Skala Eresou (), also

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as Skala Eressou, is a seaside village on the island of Lesbos,

Greece Greece, officially the Hellenic Republic, is a country in Southeast Europe. Located on the southern tip of the Balkan peninsula, it shares land borders with Albania to the northwest, North Macedonia and Bulgaria to the north, and Turkey to th ...

, as a part of the community of Eresos. Since the 1980s, it has become a popular destination for

lesbian A lesbian is a homosexual woman or girl. The word is also used for women in relation to their sexual identity or sexual behavior, regardless of sexual orientation, or as an adjective to characterize or associate nouns with female homosexu ...

tourists.

Etymology

The name "Skala Eresou" has the meaning of "the pier of Eresos" literally. The word "skala" can also have the meaning of "ladder".

Overview

The village has two access roads, one from the north and one from the west. Both lead towards the central square, which is paved with flagstones, but due to the one-way system, vehicle access is restricted. On the outskirts of the village, there are several large car parks. The volcanic character of the west side of Lesbos is shown in the dark grey color of the beach, which extends for almost three kilometers from a small harbour in the east to the headland in the west. In 2006, the beach of Skala Eresou was awarded the Blue Flag, for the cleanliness of its waters and its beach. There are many small family hotels and self-catering apartments for rent within the village or on the outskirts. There is also a dispensary, a pharmacy, a large number of restaurants and bars with several tourist offices. Every summer, Eresos has a large number of visitors, both Greeks and foreigners. Many

women visit Skala Eresou in order to visit the birthplace of Sappho. The village hosts alternative events throughout the summer, including tai chi lessons, reiki, shiatsu or ayurvedic massage. A "women festival" takes place in Skala Eresou every September. Daily buses run in the summer and the village can be reached by taxis from the airport or the port of

Mytilene Mytilene (; ) is the capital city, capital of the Greece, Greek island of Lesbos, and its port. It is also the capital and administrative center of the North Aegean Region, and hosts the headquarters of the University of the Aegean. It was fo ...

for around 100

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Famous people

The town is famed for being the birthplace of Sappho, the legendary lyric poet also called the "Tenth Muse." Skala Eresou was also the home for the ancient Greek philosopher Phanias, who was a pupil of

Aristotle Aristotle (; 384–322 BC) was an Ancient Greek philosophy, Ancient Greek philosopher and polymath. His writings cover a broad range of subjects spanning the natural sciences, philosophy, linguistics, economics, politics, psychology, a ...

, and of

Theophrastus Theophrastus (; ; c. 371 – c. 287 BC) was an ancient Greek Philosophy, philosopher and Natural history, naturalist. A native of Eresos in Lesbos, he was Aristotle's close colleague and successor as head of the Lyceum (classical), Lyceum, the ...

, the father of classical botany. The ancient city walls are still visible from when it was an important trading centre.

References

{{coord, 39, 08, N, 25, 56, E, region:GR_type:city_source:enwiki-GNS, display=title Populated places in Lesbos West Lesbos