Lesvos  Petra Walks.

These Petra, Skoutaros, Vafios, Ambelia and Lafionas Lesvos Walks vary from 10 to 25km long and go out in hills, coast and countryside on Lesbos.

We beleive the descriptions/walks instructions are correct but would be pleased to be advised of any errors. It is of course worth noting that in common with many Greek Islands, Lesbos's paths and tracks are vulnerable to the dreaded bulldozers so things can change - paths wiped out, new track junctions etc. so please let us know.

Anaxos - Skoutaros - Anaxos From the seafront take the tarmac road which goes inland between tavernas and soon pass the Anaxos Hotel on the left - follow the road as it turn sharp right and goes up to meet the main road by Billy's bike/car rental. Turn right along the main road continuing passed a small church on the right and a bus stop opposite. From here take the second track on the right which is marked "Ambelia" - stay on this main track - after crossing a stream the track bears right and rises up to meet a t-junction signed Ambelia, Skoutaros and Anaxos. Note a rocky path opposite which will be used later on the walk. For now turn right on the track and simply follow it on down to the church

Return back up the track and at the junction take the fore-mentioned rocky path leaving on the right. This path is a little difficult to stony beach at Ambelia (which has small taverna).walk due to the r rocks initially but soon becomes a lot easier - on reaching some large pale coloured rocks go right and follow the now narrow dirt path until you come to another rocky area on the right. Here bear slightly left by the remnants of a wall and climb gradually up over a very rocky area keeping to the main path - this then flattens as it continues between stone walls and eventually arrives on a dirt track with a farm barn on the right. Ignore the track on the left and continue straight ahead on the track which winds down to reach Megali Tsikhranda - another heavily pebbled beach with lots of seaweed. There is small church on the right ideal for stopping for a drink and a short rest - to the left of the beach there is a taverna but note you may have to paddle over a stream to reach this and this may be awkward if the tide is in.
To continue, return up the track and then back along the path all the way to the signed junction - this time turn right and head towards Skoutaros on the track. This nice track has particularly good views to the left as it goes through the countryside, then finally climbs steeply to pass a church on the right and then arrives at the main road by the old olive factory. Continue on the road opposite - shortly take narrow steps on the left which soon widen and bring you into the village square where there are several small tavernas/cafes and the village church. Go left to pass the church and then right up the narrow street - turn right again onto a cobbled street by house no274 then simply continue on through the houses - as you reach the end of the village take the clearly obvious steep path leading up to the wooded cemetery. This is a worth while diversion because you get great views up here and it is heavily wooded so you get a nice "cooling down" opportunity as well.

Return back to the square, keeping the church on your left pass a yellow post box also on your left and at the t-junction turn right by a small shop. Take the next left and continue down to the main road. Turn right and follow the main road - passing a bus shelter, continue on round several bends and as the road crosses a stream bed and bears left look for a path on the right. Take this initially rocky path as it zig-zags upwards, goes through a small pine woods and then crosses a levada.

Just after the levada the path bears left and soon becomes a dirt track - continue on this main track ignoring a track going up on the right and also another track on the left. The track runs almost parallel with the main road and then swings inland - when it appears to end it actually turns left to cross a stream. Once across the stream go left on a bulldozed track (you can see the remnants of an old kalderimi and broken walling on the right). Continue until the track ends and then turn right to go onto the old walled kalderimi (let's hope THIS does not get destroyed). Follow the kalderimi - which becomes a rocky streambed - to eventually arrive at the main road, turn right and now it's a short distance back to Anaxos.

Anaxos - Petra - Petri - Water Mills - Vafios - Petra This long Lesbos circular walk goes via really nice tracks and lovely paths and visits the watermills - also involves a steep and fairly difficult walk up a very rocky stream bed sometimes via thick foliage. We have started the walk in Anaxos but this can obviously be started at Petra but you need to get to the by-pass road and the road going to Petri.
From Anaxos with the sea on your left walk to almost the end of the beach and take the dirt track (this may be concreted or tarmac'd by now though) on the right by a taverna. After a short distance take a concrete road on the left which soon goes very steeply up towards holiday apartments and houses. At the top go slightly right and then down a wide dirt path to the beach. Turn right and follow the shoreline towards Petra - on joining the main road turn right and walk slightly uphill and then take a concrete road on the left. This quiet road passes a small church and then houses and gardens, keep straight on at a cross junction and after crossing the river (where there are tortoises) the road splits, go right and then next left and then right again. This small road takes you to the by-pass road.

