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There's a reason we've been coming here for 20 years
Sitting in the sparkling turquoise Aegean Sea, Lesvos is a warm and sunny emerald gem of Greece. It is a whole continent in miniature: spectacular beaches, high mountains and wild forests on Greece's third largest island.
Due to the island's size and variety, there's something for everyone: beach holidays, activity holidays, gastronomic tours, nature attractions and spectacular geography.
Here at Real Lesvos we aim to gradually make the wonder and attractions of Lesvos more easily available to the UK traveller. In the map below you'll find an ever-increasing list of our favourite things to do and see on Lesvos!
Taverna tables jostle for space right around the edge of Lesvos’s most picturesque port. Dine with a view of the white-washed church of the Mermaid Madonna which crowns the harbour. This church is built into a rock that juts out, facing the sea, like a mermaid protecting the town. This holy lighthouse of sorts is highly conspicuous and can be seen by all approaching vessels!
‘Mermaid Madonna’ has become the patron saint of the Sykamineans as the guardian of sailors and fishermen. It was writer Stratis Mirivilis who wrote the story of the ‘Mermaid Madonna’ in 1949. His novel tells the story of the Greek refugees arriving in Skala Sykamineas in 1922, fleeing the genocide and purge of Greeks from Ottoman Empire. The ‘Mermaid Madonna’ or a fish-tailed Virgin Mary is not an icon that even exists in Christendom. It is in Mirivilis’ novel that a sailor secretly paints this image on the chapel wall and miraculously disappears.
Skala Sykamineas is a popular spot for local people meeting friends and family under the myrtle trees that shade the harbour front. Try seafood served with a classic Greek lemon sauce at the taverna I Mouria you Mirivili, named after the 130-year-old myrtle tree that Mirivilis would sit beneath for inspiration for his novels.
Skala Sykamineas is also filled with mulberry trees, taking its name from the Greek word for mulberry! Browse through local shops selling art and jewellery and look out for local weavers selling hand-loomed rugs, in the tradition of Arachne. With a gravel road that leads along the coast as far as Molyvos, take your pick from the many beautiful beaches on your adventure!
There is a hot-spot that cannot be missed…Eftalou’s famous natural hot-springs are only 4.5 kilometres from this seaside town! This is a fun experience for all and very inexpensive. Spend 3 minutes in the cold sea and 3 minutes in the hot-springs and repeat the process five times. The health benefits to this practice are manifold – and we guarantee that the type of relaxation you’ll be feeling on your way out is unmatched. Water reaches 80.3 degrees celsius, so please proceed with caution!
Discover more great places to visit and things to do in Lesvos.
