LESVOS or LESBOS lies among the north-eastern Aegean islands and close to the Turkish mainland. Lesvos is relatively isolated from other Greek islands with the nearest of any note, Chios to the south and Limnos to the north, both some distance away.
Big and beautiful, Lesvos is the third largest Greek island after Crete and Evia and has, in parts at least, had its arms stretched wide to embrace the package tourist market.
Lesvos also has its own airport that can take regular charter flights so the island doesn't have to rely on ferries to bring in the business.
Although the impact of tourism is evident on Lesvos. it does not dominate and the production of olive oil and ouzo are still the most important commodities in the local economy.
The Lesvos islanders also have a proud identity marked by long cultural traditions and that has helped temper the more downmarket demands of package holiday tourists.
For the visitor, the attractions of Lesvos may not be as many, nor the landscape as lovely, as some other Greek islands but Lesvos is still quietly impressive, especially for those who like to experience the more provincial side of Greek life. The main tourist attractions of Lesvos are the impressively varied landscape, the quaint hill villages and some splendid beaches.
It being such a large island, Lesvos demands both time and transport for a full appreciation. Resorts are scattered widely and some overland road links can be bad enough to trouble a car's suspension While little on Lesvos stands out, this eclectic island has hidden treasures. There are wonderful beaches, fascinating villages and interesting towns, although it requires journeys past endless tracts of olive groves to savour some of them. The huge variety of flora and fauna on Lesvos is a magnet for botanists and for bird watchers, especially in the spring and during migration seasons when many birds rest in the Lesvos wetlands. Many visitors to Lesvos come for a dip in one of the many healing hot water springs that are found at several resorts across the island.
Lesvos' Mytilini airport takes European charter flights throughout the summer and daily domestic flights from both Athens and Thessaloniki all year round.
Daily ferries arrive from Piraeus (Athens) and there are regular sailings to Thessaloniki, and the Cyclades and Dodecanese islands as well as to Turkey.
Lesvos has good bus services between the main resorts but the island is large and journey times can be long.
The most popular tourist beaches are concentrated on the north coast, to the south of Molyvos with several other isolated resorts on the south coast.
Lesvos beaches tend to be large and flat, sometimes extending for several kilometres. Small coves can be found but are often isolated and without facilities.
Several beach resorts have hot thermal springs with medicinal properties and bath houses have been built around them.
Lesvos is the third largest Greek island at 1,630 sq km and a 320 km coastline with two very large bays at Kalloni and Geras.
It lies off the Turkish coast and two mountains, north and south, dominate the interior while coastal areas are flat plains or rolling hills.
About 90,600 people live on Lesvos and abundant springs and winter rains keep the island well supplied with water throughout the long, hot summers.
