık guide has everything you need, including what to do, where to eat, accommodations, transportation, and more. Read more →
🪞 Chios 2 Day Itinerary — Chios island (Greece) is another popular destination after Lesvos — you can easily reach it by ferry or plane. We’ve written a Chios 2 Day Itinerary to help you see the best of this island. Read more →
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