About Molivos
Molyvos is the tourist capital of Lesvos but don't let that scare you away. It is Greek Island tourism at its best with all of the good qualities and few of the bad and attracts visitors who are sensitive to culture and tradition but are still there to have a good time.
Mithymna, or Molyvos as it was called during the middle ages, is truly an amazing town. When you pass through Petra and follow the coastal road you really are unprepared for the dramatic first view you get when you come around that last bend. Luckily there is a place to pull off where you can take it all in, rather then sneak glances and endanger your family and everyone else on the road. The town is situated on a small mountain topped by the dramatic Castle of Mithymna, built by the Byzantines and renovated by the Gattelusis, who were from Genoa and were ceded the island when Francesco Gattelusi married the daughter of the Byzantine Emperor John Paliologos. The original castle which this one replaced, was conquered by none other then Achilles during the Trojan war. (The ruins of the ancient city of Troy are right across the narrow straits between Molyvos and Turkey). There are still ancient ruins scattered around the town including impressive polygonal walls and a few giant holes where archaeologists have begun their slow work after some poor person discovered them while renovating their home
The town of Molyvos itself is built of stone houses and shops which surround the castle and follow the coast to one of the most scenic harbors in Greece. As one enters the village there is certainly a lot of tourist activity, at least more then anywhere else on the island, (yet nowhere near Cycladic proportions). But rather then terrifying teens on motorbikes, these are a more sophisticated breed, some of them actually carrying books of Greek Mythology and histories of the island. I think one of the things I like about Molyvos is that the tourists are interesting. You can sit down with one and have a decent conversation at breakfast. You can get drunk with one and actually learn something because unlike places like Mykonos, Ios and Santorini which people hear about by word of mouth or from their local travel agent, to know about Molyvos, you have to at least know how to read. Many of these tourists not only know how to read but they devour literature on the island and return year after year, some of them eventually buying a house and settling here and even becoming writers.
The harbor is Molyvos best feature in my opinion. It is a working fishing harbor and if you sit in one of the cafes or restaurants in the morning you will see the drama of Molyvos sea commerce as they unload boxes of sardines, mackerel, lakerda (a kind of tuna), gopes, barbounia and many other types of fish to waiting pick-up trucks which race them to markets in Mytilini or sell them in other towns and villages around the island. The fishing boats themselves come in all sizes, some quite large, with crews from foreign countries, mostly Egypt, and some small caiques. There are usually a few sailboats in the harbor and there is an old wooden ship building yard that is still in use
There is a stone beach and a small park in Molyvos down by what used to be the village Olive Oil factory but what is now the Olive Press Hotel, one of the most interesting hotels on the island. Living in America or any modern industrialized country it might be hard to conceive of turning a factory into a hotel. But the Olive Press is a simple, large stone building, broken up into different rooms with a beautiful courtyard garden, pool, and a very nice restaurant right on the water. The beach is small stones but once you get out a few feet this gives way to soft sand and there are few beaches that have the view you get when you turn around and face the land. It is a view of the town and castle so beautiful that you will risk the possible destruction of your camera in order to get a photo. (I didn't risk it). There are a few cafe-bars and restaurants in this part of the village. Unfortunately a garbage truck hit my rental car while I was asleep one night. Because of this experience I should warn you that it is not a great idea to park on the small streets of Molyvos. There is a parking lot outside the village that is within easy walking distance from most of the hotels and another lot above the harbor which may require more courage than you have to get in and out of because the road is so steep. So I suggest you leave your car on the lot outside the village and get your exercise walking to the harbor. If you keep walking away from the village the Hotel Delfini sits on a very nice sandy beach, one of the best beaches on the island actually. In Greece you can't own the beach which means even when a hotel sits on the beach, anyone can swim there.
The walk through the village itself is one that should be taken even by those with fears of walking uphill. The main street of Molyvos is made of cobbled stone and covered entirely by wisteria that seems to be in bloom even when it shouldn't be. The street is completely shaded by these incredible vines and make walking by day quite bearable, even on the hottest days. Well maybe not on the hottest days but that's what the beaches are for. If you continue upwards you will pass museums, galleries and eventually wind up at the castle where they have concerts during the summer of some of the most well-known Greek musicians and even some International groups on tour. There are plenty of interesting shops for those addicted to buying, including jewelry stores, boutiques, pastry shops, fruits and vegetable stores, and several fine restaurants and ouzeries that have a view of the coast and the entire valley of Molyvos as well as most of northwestern Lesvos
If you like swimming and in particular snorkeling, walk beyond the dock and follow the rocky coast until you find a place that looks easy to get in the water and more importantly to get out. If you have been looking for those sparking clear azure seas that they show you in the guidebooks you will find them here and some privacy too. There is a stony beach that you can get to by following the paths above. Watch out for sea-urchins which are plentiful. If you step on one take the time to get all the little spines out of your foot, because if you don't by the next day they will hurt like hell. We were told that if they are too deep to get out, rub tooth-paste on it and leave it overnight. The next morning there should be enough of the spine protruding for you to get a grip on it. I think Elmer's glue works too. They are not poisonous. Just a pain. If you want to avoid this experience there is always the town beach and the beaches at Eftalou. If you would rather have a beach relatively free of people try following the coast in the opposite direction past the town beach until you get to an area relatively free of people which should not be hard to find in the off-season or on weekdays. But the beach is rocky and getting in and out of the water without water shoes is a challenge. If you keep walking the stony beaches finally give way to sand at the Delfini hotel which also has a nice restaurant and a pool.
