Lesbos Hotels: Where to Stay in Molyvos, Petra, Vatera & Skala Kallonis
Accommodation on Lesbos clusters by area, from the northern base of Molyvos and Petra to the beach of Vatera in the south. This guide sets out where to stay by region: Molyvos, Petra and Eftalou in the north, Skala Kallonis on the bay, Mytilene as the transport hub, and Vatera, Plomari and Thermi around the coast.
- Northern base
- Molyvos & Petra
- Beach base
- Vatera
- Bay base
- Skala Kallonis
- Transport hub
- Mytilene
Where to stay on Lesbos
Lesbos is a large island, so where you stay shapes your holiday. Most visitors base themselves in the north around Molyvos and Petra, the main tourist area, with the hot springs of Eftalou close by. The south suits a quiet beach holiday at Vatera, the Bay of Kalloni draws birdwatchers to Skala Kallonis, and Mytilene is the transport hub for ferries and buses but too busy for a restful stay. Because bus services centre on the east, renting a car opens up the quieter areas. Villas and holiday houses are covered in the Lesbos villas guide.
Molyvos & the north
Molyvos is the main tourist base on Lesbos, a medieval town above a beautiful harbour with a Blue Flag beach at its edge. Stone houses climb the hill to the castle, and the town has hotels, rooms and guesthouses across every level. The Nassos Guest House sits in the middle of the town in a house built around 1900, a small-scale option with views across the rooftops to the bay. The town and its castle are covered in the Lesbos villages guide.
Petra
Petra sits a couple of kilometres from Molyvos with a long sandy beach and a traffic-free centre, which makes it a calmer base than the hill town. Toula Apartments stand near the centre with sea views, a family atmosphere and a swimming pool 50 metres away. Hotel Defkalion is a family-run hotel on a green hillside north of the village, 400 metres from Aulaki beach and 4 km from Molyvos, with studio kitchenettes. Both suit couples and families who want a beach within walking distance.
Eftalou
Eftalou lies 1 km east of Molyvos, where a long pebble beach meets the island's hot springs. Several hotels have been built here in recent years, drawing more visitors than before, and Alkaios Rooms offer accommodation close to the springs and the beach. Buses run to Molyvos, so Eftalou works as a quieter base within reach of the town.
Vatera & the south
Vatera has the best beach on Lesbos, an 8-kilometre Blue Flag stretch of sand in the south, sheltered from the northern winds. The Aphrodite Hotel stands on the beach here, an easy base for a quiet beach holiday about 50 km from Mytilene. The village has tavernas, Italian restaurants and small bars along the shore. The beach itself is covered in the Lesbos beaches guide.
Skala Kallonis
Skala Kallonis is the tourist centre of the Bay of Kalloni, a fishing village with a shallow sandy beach and calm water. The Imerti Resort Hotel sits in gardens here with an outdoor pool and kitchenette rooms, close to Kalloni's market and the bay's nature reserve. The wetlands make Skala Kallonis a favourite base for birdwatchers, and the calm water suits families.
Mytilene
Mytilene is the capital and the transport hub, where the ferries to Piraeus and the other islands dock and the long-distance buses start. It has hotels, apartments and studios, but the traffic makes it busy, so it suits a short stay or a night before a ferry rather than a beach holiday. Just north, the real village of Pyrgi Thermis offers a quieter alternative, 11 km from the old town with buses every half hour.
Plomari & Agios Isidoros
Plomari is the ouzo town on the south coast, more a working town than a resort, with bars, restaurants and pebble beaches below its old factories. Most of its accommodation gathers 2 km east at Agios Isidoros, a large sandy beach with hotels and tourist shops. It suits travellers who want an authentic town with a beach close by. Plomari is covered in the Lesbos villages guide.
Thermi
Pyrgi Thermis is a real Greek village 11 km north of Mytilene and 20 km from the airport, untouched by mass tourism and of archaeological interest. The name means tower, and a few of the tall, narrow three-storey stone tower houses that once numbered 160 in the area still stand. The Romans built thermal baths beside the hot spring here. Frequent buses connect it to Mytilene.
Charamida
Charamida lies on the far south-east near the airport, a scatter of houses among several beaches. The family-run Blue Bay Hotel stands 500 metres from Charamida beach, with air-conditioned rooms that open onto balconies with sea views, a traditional restaurant and a snack bar. Homemade cakes and jams are served each morning. It makes a quiet base close to Mytilene and the airport.
Tavari
Tavari is a seaside village in the south-west, reached through Mesotopos, with a tree-lined harbour front, restaurants and a long pebble beach. The 3-star Tavari Beach hotel sits 20 metres from the beach, with water sports nearby and free Wi-Fi in the public areas. It suits travellers exploring the quiet south-west of the island.