Lesbos Villas: Holiday Houses in the Gulf of Gera, Vatera & the North
Villas and holiday houses on Lesbos gather in the quiet Gulf of Gera and around the coast, away from the large hotels. This guide sets out where to rent a house by area: the off-the-beaten-track Gulf of Gera, the villages of Pyrgi Thermis and Skala Mystegna, the beach of Agios Isidoros near Plomari and the long sands of Vatera in the south. Hire a car to explore Lesbos at your own pace, covered in our Lesbos car hire guide.
- Quiet area
- Gulf of Gera
- Beach houses
- Skala Mystegna
- Springs area
- Pyrgi Thermis
- South beach
- Vatera
Villas on Lesbos
Villas and holiday houses suit travellers who want to avoid the large hotels and settle into the quieter corners of Lesbos. The Gulf of Gera, off the beaten track, has small beaches among pine forests and a scatter of traditional guest houses. Others cluster around Pyrgi Thermis and the beach houses of Skala Mystegna, near Plomari at Agios Isidoros, and at Vatera in the south. Because the island is large, a rented car makes a villa base practical. Hotels are covered in the Lesbos hotels guide.
Gulf of Gera
The Gulf of Gera is one of the most quiet and unspoilt parts of Lesbos, a little off the beaten track, with small beaches ringed by pine forest and the occasional taverna or old church. Gera's Olive Groves is a traditional guest house set in olive groves here, with 3 self-catering lodges that pair rustic charm with modern comforts, its own farm and animals, herb gardens and a private fishing boat used for trips and transport. Children can help with the animals, and the family will organise tours of Gera and the island.
Pyrgi Thermis
Pyrgi Thermis lies north of Mytilene, known for thermal springs that date back to 1200 BC and olive groves that run down to the sea. The Art-Lesvos Villas, a complex completed in 2010 overlooking Kanoni beach, offer traditional houses laid out like a picturesque village, each with a private garden, a living area with a fireplace and a fully equipped kitchen. The golden beach with water sports is a 3-minute walk, and the town of Mytilene a 7-minute drive.
Agios Isidoros
Agios Isidoros is a large sandy beach 2 km east of Plomari in the south of Lesbos, near the ouzo town and its museum. Sellados Villas are three traditional stone villas with a swimming pool near the coast on the quiet side of the beach, surrounded by olive trees with wide views over the Aegean. Each has a fully equipped kitchen-dining room, a living room with a fireplace, two bedrooms on different floors and three bathrooms, with verandas under pergolas. They suit family holidays.
Skala Mystegna
Skala Mystegna is a tiny fishing harbour on the east coast, with a white pebble beach and clear water and views across the straits of Toukmakia to the hills of Asia Minor. The Kyparissis Beach houses, two two-storey villa-apartments, stand directly on the beach, decorated in a simple Hellenic style with stone floors and balcony doors opening onto a terrace. The seclusion here is such that the beach can feel like your own.
Neapoli & Mytilene
Neapoli lies on the coast near Mytilene, very close to the airport, an easy base for arrivals and short stays. Ikies Small Elegant Houses is a complex of standard rooms, villas with jacuzzi and a suite with a private outdoor pool. All rooms have plasma TVs and a balcony with views over the pool, the village and the sea, and breakfast is served in the rooms. There is free Wi-Fi throughout and free parking.
Vatera
Vatera has the best beach on Lesbos, an 8-kilometre Blue Flag stretch of sand in the south, sheltered from the northern winds and about 50 km from Mytilene. Madonna Studios and apartments sit at Vatera Beach, an option for travellers who want to be on the long sands with tavernas and small bars along the shore. The beach itself is covered in the Lesbos beaches guide.
