Lesbos
The island has an airport (MJT) and 4 ferry ports. It has 33 official bathing-water sites; of the 33 with a classification in the 2024 season, all were Excellent (EEA). At the municipal seat the weather is most comfortable for walking and sightseeing in May, June and September, and the sea reaches 22 °C from June to August.
- Settlements
- 16730 with a page of their own
- Official bathing-water sites
- 33YPEN register, EEA
- Excellent in 2024
- 33 of 33100% of classified sites (EEA)
- Sea at 22 °C or more
- Jun–AugNOAA, near the main town
- Airport
- MJTlist of commercial airports
- Ferry ports
- 4terminal groups in OpenStreetMap
Getting there
The airport and ferry ports of the island as our sources record them. We do not copy timetables or fares, because they would go stale; where an official source exists it is linked below.
| Airport | IATA |
|---|---|
| Mytilene International Airport "Odysseas Elitis" | MJT |
| Port, at the nearest settlement | Terminals in OSM |
|---|---|
| Mytilene | 5 |
| Sigri | 3 |
| Perama | 2 |
| Plomari | 1 |
The number of terminals shows how closely the harbour is mapped, not how large it is or how many ferries call.
When to go
This section is about Mytilene, the municipal seat, not the whole island.
- Jan10°15°
- Feb10°15°
- Mar12°16°
- Apr15°19°
- May19°22°comfortable weather
- Jun23°23°comfortable weather, warm sea
- Jul26°24°warm sea
- Aug26°22°warm sea
- Sep23°21°comfortable weather
- Oct19°18°
- Nov15°17°
- Dec11°15°
- Top figure: air, bottom: sea
- Comfortable weather for walking
- Sea 22 °C or warmer
The weather is most comfortable for walking and sightseeing in May, June and September (average temperature around 21.8 °C, little rain).
The sea is 22 °C or warmer from June to August (up to 23.5 °C).
The average temperature is 10 °C or lower in January, while monthly rain reaches 80 mm or more from December to February.
Day length is 9 h 25 min at the winter solstice (07:29 to 16:54) and 14 h 55 min at the summer solstice (05:47 to 20:42), Greek time.
- Mean temperature °C
- Rain (mm, right axis)
- Sea °C
- Sea 22 °C or warmer
| Month | Mean temp. °C | Rain mm | Sea °C | Daylight h |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 9.7 | 118 | 14.8 | 9.7 |
| Feb | 10.3 | 93 | 15.1 | 10.7 |
| Mar | 12.2 | 58 | 16.0 | 11.9 |
| Apr | 14.9 | 47 | 18.5 | 13.2 |
| May | 19.3 | 25 | 21.8 | 14.3 |
| Jun (sea 22 °C or warmer) | 23.4 | 17 | 23.3 | 14.9 |
| Jul (sea 22 °C or warmer) | 25.7 | 4 | 23.5 | 14.7 |
| Aug (sea 22 °C or warmer) | 25.9 | 2 | 22.3 | 13.8 |
| Sep | 22.6 | 20 | 20.5 | 12.5 |
| Oct | 18.5 | 53 | 18.3 | 11.3 |
| Nov | 14.7 | 76 | 16.6 | 10.1 |
| Dec | 11.1 | 111 | 15.3 | 9.4 |
Temperature and rain: NASA POWER (MERRA-2), period 2001–2020, model cell about 29 km away. The temperatures are monthly averages from a regional model. Sea: NOAA OISST v2.1, period 1991–2020, nearest cell about 8 km away (0.25 degree grid). Daylight: calculated for the 15th of each month. These are regional model values and typical conditions, not a forecast.
Beaches
The 15 of 33 official sites with the most seasons of Excellent water since 2011; ties are settled by the latest classification (2024 season). It is the EU's classification by season, not a reading on the day.
| Beach | Latest class | History |
|---|---|---|
| Agios Ermogenis | Excellent | Excellent in 14 of 14 seasons |
| Agios Isidoros | Excellent | Excellent in 14 of 14 seasons |
| Petalidi | Excellent | Excellent in 14 of 14 seasons |
| Ampelia | Excellent | Excellent in 14 of 14 seasons |
| Anaxos | Excellent | Excellent in 14 of 14 seasons |
| Vatera | Excellent | Excellent in 14 of 14 seasons |
| Evreiaki | Excellent | Excellent in 14 of 14 seasons |
| Eftalou - Agioi Anargyroi | Excellent | Excellent in 14 of 14 seasons |
| Therma | Excellent | Excellent in 14 of 14 seasons |
| Kagia | Excellent | Excellent in 14 of 14 seasons |
| Kratigos | Excellent | Excellent in 14 of 14 seasons |
| Molivos | Excellent | Excellent in 14 of 14 seasons |
| Nyfida 1 | Excellent | Excellent in 14 of 14 seasons |
| Nyfida 2 | Excellent | Excellent in 14 of 14 seasons |
| Xenia – Vigla 1 | Excellent | Excellent in 14 of 14 seasons |
The other 18 beaches of the island, in the region's beach list
Also mapped, not officially monitored
Named beaches in OpenStreetMap that are not on the official bathing-water list. They have no water class in our data, which says nothing about how clean the water is.
