Petra & Anaxos

Petra

Approaching from the airport and the south of the island, your first glimpse
 of the northern coastline of Lesvos will come as the road crosses the ridge
 at the western end of Lepetimnos and begins to descend through the hairpin bends
 towards the coastal plain. In the centre of the view is Petra, dominated by
 the 100ft rock after which it is named, with the church
 of Panagia Glykofilousa (Our Lady of the Sweet Kiss)
 on its summit.

Situated at the end of a long sandy beach,
 on a wide plain and with no known archaeological relics
 to disrupt development, Petra has taken over from
 Molivos as the beach resort of the area. The original village is clustered around
 the foot of the rock, but unlike Molivos  it has been possible to build new hotels
 and apartments nearby so that both the beach and the centre are usually within
 easy level walking distance.

There are only three 'must-sees':-
 Climb up the rock for a 360° view of the village and its surroundings
 (as all the guide books will tell you, there are 114 steps, though on a hot afternoon it
 feels like more). The original church was built in 1609 and has the inevitable legend
 attached involving seamen and mystical signs. The existing one is a 1747 building,
 renovated in 1840.
 More interesting is the 17th century basilica (possibly the surviving part of an older
 church) of Agios Nikolaos, near the foot of the rock on the way back to the sea.
 It sits low and unassuming in a shady courtyard under an enormous old plane tree,
 but inside the walls are covered with frescoes, and there is also a notable
 carved screen and bishop's throne.
 Finally (and to my secular taste most interesting of all) the Vareltzidiana Mansion
 is an 18th century merchant's house which has been restored and furnished
 in its original style. It is open to the public, with guides to explain the layout
 and the way of life of the first occupants.

Then you can sit in one of the tavernas in the sea front square and watch
 the line fishermen on the jetty opposite, who may be catching your dinner.
 (Petra's fishing harbour is at a modern wharf at the foot of the hill towards Molivos,
 where small coastal cargo ships also load and unload building materials
 and salt from Kalloni)

Anaxos

In the next bay to the west of Petra, Anaxos has grown up purely as a beach resort.
 The mile-long sandy beach is lined with bars and tavernas:
  behind them the hotels and apartments lead up to the road from Petra,
 which itself continues two miles uphill to the hill village of Skoutaros,
 and on to the west of Lesvos.

Anaxos was once, in effect, the 'skala' of Skoutaros (it is still called 'Anaxos Skoutarou' on some maps); now the mini-markets, gift shops, and car and bike hire agencies
 are solely devoted to tourism.

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