On the southwestern end of Lesvos is the village of
Eressos and Skala Eressos. The birthplace of the poetess Sapho, the beach
town of Skala Eressos once a Mecca for International lesbians is also a
popular family destination, not to mention a favorite place for
honeymooners. It has one of the most beautiful and dramatic beaches in all
of Greece and a line of cafes and restaurants on the waterfront that may
remind you of an Atlantic seaside community without the commercialism.
In antiquity it was an important commercial center
and was also home to the philosopher and botanist Theophrastus and the
philosopher Phanias who was a pupil of Aristotle. There are still remains
of the ancient city and walls and somewhere off the shore is the wreck of
the Turkish warship Moving Mountain, sunk by Dimitris Papanikolis during
the war for Greek Independence in 1821. The town is alive with cultural
events and activity during the summer. The beach itself received the blue
flag award from the European Council on the Environment as the cleanest
and best cared for in Greece. In my opinion there are few if any beaches
in Greece that have what Skala Eressos has to offer. The water is clear
and the sand seems to go on for miles.
The streets of the town of Skala Eressos which
border the beach are closed to all automobile traffic and one can walk
without fear of being run over. More importantly you do not have to worry
about the safety of your children. The town ends at the beach road but
cafes and restaurants have built bamboo covered decks that extend out on
to the sand so you can sit in the shade and watch your kids playing in the
Aegean and not be more than a few feet away. Some of the hotels provide
bikes for the customers and even if they don't, they can be rented cheaply
in the village. Because Skala Eressos is on a flat plain, riding a bike is
easy. You can also go horseback riding. Motorbikes are available and cars
can be rented to see the rest of the island.
There is a spring-fed lake full of hundreds of
turtles, frogs, fish, strange birds and even storks, which nest in bell
tower of the church in the upper village. Children save the left-over
bread from lunch and bring it over to the lake which reaches almost to the
sea, and the turtles come right up and take the food from their hands. The
valley is green and fertile with trails and paths that can keep you
walking for hours, past small farms, villas, orchards, tiny churches,
ancient ruins, and all manner of wild and not so wild life, including
sheep, goats, donkeys, cows, turkeys, foxes, hedgehogs, chickens, and
horses.
There is a small harbor of fishing boats which
supply the village with plenty of fresh fish. These are sold in the
restaurants and include, shrimp, sardines, delicious red-mullet, tuna,
swordfish and some fish that I have never seen before but taste great.
Unlike the more popular Cyclades islands, seafood here is plentiful and
cheap. There are also fish trucks which arrive from all over the island
with other fresh fish that may not be available in the waters around
Erressos. Like many places in Lesvos, the restaurants take pride in their
Sardeles pastes as well as their lakerda pastes (tuna) and gavros
(anchovies), all caught locally. The fishermen in this boat are actually
women, not surprising in Sapho's home town.
The people are friendly and generous and merely by
waving hello you may find yourself engaged in conversation about your life
in your own country or their life in Lesvos. You will be surprised at how
many people speak your language, particularly if it is English. The old
man sitting next to you in the cafeneon may have spent fifty of his eighty
years in New York, Toronto, Montreal and very likely Australia. If you
look carefully sometimes you can find little hints that will tip you off.
Perhaps a baseball cap from your favorite team.
The surprising thing is that what at first glance
appears to be an upscale tourist resort is actually a very inexpensive,
authentically Greek place to spend your vacation. Imagine the quality of
Mykonos or other more well known islands, but at a fraction of the price.
If you like, you can drink cappuccino in Eressos and not go broke. You can
eat seafood that has been caught locally and drink ouzo and watch the
sunset on the beach.The bars are low-key and the clubs are far enough out
of town so people won't be bothered by the noise, yet close enough to walk
to or stumble home from.
The beach on the other side of the harbor is
excellent for snorkling and the small beach within the fishing harbor is
useful for days when the wind is blowing and your children want somewhere
sheltered to swim. Fish and octopus are abundant along the coast. There is
a small church there with shaded benches where you can relax and read,
paint, meditate or write. Beyond that is another beach for even more
privacy. You can spend your days on the beach or walk for hours in the
green valley, past farms and orchards. There are archeological sites too
including the cave of the Poetess Sappho and the ancient church of St
Andrew.
In the cafes are foreigners who have come for the
history, the romance or just to be close to the sea and conversation is
never a problem, nor is making friends. Many of these are former tourists
who have fallen in love with the village and if they have not bought a
house of their own, they still return year after year, staying in rented
homes or rooms. The beauty of this is that they now have a regular place
to go for their holidays where they know people and for a few weeks a year
their children play with the children of other people who have become
regular visitors too.
On the southwestern end of Lesvos is the village of
Eressos and Skala Eressos. The birthplace of the poetess Sapho, the beach
town of Skala Eressos once a Mecca for International lesbians is also a
popular family destination, not to mention a favorite place for
honeymooners. It has one of the most beautiful and dramatic beaches in all
of Greece and a line of cafes and restaurants on the waterfront that may
remind you of an Atlantic seaside community without the commercialism.
wn ends at the beach road but
cafes and restaurants have built bamboo covered decks that extend out on
to the sand so you can sit in the shade and watch your kids playing in the
Aegean and not be more than a few feet away. Some of the hotels provide
bikes for the customers and even if they don't, they can be rented cheaply
in the village. Because Skala Eressos is on a flat plain, riding a bike is
easy. You can also go horseback riding. Motorbikes are available and cars
can be rented to see the rest of the island.
clude, shrimp, sardines, delicious red-mullet, tuna,
swordfish and some fish that I have never seen before but taste great.
Unlike the more popular Cyclades islands, seafood here is plentiful and
cheap. There are also fish trucks which arrive from all over the island
with other fresh fish that may not be available in the waters around
Erressos. Like many places in Lesvos, the restaurants take pride in their
Sardeles pastes as well as their lakerda pastes (tuna) and gavros
(anchovies), all caught locally. The fishermen in this boat are actually
women, not surprising in Sapho's home town.
ys when the wind is blowing and your children want somewhere
sheltered to swim. Fish and octopus are abundant along the coast. There is
a small church there with shaded benches where you can relax and read,
paint, meditate or write. Beyond that is another beach for even more
privacy. You can spend your days on the beach or walk for hours in the
green valley, past farms and orchards. There are archeological sites too
including the cave of the Poetess Sap
