Lying close to the coast of Turkey, Lesvos is 70 wide by 45 km long, with an area of 1,630 sq. km. Lesvos island has two large narrow necked bays in the south at Kalloni and Geras. Abundant springs and tidal river mouths ensure that some parts of Lesvos remain wet even in high summer and the two large salt pans in Kalloni Bay at Kalloni and Polichnitos attract many birds.
Much of the coastal area of Lesvos is flat scrub, with the main marshes and flatlands found around Kalloni, in the south, and Sigri, in the west. The hilliest areas are found in the north around Molyvos and to the south-east above the Gulf of Gera. Lesvos island uplands are cloaked in pines and oaks, with olive, vine and citrus groves on the hillsides.
The road north out of Eressos takes you past the island's much advertised PETRIFIED FOREST which was formed when the Mt. Ordymnos erupted and drowned the trees in ash, an estimated 20million years or so ago. Earth tremors helped submerge the forest further, eventually turning the trees to stone.
At 3km across it is bigger than the better-known petrified forest in Arizona. But generations of souvenir hunters have walked off from the Lesvos Petrified Forest with the best examples, and what few tree stumps remain can sadly disappoint those making the 2km walk from Sigri to see them.
Locals seem amazed that anyone would want to trek through barren countryside to look at such a meagre collection of dried up tree stumps and they may have a point.
Set high on a former volcano is the handsome IPSILOU monastery founded in the 9th century and rebuilt in the 12th. It well worth a visit just to enjoy the splendid courtyard, small museum of ecclesiastical oddments and inevitable bits of petrified wood. It once had some fine frescoes but these were touched-up in the early 1990s and no longer worth seeing. Visitors must also ignore the cluster military buildings that share the same site if they want to enjoy the heady views.
Once believed to be the spring of the goddess Artemis, Thermi has a modern double domed bath house built in front of the ancient ones which are now closed to the public. The springs are recommended for treatment of the usual problems of rheumatism, arthritis and sciatica but also claim to help with hypertension, gall bladder, liver and lymphatic problems. Inhaling the steam is also said to help with bronchial catarrh. The temperature is around 40°C.
The splendidly domed and recently restored thermal baths boast the hottest waters in Europe with temperatures from 70°C to more than 90°C. The springs have been used since ancient times. These are two mineral springs open to the public near the banks of the Almyropotamus River about 60m above the sea shore in a landscape that resembles another planet. There are five springs of which only three are used. The main bath house has separate pools for males and females and there are showers and changing rooms. The waters are said to aid sufferers of chronic rheumatism and arthritis as well as gynaecological problems. Gently steaming pools can be found over the whole area.
The waters here are iron stained and contain chlorine and natrium. They are hot - around 70°C and are said to help cure rheumatism, arthritis, gynaecological and dermatological infections. They are known locally as Agios Ioannis, with springs on both banks of the river and in exceptionally beautiful countryside about 3km from the village of Lisvouri. The springs are in two separate buildings, only one of which is open and there are nine rooms as well as a public domed semi-circular bathing pool.
Hot springs reach around 45°C and the waters are said to be high in sodium chloride (salt) and good for the treatment of rheumatism, arthritis, sciatica, neuralgia and gynaecological infections. The renovated main building houses modern baths next to the old domed bath house. The original bath house has great charm with an entrance through some gardens to an outer chamber, where you leave your clothes before stepping down into the bath itself. The new building has six private rooms and a public pool. The baths are located at the northwestern tip of Lesvos about 4km from Mytilini.
Geras or Yeras springs are found on the Gulf of Yeras and are sometimes call Therma Springs. These are the largest baths on Lesvos with separate pools for males and females. Recommended for rheumatism, arthritis and bronchitis the temperature is around 40°C. Alongside the main baths is a café overlooking the bay and there is fine swimming to be had in the shallow waters off the small beach.
In the remote hill village of Chydira, east of Antissa, is a remarkable museum dedicated to local artist Georgios Iakovides.
The museum is remarkable in that there are no actual paintings on show, but very fine digital displays of his lifetime's work. The museum uses state-of-the-art technology to display a detailed picture of the life and work of this acclaimed Greek painter.
The artist was born in 1853 in Chydira and studied painting in Athens and Munich, spending much of his early life in Germany. In 1900 he was appointed first director of the newly established Athens National Gallery and was Honorary Director of the Athens School of Fine Arts, dying in 1932.
The museum is set out on two floors like an ordinary gallery but digital technology is used to show the painter's work through flat TFT panels, cinema projections and holo screens.
The works cover all the artist's main output, including mythological subjects, scenes of childhood and family life, landscapes, portraits and still lives. There are also educational and interactive activities at the museum that will appeal to both children and grown-ups.
The hill village of Chydira is found in the mountainous northwest of the island and has about 450 inhabitants, traditionally occupied in cattle-breeding and farming. Tourist resorts of Antissa, Eressos and Sigri are nearby. The museum opens Tuesday to Sunday, 9am - 5pm.
For more details and a look at the work of Georgios Iakovides visit the museum website at jakobides-digital-museum or better still the museum itself.
The weather in Lesvos is typically Mediterranean with mild, wet winters and warm, dry summers. The northern meltemi wind can be strong in high summer but winds are dry and warm when they blow from the south-west. The mean annual temperature is 18°C and the mean annual rainfall is 750 mm. Exceptional sunshine levels makes Lesvos one of the sunniest islands in the Aegean.
Summer months on Lesvos see only a few days of rainfall and that is not particularly heavy. At the height of the summer there are more than 12 hours of sunshine . The average summer high is around 30°C and in July/August you will be unlucky to see any rain at all. the water usually stays five to 10 ° lower than the air temperature.
Winters are mild on Lesvos an d snow is rare even in the hills. However winter is the rainy season but visitors can still enjoy long spells of sunshine. The rainiest months are December and January.
| JAN | FEB | MAR | APR | MAY | JUN | JUL | AUG | SEP | OCT | NOV | DEC | Averages |
| 11 | 11 | 15 | 18 | 22 | 24 | 30 | 30 | 25 | 21 | 16 | 12 | Day °C |
| 5 | 6 | 7 | 10 | 14 | 18 | 21 | 20 | 17 | 13 | 10 | 7 | Night °C |
| 5 | 5 | 7 | 8 | 10 | 13 | 14 | 13 | 11 | 8 | 5 | 4 | Sun (hrs) |
| 2 | 3 | 4 | 6 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 8 | 6 | 4 | 2 | 2 | UV Index |
| 124 | 96 | 75 | 47 | 25 | 9 | 3 | 3 | 11 | 37 | 94 | 142 | Rain (mm) |
| 12 | 10 | 9 | 8 | 6 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 6 | 9 | 13 | Rainy days |
