Yacht charter to Lesvos opens up the third largest island in Greece, a big, green and deeply Greek island in the North Eastern Aegean, just off the coast of Asia Minor. Lesvos, also called Mitilini after its capital, combines two huge sheltered gulfs, a medieval castle town on the north coast, a petrified forest in the west and some of the finest beaches in the Aegean. It is famous for its olive oil, soap, wine and ouzo, and very few charter yachts ever come this far.
Why sail to Lesvos
Lesvos is a destination rather than a charter base. It sits well north of the usual Cyclades and Dodecanese routes, so reaching it means a real passage, and the reward is an island large enough to fill a week on its own, with harbours and anchorages on every coast.
- Two inland seas. The Gulf of Kalloni and the Gulf of Gera cut deep into the island and give flat, sheltered water behind narrow entrances.
- A proper marina in the capital. Mytilene is a port of entry with a modern marina of around 220 berths, rare this far north in the Aegean.
- Castle harbours and fishing ports. Molyvos, Sigri, Petra, Plomari and Skala Sykamias each have their own character and a quay or anchorage close to town.
- A living cultural tradition. This is the island of Sappho, Alkaios, Arion, Terpander and Pittakos, and later of Theophilos, Teriade and Myrivilis.
- The Petrified Forest. Near Sigri, fossilised tree trunks millions of years old stand on land and even lie in the sea, at the heart of the UNESCO-listed Lesvos Geopark.
- Food and drink worth the passage. Plomari ouzo, Kalloni anchovies and shellfish, Mantamados cheeses and olive oil from millions of trees.
Lesvos at a glance
- Island groupNorth Eastern Aegean, a few miles off the Turkish coast, between Limnos to the north-west and Chios to the south
- SizeThe third largest Greek island, after Crete and Evia
- Capital and main portMytilene (Mitilini) on the south-east coast, port of entry with a marina
- Nearest boatsMykonos in the Cyclades, roughly 210 km, about 114 nautical miles to the south
- Other harboursMolyvos (Mithymna), Petra, Sigri, Plomari, Skala Sykamias, Skala Kalonis
- Summer windMeltemi from the north and north-east, strongest in July and August
- Known forSappho, the Petrified Forest, Molyvos castle, ouzo, olive oil and soap, thermal springs
Harbours and anchorages on Lesvos
Mytilene, the capital and marina
Mytilene is the island's capital and its main port, built like an amphitheatre above its ancient namesake, with a fourteenth-century Byzantine castle on the pine-covered hill above. It is a port of entry, and the coast guard expects yachts to call on VHF channel 12 before entering and leaving. Yachts can berth stern-to on the busy town quay, which gets wash from ferries and commercial traffic, or in Mytilene Marina, with around 220 berths and good protection in all conditions. For crews arriving from outside Greece, or planning to cross to the Turkish coast, this is the place to complete formalities.
Molyvos and Petra on the north coast
Molyvos, also called Mithymna, is the island's best-known resort and artists' village, stacked below a medieval castle on the north-west coast. Its small harbour gives excellent shelter, with room on the quay for around eight yachts stern-to, and the old village is a short walk up the hill. Petra, a few miles south, has its own harbour and a long beach below the famous rock-top church. Further east, Skala Sykamias is a tiny fishing harbour with the chapel of the Panagia Gorgona (the Virgin Mermaid) on a rock at the entrance.
Sigri and the west coast
Sigri is a pretty fishing port at the western tip of Lesvos, with an eighteenth-century fortress and beaches all around. The small island of Nisiopi (also called Sigri Island) protects the bay from the west, and in a meltemi the best anchorage is in the lee of the castle on the south side of the village. Skala Eressou, further south, has one of the finest beaches on the island and is a settled-weather anchorage.
