Towns and Villages

Lesvos covers 1,632 km(630 sq miles) with 320 kilometres (almost 200 miles) of coastline. Scattered around that coastline and across the interior of the island are many fascinating towns and villages. Ranging from the busy and bustling to the quiet and sleepy, from ‘full of tourists’ to ‘the only tourist on earth’. There is such a wide choice that most visitors are overwhelmed by the geography and diversity of the island and simply don’t know where to start. So we thought that you might like some suggestions and a little background to each village we list. You can then choose for yourself which side of life on Lesvos you would like to see.

KafeneionSome of the roads through the villages can be confusing. The ‘main’ road is suddenly reduced to a narrow cobbled street where locals sit at the roadside kafeneion playing Tavli (Greek backgammon) and sipping coffee. I say “at the roadside” but that can be “in the road”. On more than one occasion we have squeezed past the elderly men with their kombolói who are more used to passing donkeys than passing cars. But this is part of the joy of visiting Lesvos. This is not “Disneyland” Greece. This is a living working agricultural island that welcomes visitors like no other place on earth. If you don’t believe me, simply park your car and walk back to the kafeneion. Buy a coffee and you will instantly be a family member. The men will talk to you in Greek for hours, even if all you can do is nod and say “I’m sorry, I don’t understand” in return. If you can play backgammon then you are in for a real treat. These guys don’t take prisoners and they don’t ‘play’ Tavli, this is serious stuff.

Places we enjoy visiting.

The list of villages is long and this page is a work in progress. Please be patient while we add to this page.

Could you help us (please do help us) with information on a town or village?
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