Skala Eresou is a seaside village on the island of Lesbos Greece

Greece

Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....

, part of the community of Eresos

Eresos

Eresos and its twin beach village Skala Eresou are located in the southwest part of the Greek island of Lesbos. They are villages visited by considerable number of tourists...

.

Overview

The word Skala can be translated as "beach". The village has two access roads, one from the north and one from the west. Both lead towards the central square, which is paved with flagstones, but due to the one-way system, vehicle access is restricted. On the outskirts of the village, there are several large car parks which can accommodate cars while people visit the village.

The volcanic character of the west side of Lesbos is shown in the dark grey color of the beach, which extends for almost three kilometers from a small harbour in the east to the headland in the west. In 2006, the beach of Skala Eressos was again awarded the E.U Blue Flag, for the cleanliness of its waters and its beach.

There are many small family hotels and also self-catering apartments for rent, which are distributed either within the village or just on the outskirts. There is also a dispensary, a pharmacy, a large number of restaurants and bars together with several tourist offices. Every summer, Eresos has a large number of visitors, both Greeks and foreigners. Many lesbian

Lesbian

Lesbian is a term most widely used in the English language to describe sexual and romantic desire between females. The word may be used as a noun, to refer to women who identify themselves or who are characterized by others as having the primary attribute of female homosexuality, or as an...

 women make the pilgrimage to Skala Eressou in order to visit the birthplace of Sappho

Sappho

Sappho was an Ancient Greek poet, born on the island of Lesbos. Later Greeks included her in the list of nine lyric poets. Her birth was sometime between 630 and 612 BC, and it is said that she died around 570 BC, but little is known for certain about her life...

.

The village of Skala Eresou offers all kinds of alternative events throughout the summer, from tai-chi lessons on the beach to reiki, shiatsu or ayurvedic massage. A "Women festival" takes place in Skala Eresou every September, attracting women from all over the world.

In terms of transport, there are daily buses in the summer. But the most convenient way to travel to the village is by taxi from the airport or the port of Mytilene

Mytilene

Mytilene is a town and a former municipality on the island of Lesbos, North Aegean, Greece. Since the 2011 local government reform it is part of the municipality Lesbos, of which it is a municipal unit. It is the capital of the island of Lesbos. Mytilene, whose name is pre-Greek, is built on the...

. The trip by taxi will cost somewhere in the region of 100 euro

Euro

The euro is the official currency of the eurozone: 17 of the 27 member states of the European Union. It is also the currency used by the Institutions of the European Union. The eurozone consists of Austria, Belgium, Cyprus, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg,...

 at the time of writing.

Famous people

Skala Eressou was the home town for the ancient Greek philosopher Phanias

Phanias of Eresus

Phaenias of Eresus was a Greek philosopher from Lesbos, important as an immediate follower of and commentator on Aristotle. He came to Athens about 332 BCE, and joined his compatriot, Theophrastus, in the Peripatetic school. His writings on logic and science appear to have been commentaries or...

, who was a pupil of Aristotle

Aristotle

Aristotle was a Greek philosopher and polymath, a student of Plato and teacher of Alexander the Great. His writings cover many subjects, including physics, metaphysics, poetry, theater, music, logic, rhetoric, linguistics, politics, government, ethics, biology, and zoology...

. The town is also famed in history for being the birthplace of Sappho

Sappho

Sappho was an Ancient Greek poet, born on the island of Lesbos. Later Greeks included her in the list of nine lyric poets. Her birth was sometime between 630 and 612 BC, and it is said that she died around 570 BC, but little is known for certain about her life...

, the legendary lyric poetess also called the "Tenth Muse" and of Theophrastus

Theophrastus

Theophrastus , a Greek native of Eresos in Lesbos, was the successor to Aristotle in the Peripatetic school. He came to Athens at a young age, and initially studied in Plato's school. After Plato's death he attached himself to Aristotle. Aristotle bequeathed to Theophrastus his writings, and...

, the father of classical botany. The ancient city walls are still visible from when it was an important trading centre.