Walking

I have no detailed experience of walking in Lesvos beyond the north of the island,
 and to share that you'll have to buy On Foot in North Lesvos.
 Sorry!

However, there is much good walking to be had elsewhere - here are a few hints.
 In any of these areas you will need your own transport - buses do not stray
 off surfaced roads, and apart from a few school buses keep to the main roads
 between major settlements.

As I explore further afield I hope to have a selection of additional walks here.
For the first few click on 'New Routes'.

The South
The Mt Olympos region, between Plomari and Agaisos, is covered with a network
 of forest roads and tracks climbing from village to village through the
mountains. Most are unsurfaced, carry very little traffic apart from the
 occasional farmer in his pickup, and offer a series of spectacular views.

A new short guide to the Vatera area is on sale locally.
'Vatera, Around and About', by Brian and Eileen Anderson,
describes ten walks from Vatera and four wider ranging car tours.

Uniquely, in this area the ROAD map of Lesvos also shows numerous footpaths:
 with it there should be no problem putting together a satisfying day's walking.

Parakila
 On the west side of the Gulf of Kalloni another web of forest roads rises up behind
 the coastal village of Parakila towards the local peak of Profitis Ilias
 (one of several in the island of the same name; traditionally the highest point in any district is named in honour of the Prophet Elijah).
 There is a colour booklet about this area 'The Footpaths of Rhododendron',
 published by the Municipality of Kalloni, which should be available there.
 (Unfortunately the town's bookshop, where I got my copy in 2002, has since closed).
 Again, the ROAD map clearly marks most of these roads.
NEW:- My own Rhododendron Walk is now here. Click on 'New Routes' for details.

The Olive Paths
 A recent initiative led by the Lesvos development agency and the local university
 has seen a series of map-boards and wayposts erected across the north-east
 of the island, from Sikaminia to Petra, and down to Agia Paraskevi,
 with maps of suggested walking routes through the area.
 Unfortunately there do not yet seem to be any supporting guides or leaflets available,
or indeed finance for maintenance of the boards, many of which have lost their
maps and other information, so it is difficult to plan walks around them.

Trails of Lepetimnos
This is a new initiative by the Commune of Lepetimnos covering paths in the
Lepetimnos and Sikaminia area, which have been cleared, signposted and waymarked
ready for the 2006 season. There are also noticeboards in Lepetimnos and Sikaminia with, to me, rather confusing maps of the routes. 
Most of these paths already feature in 'On Foot in North Lesvos' -
see the new walk in 'New Routes' for the one that got away.

Sigri to Eresos
The unsurfaced 'direct' road from Sigri to Eresos follows the coastal plain south,
 skirting the edge of the petrified forest, and then climbs to cross a 650ft ridge
 before descending into Eresos. In all the distance is about ten miles, so you will need
 a non-walking driver for your car, or return to it by taxi.

Walking Holidays & Guided Walks
Sappho Travel of Skala Eresou (www.sapphotravel.com)
  introduced walking holidays in 2004. See their website for details.
The University of the Aegean in Mitilene (www.golesvos.com)
 also introduced a programme of one-week walking holidays in 2004.
Cycling and scuba-diving holidays are also on offer.

Books & Other Information
'Lesvos car tours and walks' by Brian & Eileen Anderson
Newly published in 2004 by the authors of the Landmark Guide,
this has detailed instructions for 5 car tours and 28 walks
covering the whole island (the walks concentrate on the south) 
A car is also required to reach the start of most of the walks. 
The book is widely available in Lesvos
or from booksellers and www.amazon.co.uk in the UK. 

'Lesbos' by Thomas Schröder
 If your German is up to following simple instructions there are timed routes here for twenty walks in various parts of the island.
 (Having scraped through O-level German fifty years ago, I can just about cope)
 But be warned, he expects serious walkers: his suggested starting time, sunrise.

'Sigri: Where the Road Ends', by Roy Lawrance
 This little book, by a regular English visitor to Sigri,
 is a useful short guide to the area and its wildlife,
 illustrated with his own drawings,
 It  includes a number of walks, mainly to beaches near Sigri,
and is available in Sigri or direct from the author at
 87 Glebe Road, Deanshanger, Milton Keynes, MK19 6LX, UK
 (e-mail roylawrance@talktalk.net)

 'Trekking Trails of Lesvos'
 Four signed and waymarked long distance trails with an accompanying leaflet,
 from Sigri to Eresos in the west, Petra to Lapsarna along the north-west coast,
 Sikaminia to Kapi following the flanks of the Lepetymnos range,
 and Vatera to the Gulf of Gera in the South.
 These routes were set up some years ago: time, road-building and other changes
 mean that whatever continuity they may have had has been lost.
 You will still come across some of the signs and waymarks, but any attempt
 to follow them is, in my experience, doomed.
 If you are curious, they are outlined here.
  

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