Lesbos island (also spelled Lesvos), like Rhodes, is located in the Aegean Sea off the coast of Turkey. Its one of the top 5 largest islands in Greece and a popular tourist destination as well. There are two fairly large mountains on Lesbos, Mount Olympus and Mount Lepetymnos, which can be seen towering over the islands plentiful olive groves. Lesbos maintains a fairly warm temperature in the winter and can be quite hot in the summer months. Its primarily an agricultural-based economy however it is also a well known place to vacation for lesbians and other homosexuals as well.
On the island of Lesbos there is also a protected national forest of petrified trees. No, they’re not scared but the term refers to the fact that the wood of the trees has fossilized into stone, something that is remarkable to see in person. To forest itself was fossilized some 20 million years ago due to a number of environmental factors and also influenced by an active volcano on Lesbos at the time. You can explore this petrified forest on your own and it is easily accessible to all visitors.
Lesbos is close enough to Greece and the Turkish coast so you can consider taking a ferry there just for the day to visit the forests of perhaps grab a cup of coffee or ouzo, a Greek alcoholic drink made from anise. Ouzo is actually produced in Lesbos since its got an ample supply of the primary ingredients and if you can adjust to the bitter taste you should certainly make an effort to have some over a long lunch or early evening dinner. Drinking ouzo is typically and even and sipped over a course of appetizers for several hours making it and ideal way to celebrate or take a break from the mainland. You can also purchase and bring a bottle back with you as you travel on to your next destination.
A good beach to set up shop for a few days is Molivos in the north. Lesbos is an island however much of the focus tends to be inland to the petrified forests and mountain hikes of Mount Olympus or Mount Lepetymnos. Lesbos does have some nice beaches, although the one drawback is that they are gravel based you you’ll need to bring some swim shoes to protect your feet. Some of the more popular beaches also tend to have more garbage on the beach that others. Since Lesbos is in such a narrow shipping lane and clean ups aren’t as frequent as they are on some of the busier islands, make sure to look around before pitching your umbrella or heading into the water.
Aside from the beaches, petrified forests, mountains, and ouzo you can visit one of the many olive orchards and fields in Lesbos. Some of the larger companies will also offer tours for a very low price and if you enjoy the olives you can purchase a fresh local batch. They go great with many meals and especially the drink ouzo, and you can combine the two on your travels around the best islands in Europe.