The Gulf of Kalloni and the Gulf of Gera
The two great gulfs are the sheltered heart of Lesvos. Both have narrow entrances that need careful pilotage, but inside there are miles of calm water with depths reducing to between 5 and 20 m. Skala Kalonis, the port of the market town of Kalloni, has a long sandy beach and is famous for the anchovies and shellfish of the bay. The Gulf of Gera, just west of Mytilene, is surrounded by olive groves and hot springs.
Plomari and the south coast
Plomari, the second largest town on Lesvos, is famous for its ouzo and its interesting architecture, and yachts can berth on the north quay in good shelter. Along the south coast new resorts have grown up beside superb beaches, including Vatera, one of the longest on the island.
Getting to Lesvos
There is no charter base on Lesvos, so the island is reached on passage. The nearest yachts in our fleet are based on Mykonos in the Cyclades, about 114 nautical miles to the south. Because the meltemi blows from the north, the leg up to Lesvos is the windward one and the run home is downwind, so plan the outward passage with a generous weather window and allow at least two weeks for the round trip. Lesvos also pairs naturally with Limnos to the north-west and the other islands of the North Eastern Aegean.
Sail to Lesvos and the North Aegean
Tell us your dates and crew and we will plan a realistic North Aegean route with a yacht suited to the passage, bareboat or with a skipper and crew.
Lesvos ashore: poets, painters and castles
Lesvos was the birthplace of the poets Sappho and Alkaios, the musician Arion, Terpander and Pittakos of Mytilene, one of the Seven Sages of antiquity, and it still produces artists, poets and writers today.
Mytilene town
Above the harbour stands the Byzantine castle, and on the north-east edge of town is a Hellenistic theatre with superb acoustics that once held an audience of 10,000, with a section of ancient polygonal wall to the east of it. The Archaeological Museum holds a wealth of finds and the Byzantine Museum covers the Byzantine and post-Byzantine periods. In the old town, visit the market street, the Roman villa known as the House of Menandros, the Yeni Tzami mosque, the cathedral of Agios Athanasios, Agios Therapon and Agii Theodori, which has fine wood carving and icons.
The southern suburbs of Sourada, Avlidou and Varia hold some of the most beautiful mansions on the island, from the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. Varia is home to the Theophilos Museum, dedicated to Greece's best-loved naïve painter, and the Teriade Museum-Library, which houses the Great Books published by the Lesvos-born art critic Stratis Eleftheriades (Teriade), with lithographs by Picasso, Matisse, Chagall, Léger and other twentieth-century masters. Six kilometres away at Moria stands a section of a second-century AD Roman aqueduct.
Mantamados, Sykamia and Molyvos
Along the north-east, past a string of coastal villages, Mantamados is known for its stone houses, pottery, wood carving and cheeses, and for the Monastery of the Taxiarchis, with the only relief icon of the Archangel in the Orthodox world. Sykamia, further north, was the birthplace of the novelist Stratis Myrivilis, and its harbour chapel inspired his novel "The Mermaid Madonna". Molyvos, with its castle, archaeological museum, library and small gallery, is the base for visits to the thermal springs of Eftalou and to Petra.
Agiasos and the centre of the island
Agiasos, near the middle of the island, has kept its old character, and its pottery and wood carving are known far beyond Greece. It has an Ecclesiastical and Folk Art Museum, a reading society with a theatre and library, and the Church of the Panagia with its collection of old icons, including an icon of the Mother and Child attributed to Saint Luke. To the west, Agia Paraskevi, a market town of old mansions, has celebrated its Festival of the Bull since 1774. Nearby are the remains of the Aeolian temple of Apollo Napaios at Klopedi, the large Ionian temple at Messa (late fourth to early third century BC) and the Early Christian basilica of Agios Georgios at Halinados, restored by Professor Anastasios Orlandos. Close to Kalloni, the Limonos Monastery (1527) has sixteenth-century frescoes, a library of 2,500 volumes including 450 manuscripts, and an ecclesiastical and folk art museum.
