How many days in Lesbos? 5 days, from Mytilene to the Petrified Forest at Sigri
By Tony Panopoulos · travel-agency planner in Greece · Updated
Lesbos is the third-largest Greek island, about 1,630 square kilometres, and it is a place to drive, not to hop. From Mytilene in the east to Sigri in the west is about 90 km and two hours on winding roads, past olive groves with some 11 million trees and the deep Gulf of Kalloni in the middle. Give it five days and change base once: two nights in or near Mytilene, three in the north around Molyvos. It is the island of ouzo, of Sappho, and of the family of the poet Odysseas Elytis, and of food that people from Athens travel for.
Short answer
Four days is the minimum for a real visit: Mytilene and the south, the north coast around Molyvos, and one long day to the Petrified Forest. Five days lets you add Skala Eresou and the gulf without driving every hour of daylight.
The 5-day plan, day by day
Day 1: Mytilene: the castle, Ermou Street and Varia
Morning. Walk up to the castle of Mytilene, one of the largest in the Aegean, rebuilt by the Genoese Gattilusi family in the 14th century (a few euros). Then see the New Archaeological Museum, with Roman floor mosaics from wealthy villas (about €4-6).
Afternoon. Walk Ermou Street, the old market lane, from the harbour past the domed church of Agios Therapon. Then drive 4 km south to Varia for two small museums: the Theophilos Museum, devoted to the folk painter born on the island, and the Teriade Museum, with books illustrated by Matisse, Chagall and Picasso, published by the Lesbos-born Tériade.
Evening. Eat at an ouzeri on the harbour: a small bottle of ouzo with plates of sardines, octopus and kakavia cost about €15-25 per person. The town is a university city and stays lively out of season.
Ouzeris in Lesbos serve each round of ouzo with small plates. Ask for ouzo from Plomari and add ice and water yourself.
Day 2: Agiasos, Plomari and the southern coast
Morning. Drive 26 km to Agiasos, a mountain village on Mount Olympos of Lesbos, with cobbled lanes, pottery and wood-carving workshops and the church of the Panagia, an important pilgrimage on 15 August. Have a coffee made in a briki on embers in one of the old cafés.
Afternoon. Descend to Plomari on the south coast, the island's ouzo capital. The Barbayannis Ouzo Museum at the distillery shows the copper stills and history (free or a few euros, check hours). Swim at Agios Isidoros beach, 3 km east of town.
Evening. Return to Mytilene via the Gulf of Gera, with its olive-pressing villages, or stay overnight in Plomari. Dinner by the harbour, €15-25 per person.
Many villages have old olive presses turned into small museums. The Museum of Industrial Olive-Oil Production at Agia Paraskevi is a good example, on the way north.
Day 3: To the north: Mantamados, Skala Sykamias and Molyvos
Morning. Drive north to Mantamados, where the monastery of the Taxiarchis keeps a dark, embossed icon of the Archangel, said to be made of clay mixed with blood. The village also makes pottery and a soft cheese. Continue to Skala Sykamias, a tiny harbour with the white chapel of the Panagia Gorgona on a rock, the 'Mermaid Madonna' of Stratis Myrivilis' novel.
Afternoon. Follow the coast to Molyvos (Mithymna), the stone town climbing a hill to its Byzantine-Genoese castle (a few euros). Walk the cobbled lanes covered with vines down to the fishing harbour.
Evening. Swim at the Eftalou hot springs, 4 km east, where an old domed bathhouse stands right on the beach (about €5). Dinner on the Molyvos harbour; book in August.
Molyvos is steep. Park in the lots at the bottom or top of the town and walk; cars are not allowed into most lanes.
Day 4: Petra and the Petrified Forest
Morning. Drive 6 km to Petra, where 114 steps climb a single rock to the church of Panagia Glykofilousa. Then head west, about 1h15, through Antissa to the Petrified Forest, a protected UNESCO Global Geopark site with fossilised trees about 20 million years old, some still standing with roots.
Afternoon. Visit the Natural History Museum of the Lesvos Petrified Forest in Sigri (about €5), which explains the volcanic eruption that buried the forest. Swim at the beach below the small Ottoman castle in Sigri. Stop at the Ypsilou monastery, on an extinct volcanic cone, on the way.
Evening. Drive back to Molyvos, about 1h15, or spend the night in Sigri, a quiet fishing village with tavernas.
The forest park has very little shade. Go in the morning and check the museum's opening days before setting off.
Day 5: Skala Eresou and the Gulf of Kalloni
Morning. Drive about 30 minutes from Sigri, or 1h from Molyvos, to Skala Eresou, a long beach of dark sand where, by tradition, the poet Sappho was born. The village has a relaxed, international crowd. Walk 4 km up to Eresos for the remains of the early Christian basilica of Agios Andreas.
