Skala Kalloni Lesvos

holiday report and Lesvos map

Skala Kalloni beach Lesvos

The village of KALLONI or KALLONIS lies in the dead centre of Lesvos, 45km west of the capital Mytilini, and is one of the greenest towns on Lesvos, mainly because six rivers flow through it and it has several underground springs.
Kalloni has been Lesvos island's main crossroad for centuries and a large village has grown up around the centre.
To the south lies the Gulf of Kalloni, the largest gulf on Lesvos and known for the quality of its fish, particularly sardines, cockles and mussels. Kalloni Gulf is the island's main eco-tourist centre thanks to a significant number of rare birds.
The port and beach resort that lies 3km south of Kalloni and known as SKALA KALLONI. It has a picturesque harbour and one of the best beaches on Lesvos.
Skala Kalloni attracts plenty of summer visitors. The beach is big and sandy and the water is shallow. It tends to be very calm as the gulf mouth is narrow and the bay well protected.
There are several restaurants built along the shoreline and several more to be found in the centre of the resort, along with minimarkets, hotels, tourist shops and so on.
The port is home to the island's sardine fishing fleet and is a colourful and busy place to visit, especially early in the morning when they are unloading their catch.
Usually held on the first weekend in August is the noted Skala Kaloni Sardine Festival, based in the village square and featuring free ouzo and sardines, music and dancing.
There are plenty of places to visit from Skala Kalloni - just follow the road around the Gulf both east and west. The countryside is very varied, from salt marshes to hill forests.
There are also many interesting places to visit within the valley of Kalloni, including Agia Paraskevis, one of the wealthiest villages on Lesvos where there is a horse racing festival in late June. Also nearby are temple ruins at Klopedi and the Kremasti Bridge.
Nearby Limonas Monastery is also open to visitors. It was built in 1523 and its library contains about 5,000 books, manuscripts and other documents, some from the 9th century.