Sigri, Eressos and the Petrified Forest
Near Sigri lies the celebrated Petrified Forest, around fifteen to twenty million years old. The fossilised trunks, some fallen, some still standing and some in the sea, are remarkable for the brilliance and range of their colours. Close by is Eressos, birthplace of Sappho and Theophrastos, and its port Skala Eressou, with an archaeological collection and the ruins of the fifth-century basilica of Agios Andreas with its fine mosaics.
Industrial heritage and thermal springs
All over the island you will find old olive presses, soap factories and tanneries, reminders of the trade that made Lesvos rich. The island is also full of mineral springs, with spas at the Gulf of Gera, Thermi, Lisvori, Eftalou and Polichnitos, all a pleasant stop after a day at sea.
When to sail to Lesvos
Lesvos is a long way from the nearest charter base, so the weather window matters. The meltemi blows from the north and north-east across the North Aegean in summer and can last for days. Read up on the winds in Greece and on Greek climate and weather before fixing a route, and build spare days into any plan that includes the passage north.
The best window for the passage north. Lighter winds, green hills, warm days and quiet harbours.
Hot and busy ashore, with strong northerlies at sea. Keep flexible dates and use the gulfs when the wind gets up.
The wind eases, the sea is at its warmest and the island empties out. An excellent time for the gulfs and the west coast.
Check the weather forecast sources for Greece every morning, and ask the port authority in Mytilene for the local bulletin before any open-water leg.
More North Eastern Aegean destinations
Chios Island, Greece
Yacht charter to Chios brings you to one of the largest and least crowded islands in the Aegean…
Ikaria Island, Greece
Yacht charter around Ikaria takes you to the wildest island in the eastern Aegean, a long granite…
Limnos Island, Greece
Yacht charter around Limnos takes you into the emptiest corner of the Greek sailing map. This large…
Samos Island, Greece
Yacht charter around Samos takes you to the far eastern edge of the Aegean, where a green…
Sailing itineraries in Greece
Lesvos yacht charter FAQs
Is there a charter base on Lesvos?
No. Lesvos has no charter base in our fleet, so the island is reached on passage. The nearest yachts are based on Mykonos in the Cyclades, about 210 km away or roughly 114 nautical miles to the south. Because of the distance, Lesvos works best as part of a two-week North Aegean route.
Where can I moor a yacht on Lesvos?
Mytilene is the main port and a port of entry, with stern-to berths on the town quay and a marina of around 220 berths that is secure in all conditions. Molyvos has a well-sheltered harbour with room for about eight yachts. Petra, Plomari, Skala Sykamias and Skala Kalonis have smaller harbours, Sigri has a good anchorage in the lee of the castle, and the Gulf of Kalloni and the Gulf of Gera offer sheltered water inside narrow entrances.
How long is the passage to Lesvos?
From Mykonos it is about 114 nautical miles, usually split over two or three days with stops on the way. The summer meltemi blows from the north, so the leg up to Lesvos is to windward and the return is downwind. Choose a good weather window for the outward passage and plan the return with the wind behind you. An experienced crew, or a skipper, makes the trip much easier.
How many days do I need to sail around Lesvos?
Allow at least four to five days on the island itself to see Mytilene, the Gulf of Gera, Plomari, Sigri, Molyvos and the Gulf of Kalloni without rushing. Add the passage from the nearest base and a realistic trip is two weeks. Tell us your dates and we will say honestly what fits.
When is the best time to sail to Lesvos?
May, June and September are the best months: warm, comparatively settled and quiet. July and August bring the strongest meltemi, which gives fast sailing but can cost a day waiting for the passage. October is calm but cooler, with fewer places open ashore.
What is worth seeing ashore on Lesvos?
The castle, ancient theatre and museums of Mytilene, the Theophilos and Teriade museums at Varia, the castle village of Molyvos, the Petrified Forest near Sigri, Eressos and Skala Eressou, the Monastery of the Taxiarchis at Mantamados, the mountain village of Agiasos, the Limonos Monastery near Kalloni, the ouzo town of Plomari and the island's many thermal springs.