Afternoon. Cross to the Gulf of Kalloni, a shallow inland sea famous for its sardines. The salt pans near Skala Kallonis draw flamingos and, in April and May, hundreds of birdwatchers for the migration.
Evening. In Skala Kallonis, order sardeles Kallonis, small sardines salted or grilled, at the waterside tavernas. Return to your base in Molyvos, about 30 minutes.
Kalloni sardines are at their best from late summer to autumn, around August-September.
Only have 4 days?
With 4 days, combine Mytilene and Agiasos on Day 1 and skip Plomari, then do the north, the Petrified Forest and Skala Eresou. You lose the south coast and some of the ouzo stops.
Got extra days?
Extra days fit Vatera, an 8 km sandy beach in the south, the Polichnitos hot springs, or a day ferry from Mytilene to Ayvalik in Turkey (about 1h30; passports needed; check current timetables).
Where to stay in Lesbos
| Budget | Area | Why | Typical double/night |
|---|---|---|---|
| Budget | Mytilene | City hotels and rooms, year-round life, ferries and airport close by. | €40-70 |
| Mid-range | Molyvos / Petra | Stone guesthouses, sunset harbours and the north coast beaches. | €70-130 |
| Mid-range | Skala Eresou / Sigri | Quiet western villages for the Petrified Forest and long beaches. | €60-120 |
| Comfort | Restored mansions in Mytilene or Molyvos | Boutique hotels in old merchant houses, or sea-view resorts near Molyvos. | €140-280 |
Getting around
You need a car (about €30-55 a day in summer); distances are long and roads wind. From Mytilene: Agiasos 26 km, Plomari about 42 km, Molyvos about 62 km (1h15), Sigri about 90 km (2 hours). KTEL buses connect Mytilene with the main villages a few times a day. Mytilene airport is about 8 km south of town, with flights from Athens in about 50 minutes and Thessaloniki. Ferries reach Piraeus in roughly 11-13 hours, usually via Chios, plus Kavala and Thessaloniki. Check current timetables.
What to eat in Lesbos
Lesbos produces about half of Greece's ouzo, from distilleries in Plomari and elsewhere. Eat in ouzeris: sardeles Kallonis, octopus dried in the sun and grilled, sougania (stuffed onions), kolokythoanthoi (stuffed courgette flowers), and the island's salty ladotyri, a hard cheese kept in olive oil. Lesbos olive oil is mild and golden. In Agiasos look for spoon sweets and local pottery to carry them home in. A meal with ouzo or wine costs €15-25 per person; fish is priced by weight.
Best time to visit
May, June and September are best: highs of 25-30°C, warm sea and room in the villages. April and May are peak birdwatching season around Kalloni. July and August are hot, with the 15 August festival at Agiasos and Petra drawing crowds. Mytilene stays open all winter, but many hotels in Molyvos and Eresos close from November to April.
What a day costs
| Budget | Mid-range | Comfort | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bed (per person, sharing a double) | €25 | €50 | €110 |
| Food & drink | €20 | €35 | €65 |
| Sights & tickets | €5 | €15 | €30 |
| Local transport | €15 | €30 | €45 |
| Total per person, per day | about €65 | about €130 | about €250 |
Approximate 2026 prices; transport assumes a shared rental car and fuel, which is the biggest cost on an island this size. Greece charges a per-room, per-night climate resilience fee, higher from April to October.
Before you go
Common questions
Is Lesbos too big for one base?
For five days, two bases work best: Mytilene for the east and south, and Molyvos or Petra for the north and west. Driving from Mytilene to Sigri and back in a day means about four hours on the road. If you only want one base, choose Kalloni, which is central but less attractive.
How do I get to Lesbos?
The quickest is a flight from Athens (about 50 minutes) or Thessaloniki. Ferries from Piraeus take about 11-13 hours, usually overnight via Chios, and there are links to Kavala, Thessaloniki and Lemnos. Check current timetables, as routes change each season.
Can I visit Turkey from Lesbos?
Yes. Ferries run from Mytilene to Ayvalik, and sometimes to Dikili, in about 1-1.5 hours, mostly in summer. You need a passport and, depending on your nationality, a visa or e-visa. Day trips are popular, but check the return time carefully.
Where can I taste ouzo in Lesbos?
Plomari is the centre, with the Barbayannis distillery and its museum, and other producers that offer visits. In any town, an ouzeri will serve local ouzo with small plates. Buy bottles at the distilleries or supermarkets; prices are lower than in Athens.
How this guide was made
Compiled by TonyPlan from official tourism, transport and attraction sources and on-the-ground travel knowledge. Prices are approximate for 2026 and change with season; anything we could not confirm is marked as approximate.
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