Thinking of booking a trip to Anaxos on Lesvos? Here’s what to expect from this laid-back little beach resort.
Where is it?
Anaxos (also known as Anaxos Skoutarou) is on the north coast of Lesvos, just west of Petra and Molyvos.
What’s the vibe like?
Along with Petra and Molyvos, Anaxos makes up the main tourist area on Lesvos. It’s a small and simple beach resort with traditional charms and a package tourism presence. It’s also popular with locals, especially multi-generational families.
Anaxos is a 5-minute drive along the coast from Petra. The beach is roughly half as long and it’s much smaller. It doesn’t have an old town like Petra, or anywhere like the number of businesses. The roads here are calm.
But it does have a similarly wide beach lined with trees and easy-going tavernas right by the sands. If your idea of a good holiday is sunbathing and meandering up and down between cafes and restaurants then Anaxos is ideal.
There are a few cocktail bars and AZUL Paraiso in particular was lively and packed with young Europeans when I visited. A couple of the bars show sports and have international food but the vibe along most of the beach is traditional family-friendly/Greek and at most of the establishments you won’t be subject to loud music.
At the south end of the beach is boho beach bar The Coast which has a few cabanas. There isn’t much beyond Akrogriali Taverna except agricultural land and an empty hotel.
What’s the beach like?
Anaxos Beach has half a kilometre of medium-dark sand coarse sand. Lesvos has a mix of rock thanks to its volcanic geology and this is reflected in the sand which sometimes look golden, sometimes red, and sometimes grey depending on the light.
It shelves relatively steeply once you enter the water, but unlike the beaches at Petra and Molyvos it doesn’t have pebbles so it’s slightly easier to get in and out. The sea bed is sandy but there is some seagrass in parts.
There are organised areas with sunloungers that belong to the adjoining businesses and are free to customers.
But the beach isn’t uncomfortably packed with sun loungers and has plenty of free sections if you prefer to bring your own towel and umbrella.
The Molyvos-Petra-Anaxos faces north west and tends to get consistent cooling winds in the summer, especially in the afternoon. The sea is calmest in the morning.
Activities and amenities
Anaxos is pretty small so don’t expect a wealth of entertainment. There is a watersports operator in the middle of the beach though, offering inflatables and kayaks as well as high-octane stuff like wakeboarding. Don’t worry about constant speedboats interrupting your relaxation though, I saw only one person on a pedalo and the occasional banana boat.
There are plenty of hiking trails in the wider area including one along the coast to the next beach along, Ampelia.
If you like to take lots of excursions and boat trips you might be better off in Petra. There is no tour agency here (that I could find), and there is no harbour for boat pickups.
I suggest getting in touch with Petra Tours in Petra to see if any of the activities offer Anaxos pickups (be aware that not all bus tours are in English, some are in Dutch or French).
The boat trips in the area are on the Mercury Express or glass-bottomed Calypso. They leave from Molyvos and pick up in Petra, so you’ll need to make your own way there but I took a few of these trips on Mercury and highly recommend them.
On the main road behind the village you’ll find a few car rental places and bakeries, and there are a few small mini markets dotted around.
Transport and accessibility
Public bus service KTEL Lesvos links Anaxos with Molyvos and Petra as well as across the island to Kalloni and Mytilini. Timetables are geared towards locals and aren’t hugely frequent (and they don’t run in the evening), so you’re likely to end up using taxis too. Petra is a 5-minute drive and Molyvos is 15-minute drive which should be €12-15.
It takes longer than you might think to walk to the central part of Petra – around 40 minutes, and it’s not flat. Renting an e-bike would be ideal, you can rent them from Kosmos in Molyvos.
There’s a tourist train that travels between Molyvos, Petra and Anaxos several times a day. You can either buy a one-way ticket (€6) or an unlimited day ticket (€9) – check the website for more information.
I think an e-bike would be perfect for this area. You can rent them from Kosmos in Molyvos which is near the bus station.
There’s a free car park behind the beach, this is also the departure for the tourist train. Plenty also park along the beach road.
From the airport:
It takes around 1 hour to drive to Molyvos from Mytilini International Airport (or Mytilini port).
It’s worth noting that if you’re taking an included bus transfer with Jet2 expect it to take a bit longer as it goes through Skalla Kallonis first.
An airport transfer to Anaxos is around €60.
Public transport:
There is a bus to Anaxos from the KTEL bus station in Mytilini, it takes 1.5 hours. You can find bus times on the KTEL Lesvos website.
For more information see Getting Around Lesvos By Bus.
Accessibility:
Anaxos is almost entirely flat (unless you’re staying up on the headland at the north end of the beach).
The main car park is just over the road from the beach. No steps are required to access the beach (except maybe from some of the cafe platforms) and there are some boardwalks and changing rooms for wheelchairs but no access aid (the nearest ones are at Petra and Delfinia Beach near Molyvos).
Prices
Accommodation and food/drink prices in Anaxos are on the cheaper side compared to most islands with international tourism, some of which have seen huge rises in the past 2 years. Even better when you factor in the free sun loungers.
Hotels/studios are small and traditional. The prices are cheaper than Molyvos. Some have pools and a snack bar.
Where to stay
Flights to Lesvos can be pricier than other islands so it’s worth checking out package deals with Jet2 (although some hotels have an extra charge for A/C if you book through a tour operator so it’s worth checking and factoring this into price comparisons).
Accommodation in Anaxos is mostly 2 and 3-star hotels, usually with plenty of space for lush gardens. Here are 3 that have a pool too:
If you don’t mind a steep walk, up on the headland to the north is a cluster of stylish villas and apartments with great views and infinity pools at Little Bird Lesvos and Eleia Seafront Villas.
Read more:
Where to Stay on Lesvos: Beach Resort Guide
How to Get Around Lesvos By Bus
A Quick Guide to Skala Eressos
Image credits: All images © The Mediterranean Traveller