Lesbos North Aegean Beaches

Lesbos Beaches: Vatera, Skala Eressos, Eftalou & the Coast

Lesbos has beaches on every coast, from the 8-kilometre Blue Flag sands of Vatera to quiet pebble coves in the west. This guide runs from the long southern beach of Vatera and the western bay of Skala Eressos to the hot springs of Eftalou near Molyvos, the shallow sandy bay of Skala Kallonis and remote coves at Tavari, Tsonia and Fteli.

Beaches of the island of Lesbos, Lesvos, Greece — Vatera Beach in the south of Lesbos, Greece

Best beach: Vatera
Vatera length: 8 km
Western bay: Skala Eressos
Naturism: Eftalou & Faneromeni

Vatera

Vatera is the best beach on Lesbos, an 8-kilometre stretch of uninterrupted sand in the south of the island, about 50 km from Mytilene. Much of it runs almost deserted, so it suits travellers who want space and privacy. Because the beach faces south it stays sheltered from the northern winds of August and September. Vatera holds a Blue Flag for its clean water. The village behind it has tavernas, Italian restaurants and small bars strung along a couple of kilometres of shore.

Skala Eressos

Skala Eressos sits in the most beautiful bay on Lesbos, on the far west coast, with a wide beach and a naturist section at one end. The village lies far from the island's tourist centres, so it stays calm and relaxed. Remains of an ancient city and its walls survive here, along with mosaics from a 5th-century basilica behind the church. The poet Sappho was born at Eressos just inland, which draws visitors to the village each year.

Eftalou

Eftalou is a long pebble beach and hot spring 1 km east of Molyvos in the north of Lesbos. Warm mineral water seeps through the rocks along the shore and mixes with the sea in hot pools, and an old stone bath house stands beside the beach. The springs are recommended for rheumatism, arthritis and skin complaints. Some of the bays are used by naturists, and buses run between Eftalou and Molyvos. There is one restaurant on the pebble beach.

Faneromeni

Faneromeni is a large, wide sandy beach in the north-west of Lesbos, a few miles above Sigri. A partly unpaved road reaches it from a sign just before Sigri. The beach stays quiet and reasonably clean, with a light breeze, and a small church is built partly into the rocks. It is so quiet that naturists use it, though the beach is large enough for everyone. Drivers should avoid taking a car too far onto the sand.

Skala Kallonis

Skala Kallonis is a fishing village with a sandy beach inside the Bay of Kalloni, in the centre of Lesbos. The water is shallow and almost never rough, and tamarisk trees back the sand, so it suits families. Restaurants line the shore and the town square, and the village is a centre for sardine fishing. The bay is also good for windsurfing. Wetlands nearby make it a base for birdwatchers.

Molyvos & Petra

The beaches at Molyvos and Petra, north Lesbos

Molyvos and Petra hold the main beaches of the north coast. The pebble beach below Molyvos received a Blue Flag, and a long sandy beach, Psiriara, runs alongside it with a naturist section at the end. Petra, a couple of kilometres away, has a large sandy beach lined with restaurants and cafeneions, part of it with parasols and part left natural under the trees. Three small islands stand offshore from Petra, reached by caique from the port.

Tavari

Tavari is a coastal village in the south-west of Lesbos, reached through Mesotopos. It has a long harbour front lined with trees, several restaurants and a supermarket. The town beach is long and made of large pebbles, with a small sandy part near the church at the far end. From the church there are views of the rocks and further beaches along the coast.

Nyfida

Nyfida is a coastal village just west of Polichnitos in the south of Lesbos. It has a long beach lined with trees, a handful of beach chairs and a taverna. Signs ask visitors to keep the sea clean. The beach is quiet and backed by the village, making an easy stop in the south.

Kagia

Kagia is a fairly large stretch of sand in the north of Lesbos, close to Skala Sikamineas. The sand carries a red tint and a few pebbles line the water's edge, with trees behind for shade. The beach runs about 500 metres inside a bay flanked by mountains. Because Skala Sikamineas is nearby, you are unlikely to have it to yourself.

Tsonia

Tsonia is a hidden beach in the north of Lesbos, reached by leaving the road at Kleio and driving the last stretch on an unpaved track from the Korakas crossroads. The beach runs about 500 metres of reddish sand and pebbles, with tavernas and rooms to rent nearby. An island sits in the bay opposite, with Turkey behind it. The water is exceptionally clear and clean, one of the finest beaches on the island.

Agios Ermogenis

Agios Ermogenis is a small, picturesque village on the south-east side of the channel that links the open sea to the Gulf of Gera. It has two beautiful beaches with clear water, tall pine trees and a little church. The nature around it is attractive, and the second beach has tavernas. It lies within easy reach of Mytilene.

Agios Isidoros

Agios Isidoros is a beach and village 2 km east of Plomari in the south of Lesbos. It is large and mostly sandy with the occasional small pebble, and part of it has sunbeds and umbrellas while a large stretch stays quiet. Hotels and tourist shops stand behind it. Between Agios Isidoros and Plomari lie several quiet pebble beaches with crystal-clear water, and the Ouzo Museum sits beside the old factory here.

Agios Pavlos

Agios Pavlos is a charming beach reached from the sign at Vassilika near Polichnitos. It is a long, narrow pebble beach littered with more seashells than almost any other beach. Two small, simple and cheap tavernas stand on the sand. A little further along the dirt road towards Achladeri there is a small church.

Charamida

Charamida lies on the far south-east of Lesbos, on the road from Mytilene past the airport and Kratigos. It is less a village than a scatter of houses among several beaches, one of them a good beach with a taverna. Cold drinks and hot sandwiches are sold from a converted caravan by the shore. It makes an easy stop close to the capital.

Fteli

Fteli is the reward at the south end of the west shore of the Gulf of Gera, past Perama where the road becomes a sand track. At the end stand a few houses and an old church, with several deserted beaches. The nature, the trees, the hills and the colour of the sea are magnificent, and olive trees cover the surrounding slopes. The area also takes in the quiet coves at Skamioudi and Apothikes nearby.