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About Lesvos (Lesbos)
island:
Lesvos (or Lesbos) is the third largest island of Greece and has a
long history that goes back more than 3.000 years. It has been the
birthplace of famous people, such as the poets Sappho and Alcaeos,
Arion the Guitarist, and Pittacus, one of the seven wise men of
ancient Greece. A tradition that even continues today and gives
the island that distinctive atmosphere which makes it so different
from the rest.
Sappho's reputation as a lover of her own sex, has given
the word "Lesbian" an international currency. Her
reputation is based on some of the fragments of her poetry: "I
was in love with you once, Atthis, long ago..."
Rich in olives and fish, the island has an economic
balance rare in the Aegean and because of its relative prosperity
the island is very easy for travelers to reach even in the quiet
months of winter. By air, one can get to Lesvos from Athens five
times a day and from Salonica seven times a week. By Ferry-boat,
one can reach Lesvos every day from Piraeus, and from Salonica on
a less frequent schedule.
Mytilene is the capital of the island and has a
population of 30,000 people. This is about one third of the total
population of the island. It is built amphitheatrically around its
well preserved Byzantine Castle. Not very far from there, on the
north-east side of town, one can find the Hellenistic Theatre with
its superb acoustics and capacity of 10,000 people. Further in the
suburb of Varia one can visit the Theophilos Museum.
Twelve kilometers from Mytilene, near the town of Moria,
one can visit the Roman Aqueduct that was built in the second
century AD.
Going further up north by the east coast, thru a series of
beautiful little villages one will arrive in the town of
Mantamados, famous for its cheeses and the fine pottery. The next
stop will be Skala Sikaminias, one of the most charming fishing
villages one would ever see.
And then, at the northest point of the island one will
find the picturesque village of Mithymna (also known as Molivos),
with its mediaeval castle and the traditional architecture.
Molivos is also the islands best known resort. By some it has been
called "the closed place to paradise, on earth". The
association with Arts is appropriate enough, for it was here in
Mithymna that the head of Orpheus is said to have been washed
ashore after his dismemberment of the Thracian women. Another
mythical citizen of Mithymna was the lyric poet and musician
Arion. It has been said that he has been saved by the music-loving
dolphin.
Only a short distance of 5 Km SW of Molivos the village
of Petra can be found. Petra has one of the best sandy beaches of
the island.
Again further south the village of Agia Paraskevi is situated.
This village has a lot of old mansions and is known for the Bull
Festival that has been celebrated since more than two hundred
years.
Near the village lay ruins of an ancient temple of Napaios Apollo
and the ruins of an Ionian temple dated from the 3rd century BC.
This temple was dedicated to Zeus, Hera and Dionysos.
In the island's center, not far from Agia Paraskevi, lays
the modern town Kalloni. It is famous for its sardines which are
caught in the nearby bay called the Gulf of Kalloni. On this gulf
one will also find the popular summer resort Skala Kalloni with
its beautiful sandy beaches.
Also near the center of the island another well known town is
Agiassos. This town is famous for its pottery. Going further south
again we reach the towns of Plomari and Vatera which have the most
superb beaches of the island.
At the western tip of Lesvos, Sigri is a pretty fishing
village with a nice little beach and a castle that goes back to
the 18th century. Not far from there lies the Petrified Forest,
dating back fifteen million years.
Finally, not far from Sigri, one will find the town of
Eressos. Eressos has been the birth place of Sappho and
Theoprastos. Its port, Skala Eressos, is a famous resort with a
magnificent beach.
Lesvos, as it can be seen from its
classical history, its abundance of poets, musicians,
philosophers and lawgivers, was one of the great cultural
centers of the Greek world.
It was second perhaps only to Athens, in its influence if not in
its power.
As a place for a holiday, for a rest or for quiet work, Lesvos
is HARD to BETTER.
It is big enough to permit that change of scene so necessary if
one is to avoid "island claustrophobia".
It has a further advantage that it is easy from here to organize
a trip to visit Troy or to explore the coastline of ancient
Ionia.
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ABOUT LESVOS ISLAND
EVRIDIKI
Studios - Petra,
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