The Deep South

The southern part of the island, between the Gulfs of Gera and Kalloni,
 is dominated by the 3140' white peak of Mt Olympos and largely covered
 in the pine forests that stretch north across the main Mitilene-Kalloni road.

Plomari

Plomari, the main town of the area, lies sandwiched between the hills and the sea
 at almost the southernmost point of the island. It has some pleasant harbour side tavernas
(spoiled somewhat by the main road from Mitilene running alongside),
 but its main claim to fame is as the ouzo-producing capital of Lesvos.
(The 'resort' of Plomari is in fact two miles to the east at Agios Isodoros)

But turn right through the town and the narrow road
climbs steeply into the hills behind, winding above
 small villages half hidden in deep forested valleys,
 and along mountain escarpments with views
 far across the island.
Most of the road is
(or was, the road
 improvers are
 moving fast) unsurfaced, but in good condition
 and easily driveable, and leads eventually to
Agiasos, in the shadow of Olympos.

Agiasos

 Agiasos is the largest village in the area
 - its importance and prosperity derive from a miracle-working
icon in the originally twelfth-century church of the
 Virgin (Panagia), making it a place of pilgrimage.
 (Behind the present church, built in 1814, there is a large
 colonnaded guesthouse, set around a courtyard, with ranks
 of cells to accommodate the pilgrims).
  Today the village has protected status, and although pilgrims
 still come, mainly for the feast-day of the Virgin on 15 August,
 they are far outnumbered by the foreign holidaymakers
 brought by excursion coaches to see a 'traditional Lesvos village',
 and on whom it now depends for survival.
 The main streets are lined with gift and craft shops, but elsewhere rural depopulation
 has led to large numbers of empty and decaying buildings
 - though many disagree I find Agiasos, despite its beauty, a melancholy place.

Olympos

If you want to reach the highest point on the island,
it is possible to drive to the top of Mt Olympos.
 An unsurfaced, but reasonable condition road zigzags its way up
 the mountainside mainly for the benefit of the engineers
 maintaining the TV transmitter on
 the summit, and there is a
 viewing platform giving stunning
panoramic views.
 (Unlike Vigla in the Lepetimnos
 range behind Molivos, it has not
 been commandeered by the army and sealed off for use as a communications base)

[Home] [Nederlands] [About the Book] [Sappho] [Information/Links] [Walking] [Elsewhere...] [Mitilene] [Teriade Museum] [Moria] [The Deep South] [The Wild West] [Around Kalloni] [Mermaid Madonna...] [Island Hopping] [Images of Lesvos] [Wildlife] [Wood Sculptures] [Feedback]