Visitors say
Thank you very much. I really enjoyed my stay there. Nice and clean environment, great hospitality, just in the hearth of city. Everything was wonderful 🥰
Great Hostel and the staff are very helpful and kind. We had a great time. I recommend this place. Elena was really kind and helpful! Also very clean and nice lampshades
About
Archaia Issa, the remains of an ancient settlement nestled in the quiet landscape near the village of Parakoila, offers a window into the layered prehistoric and classical past of Lesvos. Though less celebrated than the island's five great ancient city-states — Mytilene, Methymna, Antissa, Eresos, and Pyrrha — Issa stands as evidence of how densely inhabited this fertile island was in antiquity. The site dates to periods stretching across the Bronze Age through the classical era, when the hills and coastal plains of Lesvos supported numerous communities engaged in agriculture, trade, and the rich cultural life for which the island became renowned throughout the ancient Greek world.
Visitors who make the short journey from Parakoila encounter the quiet dignity of an archaeological landscape where foundations, scattered stonework, and earthworks speak to a settlement that once held real significance for its inhabitants. The surrounding terrain — rolling hills overlooking the Gulf of Kalloni — gives a sense of why this location was chosen: good land, a commanding view, and proximity to the waterways that were the arteries of ancient trade. Potsherds and architectural traces found in the area suggest sustained occupation and the rhythms of ordinary ancient life rather than the monumental grandeur of a major city.
Archaia Issa rewards the curious traveler who is willing to engage with subtlety. There are no towering columns or grand temples here, but the site possesses an atmosphere of genuine antiquity, away from tourist crowds, in a landscape that has changed little in its essential character over millennia. Combined with a visit to the nearby village of Parakoila and the broader riches of the Kalloni basin, it makes for a quietly memorable encounter with the deep human history of Lesvos.
Before you go
What to expect
Standing among the scattered foundations and stonework on the hillside above the Gulf of Kalloni, you get a palpable sense of ordinary ancient life — not grand temples but the quiet evidence of people who farmed, traded, and built their days here across the Bronze Age and classical era. The terrain is open and largely unchanged, and the commanding view over the gulf makes it immediately clear why this rise was settled in the first place. Bring water and a willingness to look closely; the rewards are atmospheric rather than monumental.
Best time to visit
Spring (April to May) and early autumn (September to October) are ideal — the heat is manageable, the hillside vegetation is at its most inviting, and you will almost certainly have the site to yourself.
How to get there
From Mytilene, drive west toward Kalloni, a journey of roughly an hour; from there, Parakoila is a short further drive inland, and the ancient site lies in the open landscape just outside the village.
Details
Categories
Visitor Reviews
Kristin Kristin
March 2026
I have stayed at the ISSA Lesvos Hostel two times. Three nights in September 2025 and a month now in February 2026. There was not once a moment where I did not feel comfortable, welcomed or unpleasant. Not only was everything always very clean, modern and efficient - the receptionists (Tanya, Katharina and Elena) are so lovely and attentive! They all do such a great job and really care about the experience and comfortableness of their guests. With all three you can have such a great chat but after a conversation with Tanya your heart is full with laughter and light. Thank you guys for such a great time!:)
Ahmet Tuna Dönmez
February 2026
Thank you very much. I really enjoyed my stay there. Nice and clean environment, great hospitality, just in the hearth of city. Everything was wonderful 🥰
Laurence Phillips
January 2026
Great Hostel and the staff are very helpful and kind. We had a great time. I recommend this place. Elena was really kind and helpful! Also very clean and nice lampshades
Owner Response
We sincerely appreciate your kind words and look forward to welcoming you again, to ISSA Lesvos.
Meryn Karagiannis
November 2025
My family loved our stay at Issa Lesvos - Elena and the staff assisting with reception and room maintenance were so lovely and caring. Our trip to the beautiful and restful Mytilene was greatly complemented by the convenient location, amenities and general homely atmosphere of the building and rooms. We are incredibly keen to return and couldn’t have asked for a better experience during our first trip to Greece!
Owner Response
We are thrilled to receive your feedback and thank you for sharing the wonderful pictures. The team at ISSA Lesvos are very pleased to have met you all and would love to welcome you back.
Desi Kaiafas
November 2025
The premises is located in the most beautiful laneways of Mytilini. The room we stayed in aesthetically pleasing. The staff are extremely friendly and very helpful. We will definitely be returning in the near future.
Owner Response
We sincerely appreciate your kind words and look forward to your next visit. Thank you for choosing to stay at ISSA Lesvos.
Erik Stout
November 2025
Issa Lesvos was hands down one of the best hostels I have had the pleasure of experiencing during my two-years-plus travels. Spacious lounge (with free coffee and tea) and lockers that were accessible before check-in and after check-out; great and spacious room with big lockers (very nice) and good beds; nice breakfast at MK's; and very kind, helpful, and interested staff. If there is any small minus to find, it would be that the downstairs/outside music can be heard rather loud in the room I was staying in (but nothing that earplugs can't keep out). All in all a wonderful experience and highly recommended hostel 🙏😊
Owner Response
Thank you so much for your thoughtful and generous review. We are pleased to hear you enjoyed the comfort, amenities, and hospitality at ISSA Lesvos. Your note about the music is appreciated.<br>Wishing you many more memorable journeys ahead, and we hope to welcome you back to ISSA Lesvos.
κωστας σιδηροπουλος
November 2025
Convenient and relaxing hostel with high quality of services. Central location (less than 1 min from central square), immediate response to client's requests and nice decorated space. Highly promote the specific hostel for visitors.
Owner Response
Thank you for the fantastic feedback and review. It was pleasure to meet you and we look forward to your next stay at ISSA Lesvos
Afroditi Mathioudaki
November 2025
I had an excellent time at ISSA in early November! The rooms and common areas were very nice and well organized and equipped and the staff were really friendly and helpful with everything I needed. It can be noisy during the night on weekends and holidays so earplugs come handy:) totally recommended!!
Owner Response
Thank you so much for your kind words and thoughtful feedback. We are very pleased to hear you enjoyed your stay at ISSA Lesvos. Your note about weekend noise is helpful as we strive to find solutions to elements that are out of our control. Earplugs are indeed a handy tip. We hope to welcome you back again soon to ISSA Lesvos.
Olivia Brophy
October 2025
I loved my stay at ISSA Lesvos! Every member of the staff was friendly, helpful, and accommodating of my rather unorthodox schedule. I've already recommended the hostel to friends and look forward to my next visit! Σας ευχαριστώ!
Owner Response
We are absolutely thrilled to receive this review. Thank you and we look forward to welcoming you back to ISSA Lesvos.
Ruth Roberts
October 2025
Probably the best hostel I’ve ever stayed at. Staff were friendly and helpful. Location was great. Room was big and clean and new. The breakfast was a voucher for a local cafe which was also 10/10. Can’t recommend enough.
Owner Response
We sincerely appreciate this awesome review. Thank you very much.
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