Lesbos Island Mytilene, Greece
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At departure or passage at this port
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Frequently Asked Questions
At the quays of Mytilene harbour, right in the centre of the island's capital. The waterfront cafés, ouzeries and shops begin a few steps from the gangway, and the castle hill closes off the bay just above.
Yes, most of it is walkable. The waterfront, the town centre and the climb to the castle all start at the landing. Only the Theophilos Museum, 3.5 km away, and the northern villages of Lesbos require a taxi or bus.
The citadel in the morning while it is still cool, then back down to sea level for an ouzo with mezze along the harbour. If time allows, the Theophilos Museum in Varia or a swim at Tsamakia rounds out the day nicely.
It is, and the climb is manageable: it starts on foot from the quays through a pine wood. This is one of the largest fortified complexes in the Mediterranean, layering Byzantine, Genoese and Ottoman periods, and you wander freely among towers and cisterns.
Right on the Mytilene waterfront, in the ouzeries that serve the anise spirit with mezze arriving in waves. Lesbos produces some of Greece's most respected ouzo, especially in Plomari, and bottles from local distilleries fill every shop in the centre.
Yes, the organised beach at Tsamakia is a short walk from the ship, with loungers and cafés. For wilder sand you need to drive north across the island.
Only on a long call: Molyvos is about an hour's drive north. The stone village stacked beneath its medieval castle is among the finest in the Aegean, but the round trip takes up most of the day.
Theophilos was a self-taught painter born on the island, who travelled Greece painting taverns and houses in exchange for a meal. The small museum in Varia, 3.5 km from the landing, gathers 86 canvases from his final years and takes under an hour to see.
The euro, and Greek. English is widely understood in the shops and taverns of the centre. Cards work in town; keep some cash for the inland villages.
May through October, with a clear edge to May, June and September: the heat stays bearable for the castle climb and the island keeps its green olive groves. July and August are scorching, especially out on the exposed ramparts.
