Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
LESVOS (MYTILINI) ΛΕΣΒΟΣ (ΜΥΤΙΛΗΝΗ)
POP 95,330 / AREA 1637 SQ KM
Greece's third-largest island, after Crete and Evia, Lesvos is marked by long sweeps of
rugged, desert-like western plains that give way to sandy beaches and salt marshes in the
centre of the island. Further east are thickly forested mountains and dense olive groves
(some 11 million olive trees are cultivated here).
The island's port and capital, Mytilini Town, is a lively place year-round filled with
exemplary
ouzeries
and good accommodation, while the north-coast town of Molyvos
(aka Mythimna) is an aesthetic treat, with old stone houses clustered on winding lanes
overlooking the sea.
Along with hiking and cycling, Lesvos is a mecca for birdwatching (more than 279
species, ranging from raptors to waders, are often sighted). The island boasts therapeutic
hot springs that gush with some of the warmest mineral waters in Europe.
Despite its undeniable tourist appeal, hard-working Lesvos makes its livelihood firstly
from agriculture. Olive oil is a highly regarded local product, as is ouzo; indeed, the is-
land's farmers produce around half of the aniseed-flavoured firewater sold worldwide.
Lesvos' great cultural legacy stretches from the 7th-century-BC musical composer
Terpander to 20th-century figures such as Nobel Prize-winning poet Odysseus Elytis and
primitive painter Theofilos. The ancient philosophers Aristotle and Epicurus also led a
philosophical academy here. Most famous, however, is Sappho, one of ancient Greece's
greatest poets. Her sensuous, passionate poetry has fuelled a modern-day following that
draws lesbians from around the world to Skala Eresou, the west Lesvos beach village
where she was born (c 630 BC).