Cross the road and then take the road opposite which is marked to Petri. When the road bends to the right take a track almost straight ahead of you, shortly after this the track goes off to the left towards farm buildings but stay right up a trail here - this area is extremely rough and it appears as if it is a dead end, however climb down on the right and walk up the stream bed. This is heavily overgrown and rocky but soon improves as it widens and becomes flatter underfoot and goes between stone walls.

It then winds right and then up left to comes out on a much more open area with ruins of a deserted village. Look half left and you can see a dirt track - make for this (possibly passing a wrecked orange van on the left) - go left up the track and at the junction turn right. After a short while reach a crossing track, turn right to walk downhill to the main road. Turn left uphill on the main road and quite soon take a concrete track going off on the left - this winds up past a house on the left. Just past the house the path seems to go straight on but don't go this way, instead above and to the left you can see a wall - walk up to it and pick up an old cobbled trail with the wall on your right. This path winds uphill - ignore a gate on the left and

just continue zig-zagging up - the path ends by some new buildings, go left between them and this will bring you to a white arch doorway and church on the left. Continue on round the path to arrive at the gate leading into the church. With the gate behind you go half right steeply up rock steps to a viewpoint, the path then goes left and comes out by the taverna.
Carry straight on from the taverna and then left at the junction - follow this small road which goes above the village - once out of the village the road becomes a track - follow this as it winds through the hills - good views from up here of course. The track actually winds right round the valley to double back (do not take a track on the right by a trough at the sharp bend) and drops down steeply to the crossing track used earlier. Go straight on keeping to this track as it winds round to the left of the hill passing farm buildings and with Petri and the coast visible to the left. The track descends to a t-junction with an old stone-built farm building opposite, turn right onto a cobbled path and take this to eventually reach a small church of Ag.. Fotini in an open grassy area.

Go behind the church and pick up a grassy path with a fence on the right - follow this and it soon becomes a concrete track with gates - go on through and continue along the track heading deeper into the valley. The track becomes grassy and soon the first of the water mills appears on the right - a little way further on reach the second mill on the left, immediately past this second mill go left steeply up a very narrow path - this is marked with blue paint but can be quite difficult to see since it's very overgrown. The narrow path winds up and becomes very rocky but is easier to follow and walk - just keep going eventually passing more mills - until the path comes to an end by a huge rock with "peculiar" markings on it. Now the fun really starts - the path becomes very overgrown with ferns and thorns and eventually you have to walk onto the rocky river bed.

Now simply make your way up via the sometimes heavy rocks and thick foliage in the river bed - sometimes it is possible to divert out of the river to pass particularly bad sections - you just have to use your eyes. Eventually you reach a brushwood barrier - pick your spot and climb over this with care and then continue along the streambed for just a short distance until you come to an open area with a wall on the right. Go left here to cross a stream bed and then walk up to reach a large gate, go through this and turn left now on a dirt track - continue on this track to walk the several kilometres into the top of Vafios.
Continue into Vafios and immediately before reaching a small taverna go left down the cobbled main street which brings

you to the main road. Turn left soon passing the Vafios Taverna and then another taverna - the road has a sharp hair-pin which you can cut off by going across the open ground. Back on the road look for blue markings on the left which indicate the path to Petra. Go quite steeply down the few metres onto a track, cross this and go down just a few more metres to reach yet another track, turn left and cross the stream and then continue up the track. After about half a kilometre from the stream the track levels out a little - on the left look for a blue arrow on a tree pointing down, opposite this just off the track on the right is where the path to Petra continues. This path can be quite difficult to spot because of the quite tall grass and undergrowth (especially in April/May) but there are blue markings to be found on several rocks showing it's presence.

