An Excursion To Western Lesvos: Eressos & Skala--Western Lesvos is hilly and barren, with many fine-sand beaches concealed among rocky promontories. Admirers of Sappho's poems (this was her birthplace) and avid beachgoers should be sure to travel the steep and winding 65km (41-mile) road between Molivos and Eressos, on the island's westernmost shore. Excursion buses (30€/$39) make this trip daily from Mitilini; inquire at Samiotis Tours, 43 Kountouriotou, Mitilini (tel. 22510/42-574).
Eressos is an attractive small village overlooking the coastal plain. Its port, Skala Eressou, 4km (2 1/2 miles) to the south, has become a full-blown resort popular with Greek families as well as with gay women. This isn't surprising, since the beach here is the best in Lesvos, a wide, dark sandy stretch over a mile long and lined with tamarisks. A stretch of sandy beaches and coves extends from here to Sigri, the next town to the north. Skala Eressou has a small archaeological museum (tel. 22530/53-332), near the 5th-century basilica of Ayios Andreas, with local finds from the Archaic, Classical, and Roman periods. It's open Tuesday through Sunday from 7:30am to 3:30pm; admission is free.
