Lesbos, known as Lesvos by the Greeks, is a beloved island visited by many tourists, both Greeks and non-Greeks. The capital of Lesbos is Mytilene, a traditional city where centuries-old customs and traditions are well preserved. Lesbos is a popular holiday island with a great deal of charm. It is the third-largest island in Greece, after Crete and Evia, and has an area of 1,630 km². Lesbos is located in the Sporades Islands, north of the island of Chios. This is approximately three hundred kilometers from Piraeus (the port city near Athens) and very close to the Turkish coast. The two large bays give the island its unique shape. The island is 70 kilometers long, 45 kilometers wide, and has a circumference of 320 kilometers.

Lesbos has much to offer, even for the most demanding tourist: a rich history, traditional houses and buildings, picturesque villages, interesting monuments, beautiful churches and monasteries, valuable museums, other sights, and excellent hotels and apartments. The nature and landscape on Lesbos are truly magnificent and extremely diverse: green landscapes, barren mountain ranges, pine and oak forests, mountains and hills interspersed with green plains and valleys, stunning bays, plane tree forests, vast olive groves, hot springs, protected nature reserves and biotopes.

Camp Mavrovouni (popularly known as Moria 2.0)

Lesbos is home to a large number of refugees from the Middle East and Africa. They have been staying in the Mavrovouni refugee camp on Lesbos for months, waiting for their asylum applications to be processed. The wait is long, and their situation is dire.

As a volunteer, you'll work in a refugee camp under the auspices of Eurorelief, alongside volunteers from around the world. Men, women, and children live in this refugee camp. All Eurorelief activities care for these people. You'll contribute to this by meeting and talking with refugees during your work. You'll actively contribute to distributing relief supplies, running the food line, assisting with English lessons and outreach, helping with the daily diaper distribution, and answering questions at the information point.

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The journey

We'll form a group of up to 10 people. You'll all depart from Schiphol on the same date. You'll meet at the information afternoon at the CRR office, which will take place approximately two weeks before departure.

You'll be staying in the beautiful apartment complex 'Victoria Studios' in Panagiouda, a small, charming village where you can walk to the bakery to get coffee and fresh bread rolls every day from the two sisters.

Mountain bikes are available so you can cycle to work every day or explore the island. Not enough mountain bikes? No problem, it's a 20-minute walk to the camp, so you can enjoy the sunrise in the morning. One or two cars are also available per group, depending on the size of the group.

The cost of a six-week mission is €2150, including airfare, accommodation, travel insurance, and transportation on the island. The travel price is subject to airfare increases. Food and drinks are not included. You must apply for a Certificate of Good Conduct (VOG) for the work; these costs are the responsibility of the traveler. Missions to Lesbos are for a minimum of four weeks.

Download the Lesbos mission guide for more information.

Planned trips

2026

February 9 – March 23 | 6 weeks

March 23 – May 4 | 6 weeks

May 4 – June 15 | 6 weeks

June 15 – July 27 | 6 weeks

July 27 – September 7 | 6 weeks

September 7 - October 19 | 6 weeks

October 19 – November 30 | 6 weeks

November 30 – January 11 | 6 weeks