- Αμμουδέλι
- Απεργούσα
- Αυλάκι
- Βαθύ Κριτήρι
- Βατραχιά
- Καλό Λιμάνι
- Λαμπρίνη ή Ουζούν Σοκάκ
- Μπαλίνη
- Παραλία Αμμούδι
- Περιστεριά
Towns and villages
The settlements of the island that have a page of their own, larger ones first. Population only sets the order and is never shown.
Cities and towns
- Mytilenecity, Mytilene
- Plomaritown, Mytilene
- Polichnitostown, Western Lesvos
- Agiasostown, Mytilene
- Agia Paraskevitown, Western Lesvos
- Kallonitown, Western Lesvos
- Pappadostown, Mytilene
- Mandamadostown, Western Lesvos
Villages
- Petravillage, Western Lesvos
- Loutrópoli Thermísvillage, Mytilene
- Pligonivillage, Mytilene
- Achliasettlement, Mytilene
- Agia Paraskevisettlement, Mytilene
- Agios Georgiossettlement, Mytilene
- Agios Isidorussettlement, Mytilene
- Alyfantavillage, Mytilene
- Anaxos Skoutarouvillage, Western Lesvos
- Apidias Lakkossettlement, Mytilene
- Arisvivillage, Western Lesvos
- Chalatsessettlement, Mytilene
- Chliarasettlement, Western Lesvos
- Molyvosvillage, Western Lesvos
- Moriavillage, Mytilene
- Parakoilavillage, Western Lesvos
- Paralia Thermissettlement, Mytilene
- Peramavillage, Mytilene
- Pyrgoi Thermisvillage, Mytilene
- Skoutarosvillage, Western Lesvos
- Vareiavillage, Mytilene
- Vrisavillage, Western Lesvos
Other settlements on the island
Without a page of their own; the names are from OpenStreetMap.
- Agia Varvarasettlement
- Agia Marinavillage
- Agios Georgiosvillage
- Agios Pavlossettlement
- Agios Stefanossettlement
- Agios Fokassettlement
- Aglefyrossettlement
- Agravillage
- Agrilia Kratigousettlement
- Akrasivillage
- Ampeliasettlement
- Ampelikovillage
- Anemotiavillage
- Antissavillage
- Ano Charamidasettlement
- Ano Choriosettlement
- Apothikessettlement
- Argennosvillage
- Arianasettlement
- Archaia Antissasettlement
- Aspropotamossettlement
- Asomatosvillage
- Avlonassettlement
- Afalonasvillage
- Achladerisettlement
- Vasilikavillage
- Vateravillage
- Vatoussavillage
- Vafeiosvillage
- Gavvathasvillage
- Geni Limani Kapissettlement
- Gialou Pigadisettlement
- Dafiavillage
- Drotasettlement
- Eresosvillage
- Evaggelistriasettlement
- Efthalousettlement
- Evreiakisettlement
- Ippeiovillage
- Kalo Limanisettlement
and 97 more
Things to see
Named places on the island from Wikidata and OpenStreetMap, merged when they are the same place. Up to 4 per group, those with a page of their own on this site first, then those with a Wikidata item. Not a ranking of importance and not a guide; coverage is uneven.
