Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
well-restored nineteenth-century building has somewhat
small a/c doubles with cheerfully hued m
ode
rn furnishings.
Some balconies; lift; breakfast included.
€50
Pyrgos
W
pyrgoshotel.gr.
Premier in-town restoration, with
utterly over-the-top kitsch decor in the common areas. Most
rooms have a balcony, some h
ave b
ath tubs and there are
three round units in the tower.
€100
9
Eleftheríou Venizélou 49
T
22510 25069,
EATING, DRINKING AND NIGHTLIFE
The trendy northeast quay is the main venue for buzzing café-bars. The summer
cinema
, Pallas, is on Vournázon near the
park; the winter cinema, Arion, is near the KTEL.
Averoff
Koundouriótou 33
T
22510 22180.
Its handy
location on the west quay makes this old-fashioned
estiatório
a popular venue for
mayireftá
(including early-
morning
patsás
). Most dishes €5-8.
Daily 6am-11pm.
Ì
Ermis
Ermoú, Epáno Skála
T
22510 26232.
Best-
value, and friendliest, of the ouzerís in this district.
Belle
époque
decor (panelled ceiling, giant mirrors, faded oil
paintings) inside and a pleasant courtyard. Best check what
the “crap salad” involves though.
Daily noon-2am.
Hott Spott
Koundouriótou 63
T
22510 22200.
Named
after its wi-fi connection, this perennially popular hangout
also offers flashing pop videos and increasing volume as
the night wears on.
Daily 10am-2am.
Kalderimi
Thássou 2
T
22510 46577.
One of the few
surviving bazaar ouzerís, occupying three picturesque
buildings with seating under the shade of vines; the food is
abundant if a bit plainly presented.
Mon-Sat 11am-2am,
Sun 11am-4pm.
Monkey Bar
Koundouriótou 57
T
22510 37717.
A
favourite meeting place for students and townies alike,
where fashionably dressed waitresses ferry high-quality
coffees and elaborate cocktails to their equally trendy
customers.
Daily 10am-3am.
Pirasmos
Fanári quay
T
22510 54970.
Better value
than the fish tavernas surrounding it, this unpretentious
grill house specializes in delicious meat such as
kondosoúvli
and
kokorétsi
, as well as simple salads and starters.
Daily
1pm-1am.
Around Mytilíni
The road heading
north
from Mytilíni towards Mandamádhos follows a rather
nondescript coastline, but offers startling views across the straits to Turkey. South of the
capital, there are two fine museums at
Variá
and a couple of decent beaches further
down the peninsula.
Paralía Thermís
Just 500m beyond Pýrgi Thermís, at
PARALÍA THERMÍS
, the Roman/Byzantine
hammam
has been allowed to decay in favour of an ugly, sterile modern facility
adjacent, though it still supplies the hot water, and you can stick your head in to
admire the vaulted brickwork. At 12km, you're a bit far from town, but there is a
decent accommodation option here.
Loutrá Yéras
Baths daily: April-May & Oct 8am-6pm; June-Sept 8am-7pm; Nov-March 9am-5pm • €3
For a lovely warm bath near Mytilíni, make for
Loutrá Yéras
, 8km along the main road
to Kalloní. These
public baths
are just the thing if you've spent a sleepless night on a
ferry, with two ornate spouts that feed 38°C water to marble-lined pools in vaulted
chambers; there are separate facilities for men and women (the ladies' pool is a tad
smaller but has lovely masonry), and skinny-dipping is, unexpectedly in prudish
Greece, obligatory.
If you take the more northerly route via Mória to Loutrá Yéras, you will pass close by
the impressive remains of a second-century
Roman aqueduct
, signposted down a fertile
valley.
Variá
Accessible by hourly buses
The most rewarding sights to be visited near Mytilíni are a pair of museums at
VARIÁ
,
5km south of town, which between them hold much of the island's artistic legacy.
