After I arrive in Lesbos (from Ayvalik) I have one week before I need to be in Athens.
What do the experts recommend? Spend it all in Lesbos or combine it with other islands (in which case which ones?). From looking at GTP there are limited choices of onward ferries from Lesbos unless there are some hidden ones.
Any ideas/advice welcome.
Thanks

Spend it all on Lesvos, it's a large island. We stayed in 3 different locations over 11 nights & had a car, still a lot we haven't seen!
The island is very diverse, very green between the 2 gulfs & extremely barren on the far west.
Some photos from all across the island,
http://www.flickr.com/photos/yiassas...7625192196112/

Lesbos is a very big island and there is a lot to see....
You will need a car to visit all the nice places.
Best place to stay is Molyvos in the north ( or Mithymna, on some maps you will find it under it's official name). Molyvos is one of the most beautiful greek villages i have ever seen.
There are a lot of nice beaches nearby, like Anaxos and Petra, many good restaurants and tavernas, and prices are still reasonable, compared to other Greek islands.
Other points you should visit are:
1. Eressos and Sigri in the eastern part ( aprx. 80 km one way from Molyvos)
2. Plomari in the south, a very pittoresque small city famous for it's ouzo
3. Agiassos and Vatera in the South, a beautiful typical lesbian village ( Agiassos) and a wonderful very long beach
4. Mytilini, the capital of the island, a very vibrant beautiful city.
If you think 1 week is too long, you can always combine Lesbos with the neighbouring island of Chios, boats to Piraeus stop in Chios too ( 1 hour away from Lesbos)

Thanks for the info.
I don't drive: will it be possible to get about by bus?
Which parts of Lesbos are full of package holiday tourists?

Bus service is limited, apart from the frequent summer bus that runs from Eftalou to Anaxos, via Molyvos & Petra.
There is no heavy package tourism on Lesvos, the majority of accommodation on offer for the Brits is in Anaxos & Petra. Petra is still worth a visit though, I personally wouldn't bother with Anaxos, it's only a resort. Although busy with tourists, don't miss Molyvos, it gets visited for a reason! History, castle & winding maze of cobblestone lanes.
Some package tourism in Skala Eressos, Vatera & Skala Kalloni, but nothing on the scale of most islands. Everywhere will be busier mid July-approx 20th August with Greeks on holiday, the peak being around 15th Augast, the main summer bank (& religious)holiday date.
When are you going?

I'll be there first week of June.
Any recommendations for places to stay?
No cruise ships??

Lesbos is still a Greek island with less tourists compared to other islands.
I would recommend Hotel Olive Press in Molyvos, located right on the sea, and next to the small beach of Molyvos.
The beginning of June will be absolutely out of season, and hotel prices will be still low.
A car will be needed to visit all the nice places, remember this is the 3rd largest greek island after Crete and Euboia....
As far as i can recall there are no cruise ships, as you imagine them on the island. If you stay in Molyvos, there is a very good travel agency,COM , where Achilles, the owner and Dorris, his austrian wife can help you with practical tips. They can also inform you about organized boat or bus trips

The locals will look at you funny if you say LesBos. There is no hard B in the Greek language. Say LesVos instead.

no one will look funny at a foreigner who says Lesbos, as this is the name of the island in all foreign languages....
and as a Greek i say that B in Greek consists of m + p that is being pronounced exactly like B..
a small example : μπλε ble = blue or εμπειρία empiria experience

I get what you are saying, clausar, but in Greek the island is spelled Λεσβος, and doesn't have the diphthong μπ for 'b'. I am not a Greek speaker, but understand that the Greek letter β is pronounced as 'v' in English. Example: ταβερνα in Greek, or taverna in English. Therefore Lesbos would be pronounced 'Lesvos'. I am happy to be corrected if wrong.

I have always called it Lesvos, as in Greek it is written ΛΕΣΒΟΣ, so why translate it as a B sound when it's a V? Regardless, most Greeks call it Mytilene anyway!
Back to the questions, no, no cruise ships.
I would also say spend at least some of your nights in Molyvos, loads to explore & you can take advantage of the Eftalou-Anaxos coastal bus.
I would consider 2 or 3 of the nights on a different part of the island if possible. Where depends on what you want while you're there. Beaches important at all? Quiet & peaceful? A couple of nights in Mytilene itself to visit the castle (it covers a huge area & 3 main eras) & the older backstreets, or sit by the harbour?
The time of year will have a bearing on the best choices for these.
Olive Press in Molyvos is a good choice, but only if you book a sea front room, some of the ones on the back get the noise from mopeds etc in high season as they back directly on to the small road behind.
http://www.olivepress-hotel.com/
Another choice at the opposite end, right on the harbour, would be the Sea Horse Hotel,
http://www.seahorse-hotel.com/
We stayed almost next door in small rooms & it was ideal for watching the comings & goings of the fishermen, lots of choice for eating & drinking around the harbour too.

This is great. Thanks everyone.
I think I'll do a couple of days in Mytilene then head for Molyvos on the bus. Have found bus timetables. Beach, people-watching and eating and drinking around the harbour are definitely on the list. Tell me about the small rooms next to the Sea Horse yiassas. Maybe a bus to another part of the island if it can be done easily. Then back to Mytilene for my overnight ferry to Piraeus

Sea Melody rooms,
http://www.seamelodyrooms-molivos.com/
In my photo link earlier there some photos taken from our balcony. Make sure you ask for a harbour view room, there are only about 7 rooms in total, most on the front. Also say you don't want the the one on the far left as you go up the stairs (if in high season) as it is next to Molly's Bar & there could be quite a bit of noise. It wasn't a problem when we were there as it was early October.
The rooms are small, but comfortable. There is a fridge & hairdryer too. The Sea Horse Hotel is not very big either, so still an option & it's somewhere I would be happy to stay.

BTW, not much beach to speak of in Molyvos itself, but that's what the coastal bus is for if you want a lazy day on the beach!