View Larger Map
The Municipality of Petra occupies the northwestern part of the islannd of Lesvos. It includes the villages of Petra, Skoutaro, Slipsi, Lafiona, Ypsilometopo and the settlements of Anaxos and Petri. The area is truly blessed, harmoniously combining unsurpassed natural beauty elements and archaeological and cultural monuments:
Olive tree groves and pine forests, oak and cypress trees, as well as fruit-tree orchards, traditional stone-house mountain villages with running water and plenty of greenery, but also contemporary coastal resort towns lined with splendid sweeps of sandy beaches.
Petra, the seat of the Municipality, is located at approximately 55 kilometers from Mytilene. the capital of the prefecture. Spreading lazily along a green valley, it is located on a coast lined by a splendid sandy beach. The town is dominated by the rock of Panagia Glykofitoussa, the "hanging cliff" of the island, rising at approximately 40 metres with a flight of 114 steps on its northern side.
The early 20th century well-preserved neoclassic mansions lend their own personality to the traditional settlement of Petra, sporting spacious green courtyards, intricate balcony railings and artful iron gates complete with old fashioned door-knockers.
Today, all traditional trades find support at the Municipality of Petra. fishing, cattle raising. gardening and bee-keeping are kept alive and active. The municipality boasts top-notch services and its tourist enterprises rank among the most modern and best organised in Greece.
Opposite from Petra rise the rock-islands of Ai-Giorgis, Glaronissi and Myrmigi, that have been proclaimed by the Regional Authority of the North Aegean "protected area of wild bird fauna". They operate as ecological observatories and are included in the NATURA (SPA) areas.
The ecological path Klapados - Lafiona -Ag.Alexandros starts right after Kalloni, located within the municipality of Petra. The view along the path is unique, offering distant forest-filtered views of the coastline and the villages on the northern part of the island. The watermills at the valley of Ligona (a unique geological sight) constitute a monument of the former rural and industrial period.
The archaeological and cultural monuments of the area, its churches and buildings of exceptional architecture (one of them is the Vareltzidaina mansion-house), the protected "natural wild life parks", the new ecological and nature paths, the traditional settlements and the magnificent sunsets are a unique experience for visitors.