Places to visit while sailing in North Aegean region

Lesvos

Lesvos is the largest of the North East Aegean Islands and the third largest in Greece. The island is famous for ouzo, an anise-flavoured aperitif that is widely consumed in Greece. Lesvos mostly consists of mountain villages, beach resorts and birdwatching sites. The island’s port and capital is Mytilini. It has a fortress dating back to the 14th century although the original castle was founded in the 6th century. There are three museums worth visiting, the Byzantine museum, the Archaeological museum and the Theophilos museum. Lesvos has many beaches of all shape and sizes, but Skala Eressos is the most charming. The beach is sandy, long, vehicle free, perfect for families with small children. Eressos is a remote island beach town with amazing restaurants, cafes and shops.

Chios

Chio is famous for its Medieval villages, Pyrgi and Olympia, and their spectacular architecture with the black and white geometric design on the external walls. There are numerous monasteries and secluded beaches on the island. The most beautiful beach is Mavra Volia. It is the only beach on the island with black sand. The large black pebbles were created by the lava of volcano Psaronas which is now latent. The Byzantine Museum and the famous Korais library are definitely worth visiting. In the Byzantine Museum you can see a perfect copy of the famous Delacroix’s painting “Massacre at Chios”, while the library holds the personal collection of Adamations Korais. The most famous local product is mastic, known throughout the world. Nowadays it is used in medicine and pharmacy.