Archaeological sites
Castles and fortifications
Museums
- Archaeological Museum of Mytilene
- Natural History Museum of the Lesvos Petrified Forest
- Ouzo Museum
- Archaeological museum of Eresos
Monasteries
Viewpoints and natural landmarks
Other attractions
Nature and land
| Site | Type |
|---|---|
| Lesvos: Dytiki Chersonisos - Apolithomeno Dasos, GR4110003 | Site of Community Importance (SCI) |
| Lesvos: Kolpos Kallonis Kai Chersaia Paraktia Zoni, GR4110004 | Site of Community Importance (SCI) |
| Lesvos: Kolpos Geras, Elos Ntipi Kai Oros Olympos, GR4110005 | Site of Community Importance (SCI) |
| Lesvos: Paraktioi Ygrotopoi Kolpou Kallonis, GR4110007 | Special Protection Area (SPA) |
| Nisides Lesvou (Symplegma Tomaronision, Kydonas, Agios Georgios, Glaronisi, Klp), GR4110009 | Special Protection Area (SPA) |
| Notiodytiki Chersonisos, Apolithomeno Dasos Lesvou, GR4110010 | Special Protection Area (SPA) |
| Oros Olympos Lesvou, GR4110011 | Special Protection Area (SPA) |
| Voreia Lesvos, GR4110012 | Special Protection Area (SPA) |
The land of the island
Woodland or shrubland 55%, Open/natural land (grassland, bare ground) 35%, Water 5%.
Source: ESA WorldCover 2021, a 10 m satellite classification generalised to a ~1 km grid and counted inside the island's outline. Shares are rounded to 5% and describe what covers the ground, not land use or building rights. On small islands the grid is coarse and coastal cells may read as water.
How the numbers were counted
The island is a place=island outline in OpenStreetMap and its area is computed from it. Settlements, beaches, airports and ports belong to the island when their point lies inside the outline (or, for beaches and ports, up to 250 to 500 m outside it).
A municipality counts as being on the island when its seat or main town is there, or when at least half of its settlements are. A port is a group of ferry terminals mapped in OpenStreetMap within 1 km of each other; the name is the nearest settlement.
The page exists because the island has a city, town or village (or a hamlet with an official bathing-water site or a ferry port) and at least two of: an official bathing-water site, a port or airport, a settlement with a page of its own, a Wikidata item.
Places nearby
Pages of this site, in a straight line and on the same side of the water, nearest first.
Towns and villages
Beaches
- TsamakiaExcellent, 970 m
- KalamariExcellent, 1.7 km
- Xenia – Vigla 1Excellent, 3.1 km
Sights
- Archaeological Museum of MytileneMuseum, 692 m
- Castle of MytileneCastle, 1.1 km
- Moria AqueductArchaeological site, 4.2 km
Nearest airport
- Mytilene International AirportMJT, 6.5 km
Nearest ferry port
See also
- Municipality of Western Lesvosmunicipality
- Municipality of Mytilenemunicipality
- Lesbosregional unit
- North Aegeanregion
- Archaeological sites on the island of Lesbos6
- Beaches with excellent water quality on the island of Lesbos25
- All islandslist
- All regionslist
- All beacheslist
- Greece month by monthlist
Sources
Every figure on this page comes from the sources below, with the date each was updated.
- Monthly climate normalsNASA POWER, MERRA-2 meteorological model · 2001–2020 climatology period returned by NASA POWER · Date:
- Sea temperature (NOAA OISST)NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information / Physical Sciences Laboratory · OISST v2.1 monthly long-term mean climatology, 1991-2020 period · Date:
- Everyday places, tourism, transport and natureOpenStreetMap contributors, via the Overpass API · Live database at the time of the query · Date:
- Designated bathing waters (locations)Ministry for Environment and Energy: YPEN geoportal · Current bathing season register · Date:
- Bathing water quality classificationEuropean Environment Agency: WISE Bathing Water Directive database · Latest assessed season in the EEA database; every season from 2011 is kept as a per-beach history · Date:
- AirportsFraport Greece; the Hellenic Civil Aviation Authority (ΥΠΑ/HCAA); Wikipedia (cross-checked for IATA/ICAO codes and coordinates) · Checked 24 September 2026 · Date:
- Natura 2000 protected sitesMinistry for Environment and Energy: YPEN geoportal · Current national Natura 2000 network · Date:
- Natura 2000 site namesEuropean Environment Agency (EEA) / European Commission Directorate-General for Environment (DG ENV) · EEA Natura 2000 register, snapshot taken 25 September 2026 (446 Greek sites) · Date:
- Land cover (ESA WorldCover)ESA WorldCover consortium, via public AWS S3 · ESA WorldCover 2021, v200 · Date:
- Wikidata landmarks: castles, monasteries, museums, archaeological sites and natural landmarksWikidata contributors · Live SPARQL query snapshot, taken 25 September 2026 · Date:
- Tourist attractions and natural landmarksOpenStreetMap contributors, via a Geofabrik snapshot · Geofabrik snapshot, downloaded 25 September 2026 · Date:
- Island outlines, settlements, municipal boundaries, seats and ferry terminalsOpenStreetMap (Geofabrik Greece extract, 24 Sep 2026), ODbL · Date:
Page updated .