This was one of our favourite paths, so much so that we created another different walk whilst on Lesvos just so we could walk up it instead. Follow the path as it wanders down sometimes over rocks to reach a gate, go through and turn right and now it is simply a question of enjoying the flowers, grasses, trees, bushes, rock outcrops, butterflies, birds, lizards and perhaps the occasional snake as you continue down always staying on the main path to eventually reach a track. Turn left soon passing a concrete culvert - Petra is now clearly visible below and to the right as is the long long road running straight towards the coast. At the track junction turn right onto another quite slippery and steep track which bends down to another track junction, turn right and now simply follow this long road back to the Petra by-pass. Cross the by-pass and take the road opposite to walk back into Petra.

via Klapados-Agios Alexandros-Lafionas-Anaxos The walk involves a steady climb on nice shady woodland tracks as far as above Lafionas and then it's mostly all down hill back - around 15 KMs but note there are no tavernas/cafes on this walk until you get to Lafionas itself.
The walk starts along the main Petra - Kalloni road - from Petra pass a junction on the left to Stipsi and around 4kms further on a petrol station. Shortly after this there is an open area on the left with a shrine and a dirt track [N39°15'56.16" E026°12'40.20"] - we got a taxi to here (this was 10 Euros from Petra). The road bends round and on the right is a picnic pavilion, a dirt track and a sign marked Ecological Route - Klapados, Ag. Alexandros and Lafionas - go up this track. The track climbs steadily through pine woods - Stipsi can be seen nestled on the hill on the right - stay always on the main track ignoring tracks going off to the right and left. After around one kilometre the track levels out and bends left, then starts climbing again to reach a crest, with the Gulf of Kolloni now visible down below on the left. Ignore a track going down on the left, instead follow the main track as it continues climbing through the forest always bending to the right - soon reaching a fairly extensive grassy open area [N39°16'26.46" E026°11'43.98"] with a couple of picnic tables and a farm building on the right.

Continue on out of the area using the same track which now bears right and keeps climbing passing a concrete water cistern on the left and ignoring side tracks - to reach the high point at 406m where there is a wooden bench and good views on the left the valley below and of Stipsi. The track now starts descending and eventually you reach the ruined village of Klapados, the site of the last battle between the Greeks and the Turks in 1912 when Lesvos was liberated from 450 years of Turkish rule. There are a few ruins here but not really a great deal else to be seen - there is however a fairly new concrete spring/trough and the area is nicely wooded and quite pleasant for a brief stop. Continue on the stony track passing more wooden seats - initially climbing - after around 200 metres a tracks drops down steeply to the right - ignore this - but bear left always on the main track. The track soon starts to descend and after around 1km crosses a cattle grid - keep going down passing another picnic pavilion and sign on the left to reach a right, then left and then right again sharp bend and finally crosses a concrete bridge. Climb up to quite quickly reach a major track junction above Lafionas - ahead of you are farm buildings and there is another "ecological site" sign on the left. There is a seat here if you fancy a rest however around 10 million sheep must know of this spot and have left their marks - i.e. there are one or two flies around as well.

There are two tracks going off to the left, the second of which drops steeply down - you must not take these. Take the track which goes more or less ahead and passes to the left of the farm buildings - this track undulates as it curves round the left hand side of the hill passing through lots of trees and nice foliage. The track starts to descend and goes round a very tight hairpin finally arriving at a gate, go through this and then turn immediately left through a smaller gate to enter a fenced area - cross this lovely open area (lots of foliage, grasses and flowers including orchids in early May) to reach a picnic table at the church of Agios Alexandros. This church is built on the site of 4th century Byzantine monastery. This is a really nice peaceful spot and full of birds and butterflies - did not see any snakes but we did see a black stork flying around as well as buzzards.

From here go back to the track - turn left and follow the track as it climbs and winds round the hill - eventually with good views of distant Petra and Molovos and eventually Lafionas close by below. Pass the small church of Ag. Georgios and continue along the track to reach a track junction, go left and walk down to a parking area on the edge of Lafionas village. Take the path which heads down into the village, then turn right and steeply down a cobbled street, turn next right to reach a shop then left after passing the shop and on into the village square where there are tavernas as well as seats etc. From the square take the no-entry road on the far right and after passing a cafe on the right turn right down a street, go under a balcony bridge and then continue on the road which soon becomes a dirt track as it heads downhill. Around half a kilometre from the cafe the track splits, take the left hand fork (the right fork goes to Petra) and climb slightly - stay on this track as it wanders along the hillside passing to the left of a conical shaped hill and then as you approach another similarly shaped hill the track goes right to circle the hill on it's left. The track then heads down and straightens to eventually arrive at the Petra by-pass road. Turn left and walk back along the by-pass to walk back into Anaxos.etc.

