Tsamakia Beach, Mytilene, Lesvos: The €2 Municipal Blue Flag Beach Below the Largest Castle in the Mediterranean, Beside a Pine Grove That Was a WWII Execution Ground

Greece | Mytilene | Lesvos, Northeast Aegean Islands

The pine grove beside the beach is called Tsamakia — a small wood that has been part of Mytilene’s urban fabric for generations. A short section of its modern history is grim: the pine forest served as an execution ground for Greek resistance fighters during the Nazi occupation in WWII. The beach and the park carry this history quietly alongside the sunbeds and the beach volleyball court.

Tsamakia Beach is the municipal beach of Mytilene, the capital of Lesvos, and it is one of the few beaches in Greece with a fixed entry fee. The fee is between €1 and €2 depending on the season, and in return visitors get access to the sunbeds and umbrellas included in the price, along with clean changing cabins, showers, and the beach bar. The beach is roughly 500 metres long. Both the shoreline and the seabed are pebbles, and sea urchins are present along the rocky entry zone — the stairs and two piers that have been installed are the recommended access points.

The Mytilene Castle stands to the northwest. It is one of the largest castles in Europe — its walls visible from the water when you swim out from the piers. The structure was originally built in the 6th century, rebuilt by the Byzantines, the Genoese, and the Ottomans across successive occupations. Walking the castle walls takes the better part of an hour and the views over the harbour, the town, and the Turkish coast are extraordinary.

Getting There: 10 Minutes on Foot From the Harbour, Below the Castle Walls, Parking Near the Grove Entrance

From Sapfous Square at the central harbour, follow the coastal promenade east toward the castle. The walk is flat, shaded in places, and takes approximately 10 minutes. The beach is at the base of the castle promontory. A dedicated parking area serves the grove entrance for visitors arriving by car. By bicycle, the same coastal path works.

The Entry Fee and What It Includes: €1–2, Sunbeds and Umbrellas Included, Beach Bar Inside

The fee at the gate covers access to the beach plus a sunbed and umbrella — the pricing model is inclusive rather than the separate consumption model of most Greek beach bars. The €1–2 charge is the lowest beach entry fee of any organised beach with this level of infrastructure in the Aegean, and it is the reason the beach is consistently described as excellent value.

Inside, a beach bar serves coffee, snacks, and cocktails. The toilets are clean — multiple visitors specifically note this. A volleyball court and areas for beach rackets are in the facility.

The Seabed and Entry: Pebbles Throughout, Sea Urchins on the Shore, Use the Piers or Stairs

The shoreline is pebble, and sea urchins are present in the rocky zones near the entry. Using the stairs or the two jetties to enter the water rather than walking in from the shore is the specific advice that regular visitors provide. Once in the water and past the entry zone, conditions are good — the bay is protected and calm, the water clear, the pebble seabed visible below.

Water shoes are strongly recommended if you plan to enter from the natural shoreline rather than the piers.

The Castle: One of the Largest in Europe, 6th Century Origins, Free View From the Promenade

The Mytilene Castle is not small. The impression from the beach is of walls and towers at considerable height above the water — this is a fortress built over ten centuries by four different civilisations. Entrance to the castle is €3 via Mikras Asias street, and the interior has excavated remains from multiple occupation periods. The exterior walls and the lower castle sections are visible for free from the coastal promenade below.

The Ladadika District: Two Minutes From the Beach Exit, the Best Ouzeries in Mytilene

Two minutes from the beach exit is Ladadika, the old district of Mytilene known for its concentration of ouzeries and fish tavernas. The combination of a beach morning, a long lunch in Ladadika with Plomari Ouzo and grilled octopus, and a castle walk in the afternoon is the specific Mytilene day.

Tsamakia Beach in Mytilene, Lesvos is the €2 municipal Blue Flag pebble beach below one of Europe’s largest castles — the pine grove above served as a WWII Nazi execution ground for Greek resistance fighters, stairs and piers for sea entry (sea urchins on the natural shoreline), sunbeds and umbrellas included in the entry fee, clean toilets, beach bar, volleyball court, 10 minutes on foot from the central harbour, and the Ladadika ouzeries two minutes from the exit.

Walk from the harbour. Pay the €2. Use the pier.