Things to Do in Lesvos — Top Attractions You Can Reach by Car Petrified Forest of Lesvos — UNESCO Global Geopark Thermal Springs & Wellness Molyvos Castle & Medieval Village Ouzo Distilleries & Culinary Experiences Best Beaches Accessible by Car Birdwatching on Lesvos Things to Do in Lesvos — Top Attractions You Can Reach by Car Lesvos, also called Lesbos island, is the third-largest Greek island in the North Aegean and a practical self-drive destination for beaches, heritage, birding, and geothermal sites. Mytilene International Airport (MJT) is the main arrival point, and many visitors pick up a rental car in the arrivals hall for an airport pickup with meet and greet service. On an island of 1,630 square kilometers in the northeastern Aegean islands, distances matter: Mytilene to Sigri is about 90 km, Mytilene to Plomari is about 45 km, and Mytilene to Molyvos (Mithymna) is about 60 km. Things to Do Petrified Forest of Lesvos — UNESCO Global Geopark The Petrified Forest of Lesvos in western Lesvos is a UNESCO Global Geopark and one of the island's most important geological sites in the Aegean Sea. From Mytilene, the drive is about 90 km and usually takes 1.5–2 hours via the Kalloni-Sigri road, making Sigri an efficient base for a day trip. The site preserves 20-million-year-old fossilized trees, and the open-air parks and the Natural History Museum of the Lesvos Petrified Forest in Sigri are the core visitor stops. Admission is typically €10 for the museum and open-air forest parks, while the Nissiopi Marine Park glass-bottom boat tour costs about €15 and usually departs from Sigri port at 10:30. The museum is generally open Wednesday to Sunday from 8:00 to 16:00, and the visit takes 3–4 hours if you include the coastal exhibits. The Kalloni-Sigri highway uncovered 18,837 paleontological artifacts, which gives the site a strong scientific record. Driving route to Sigri & the Petrified Forest → Molyvos (Mithymna) castle — a Genoese fortress with one of the best sunsets on the island. Thermal Springs & Wellness Lesvos has several geothermal sites, and the most practical ones to visit by car are Polichnitos, Eftalou, and Thermi in the North Aegean. Polichnitos is about 40 km from Mytilene and is known for water temperatures reaching 87.6°C, making it one of the hottest springs in Europe. The bathhouses cool the water for bathing, so visitors can use the springs without the raw source temperature. Eftalou is about 3.5 km east of Molyvos and places hot mineral water directly beside the Aegean Sea in a stone-lined pool. Thermi is about 12 km from Mytilene and has a long local reputation connected to healing waters. The road to Eftalou is narrow and partly damaged in sections, so an early morning or late-afternoon visit is usually the easiest way to avoid traffic. Molyvos Castle & Medieval Village Molyvos, officially Mithymna, is a hill village on the northeastern coast of Lesvos island with views over the Aegean Sea and toward the Turkish coastline. The drive from Mytilene is about 60 km and usually takes 1 hour and 15 minutes. Molyvos Castle is a Byzantine stronghold with panoramic viewpoints and a typical entrance fee of about €4. Below the castle, the village has stone lanes, preserved houses, and a harbor with tavernas that work well for a half-day visit. Petra is about 3 km south of Molyvos and adds a second landmark stop through the 114-step climb to Panagia Glykofilousa on the rock. For parking, the village lot usually charges around €4–€10 depending on duration. Driving routes to Molyvos & Petra → Vatera — 9 km of sand on the south coast, one of the longest beaches in the Aegean. Ouzo Distilleries & Culinary Experiences Lesvos produces more than 50% of Greek ouzo, and Plomari is the main distilling center on the southern coast of the island. The drive from Mytilene to Plomari is about 45 km and usually takes 50 minutes. The Barbayiannis Ouzo Museum offers free entry, a guided look at a 19th-century distillery, and tasting, while other producers such as Isidoros Arvanitis and EVA add variety. The island's food identity also includes ladotyri cheese, a PDO product aged in olive oil, and the broader olive culture is visible in Agia Paraskevi at the Museum of Industrial Olive Oil Production. Lesvos is associated with more than 11 million olive trees.