INTRODUCTION

Lesvos (or Lesbos) lies between Chios and Limnos right off the Turkish coast and is the third largest island in Greece behind Crete and Evvoia. It has an area of 1,630 sq km, a coastline of 370km and a population of approximately 108,000 about a third of which live in the capital city Mytilini, located in the southeastern part of the island. The remaining population is distributed in small towns and villages. The largest towns on Lesvos are Kalloni, Plomari, Agiassos, Eressos, and Molyvos (known also as Mithymna). Lesvos lies 188 nautical miles from Piraeus. Together with the islands of Lemnos, Agios Efstratios and the islets around them, it belongs to the Prefecture of Lesvos.

The greatest part of the island proves a thriving ground for olive groves, while pine forests occupy a large area in the center. In the west the landscape is more ascetic, scattered with acorns and rocky mountain ranges. The two gulfs, Gera and Kalloni, add to Lesvos’ distinctive shape and at the same time penetrate the interior of the island so that no part of it is farther than a few miles from the sea.

There are small but fertile plains in the regions of Kalloni, Gera, Ippios and Eressos. Small valleys and springs, mountain ranges and beaches –both sandy and pebble- conveying an image of island and mainland at the same time, form a landscape which at every turn resounds with the Aegean, with Greece.

The ‘eco- tourist paths’ lead a traveler on a course of discovery into the uniqueness of the Lesvian landscape and the aesthetic pleasure of contact with the beauty of Lesvos’ natural environment.

The flora and fauna of the island are extremely rich. The climate of Lesvos is mild and healthy as the winter is warm and the sun shines throughout the year. Nature has generously and beneficially endowed it with fertility and beauty. In the western part of the island is the world’s second largest petrified forest of Sequoia trees.

A traveler can discover picturesque villages, points of breathtaking view, charming cafes and little churches, refreshing deep springs and a rich abundance of rare plants and wild flowers (such as orchids). In the Spring you can see an incredible display of wild birds as Lesvos is a main stop in the migration routes for European birds coming from Africa and has also an amazing variety of local birds. In fact anyone who visits Lesvos, apart from its beautiful and lush natural environment, which unfolds amidst a backdrop of green and blue, its religious and archaeological monuments, the medieval castles, the scenic harbors, the museums and monasteries, the unique Hot Springs, and the simplicity of local life, has endless choice about how to spend their holiday.

Lesvos is known for the production of, and the exceptionally high quality of, its olive oil, olives and cheese. It is also known for its ouzo, its salted fishes such as the sardines caught at Kalloni Bay, and its folk art items such as ceramics, woodcarvings and woven fabrics.

The island is the birthplace of some famous people of art and literature like the philosopher Theofrastos, the musicians Arion, Sappho and Alkaio, Pittako one of the seven wise men whose face was imprinted in many coins, and finally, the great painter Theofilos, the Nobel prize winner Elitis and some other who made history in their own way.

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