The streets of the town of Skala Eressos which border the beach are closed to all automobile traffic and one can walk without fear of being run over. More importantly you do not have to worry about the safety of your children. The town ends at the beach
road but cafes and restaurants have built bamboo covered decks that extend out on to the sand so you can sit in the shade and watch your kids playing in the Aegean and not be more than a few feet away. Some of the hotels provide bikes for the customers and
even if they don't, they can be rented cheaply in the village. Because Skala Eressos is on a flat plain, riding a bike is easy and you will see that many of the locals use this as a primary mode of transportation too. You can also go horseback and donkey riding.
Motorbikes are available and cars can be rented from Sappho Travel to see the rest of the island.
A short walk from the edge of town, along the beach and by the forest where people can sometimes get away with camping for free (you didn't hear it from me), there is a spring-fed lake full of hundreds of turtles, frogs, fish, strange birds and even storks,
which nest in bell tower of the church in the upper village. Children save the left-over bread from lunch and bring it over to the lake which reaches almost to the sea, and the turtles come right up and take the food from their hands. The valley is green and
fertile with trails and paths that can keep you walking for hours, past small farms, villas, orchards, tiny churches, ancient ruins, and all manner of wild and not so wild life, including sheep, goats, donkeys, cows, turkeys, foxes, hedgehogs, chickens, and
horses.
There is a small harbor of fishing boats which supply the village with plenty of fresh fish. These are sold in the restaurants and include, shrimp, sardines, delicious red-mullet, tuna, swordfish and some fish that I have never seen before but taste great.
Unlike the more popular Cyclades islands, seafood here is plentiful and cheap. There are also fish trucks which arrive from all over the island with other fresh fish that may not be available in the waters around Erressos. Like many places in Lesvos, the restaurants
take pride in their sardeles pastes as well as their lakerda pastes (tuna) and gavros (anchovies), all caught locally. It is almost guaranteed that you will eat the freshest and most delicious fish you have ever eaten at any of a dozen fish restaurants along
the beach and you will probably be surprised at how inexpensive a plate of fish will cost if you have come from Athens or the Cyclades. Psaro-tavernas like The Blue Sardine, Soulatso, Aegeon, Karabogiannis and Adonis are among my favorites on the island and
they also serve grilled meat dishes. On weekend nights Nikos at Adonis may be roasting a whole lamb or some kontosouvli and even a row of lamb heads for those hard-core enough to eat them. And Kostas at the Blue Sardine is proud of his excellent pastes gavros,
lakerda and kollios, fresh barbounia, his selection of local ouzos and his excellent taste in music, notably the old rembetika songs he plays. His home-made tsipuro will knock your socks off when he serves you a small after dinner glass and then leaves the
karafe.
For those who want a change from Greek food there are a number of international cafe-restaurants on the beach including Flamingo Beach Bar which serves breakfast, lunch, dinner, and excellent coffee and of course cocktails.