Petra - Vafios - Petra This 22km wander was one of our favourite walks whilst we were on holiday on Lesbos, in particular because two parts of it involved paths and fields which were covered in foliage and flowers (in early May) as well as lots of rocks and several streams, quite apart from the abundant reptiles and birds. The tracks' part was also a delight to walk along (and up/down) because of the birds, trees and shrubs etc.. The only poor part of the walk was near Molovos where you get treated to a distant view of an incredibly scruffy rubbish tip but this is only visible for a few minutes. At around 22km this is quite a hard walk due to both distance and the probable heat - with the only drinks available at Vafios.
This walks starts from the main square in Petra, - walk along the main road with the sea on the left to reach the large yellow OTE building, turn right alongside this building and follow the road inland as it wanders along to join the main Petra by-pass road. Cross over and take the road on the left which goes past the Evangelia apartments and then continues more or less straight as it passes through farmland and for a while alongside a stream towards the hills ahead. About 1.5kms from the by-pass you come to a t-junction by farm buildings, turn left up what is a quite slippery gravel track which winds up quite steeply into the hills to reach a cross track. Turn left soon passing a concrete culvert on the left, and after about 200 metres look on the right for a path marked Vafios - this path is initially quite overgrown and rocky but soon improves..

This is a really nice path going through all sorts of undergrowth and various trees, with heavily mossed rocks at times and an opportunity to see a snake or two as well. The path climbs steadily up hill with occasional blue dots to assist - after a very rocky area which might be a little wet you come to a gate on the left, go through this and then continue on the path. Eventually the path seems to end by some very large boulders liberally marked with blue dots, (we think the path originally continued but has now been mostly destroyed by a bulldozer) - go right here possibly through high grass and scrub to climb up onto a track - this is only a few metres away. Turn left along the track and follow it down to cross a stream bed (we saw tortoises here) - continue in the same direction up the hill opposite - this is blue dot marked and after a few metres cross another track, climb on up across rough ground for just a short distance to reach the main tarmac road.
Turn right and follow the road round it's hairpins - passing two tavernas then just after the second taverna (Taverna Vafios) turn right up a broad cobbled street into the village. The street becomes very steep and also narrows considerably - simply stay on this to the top, then turn left passing a local cafe to emerge on a concreted area. Go right and then left up the concrete path to reach a track. Stay on this track which winds downhill and then along the hill side to reach a junction (about 3/4 of a kilometre from the concrete area). Turn left and now simply stay on the track and keeping left at another track junction to eventually reach and re-join the main road.
Cross the road and take the track to the right of a large single storey white building - the track swings round to the right then climbs a little as it heads towards the church. Just before the church - Ag. Ioannis - take note of a grass track going off on the right, however continue on up to the church to have a look round. Return back to the previously noted grass track and take this across the field - it passes an enclosed spring on the left and then goes through a gate - this area can be quite muddy and wet. The fields and whole area around here are just a mass of wild flowers in the spring.

Follow the path as it goes along the field edge, drops down between rocks along another field then goes slightly right and continues as a rocky stream bed for a while. Cross the stream after which the path bears diagonally left up through scrub, then bends right between trees to then descend down to a gate by another river. Cross the river on the stepping stones, then stay on the path as it goes diagonally left up the side of the valley, the river becoming ever further below you on the left. The path is stony, sometimes quite narrow but very easy to walk and follow - it gradually rises to come out by some large rocks to meet a track - there are farm buildings opposite. Turn left down the track and stay on this as it winds slowly down and around the hills, with nice views of the valley and the coast on the right - the track eventually comes to a junction.

Ahead you can see several farms and also the wonderful sight of the rubbish tip. Turn left and now follow this track as it winds down hill then at a hairpin bend ignore the track on the right, continue on down i.e. staying on the main track. As the track levels out it swings round to the right and a track joins from the left, head on towards and past a sheep farm which straddles the track. Stay on this track to eventually reach a track junction, turn left and then left again shortly afterwards to soon reach a concrete bridge (a track comes in from the right). Cross the bridge and continue on the track as it swings round to reach the main road. Turn left and after several hundred metres look out for and go on a track on the right

which is marked "To Petra" - keep on this track as it passes the reservoir and just keeps going - as Petra comes into view away on the right you pass the original path used to Vafios and just after that the concrete culvert and then the track junction, where you go right to walk all the way back into Petra.

Please visit our Lesbos Holidays Guide for much more about the island.