Around 20 million years ago, intense volcanic activity in the Northern Aegean created the Petrified Forest of Lesbos. Near Sigri, it is one of four nature parks managed by the Natural History Museum of the Lesvos Petrified Forest. The discovery of the region begins with a landscape whose history extends far beyond the visible coastline.
Islands and Landscapes of the Northern Aegean
The region comprises the four main islands of Lesbos, Chios, Samos and Limnos, as well as smaller islands such as Ikaria, Fourni, the Inousses, Psara and Agios Efstratios. These islands offer an overview of the region’s diversity; each natural and cultural experience is located on the island named for it.
On Chios, the coastline takes many forms: beaches range from secluded, rugged stretches to more accessible, family-friendly beaches with pebbles or sand. On Samos, hiking trails pass through caves, gorges, streams, waterfalls and wetlands. Megalo Seitani Bay is another destination in its own right, accessible on foot or by boat.
Chios: Mastic Tradition, Villages and Cultural Heritage
In southern Chios lie the Mastichochoria, 24 traditional villages where mastic trees are cultivated using techniques passed down through generations. The traditional cultivation of Chios mastic was added to UNESCO’s Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in 2014. In summer, the trunks of the mastic trees are scored; the resin drops that seep out are then collected and cleaned. Mesta is considered one of the best-preserved medieval villages on Chios.
The island’s architectural and museum heritage offers several ways to explore its history. Nea Moni is an 11th-century Byzantine monastery and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Its gold-ground mosaics are considered a unique artistic achievement of Byzantine art. The refectory has been converted into a museum; its main exhibit is a long, fixed table inlaid with marble slabs. The collection also includes ecclesiastical and secular silverwork, embroidery, woven textiles and religious icons dating from the 17th to the 19th century.
The Archaeological Museum of Chios exhibits objects relating to the island’s daily life and art, from the Neolithic period to Roman times. These include finds from prehistoric settlements, sculptures, inscriptions, coins, vases, objects from sanctuaries, mosaics and funerary steles. The Byzantine Museum is housed in the Mecidiye Cami, an Ottoman mosque built in the mid-19th century. It presents the art of Chios from the Byzantine and post-Byzantine periods, as well as the island’s modern history.
Samos: Ancient Water Engineering and Collections
On Samos, the Eupalinos Tunnel runs 1,036 metres through the mountainside, carrying water to the ancient city. The UNESCO World Heritage Site of Pythagoreion and Heraion comprises the fortified ancient city of Pythagoreion and the ancient Temple of Hera. In the centre of the modern town of Pythagoreion, the Archaeological Museum of Pythagoreion is housed in a newly built building. It displays more than 3,000 objects illustrating the cultural development of the ancient city of Samos and its rural surroundings, from the 4th millennium BC to the 7th century AD.
The Archaeological Museum of Samos is spread across two locations. The old, two-storey neoclassical building was constructed in 1912 and displays finds from the Heraion, including statues, vessels and votive offerings. The new building, built in 1984, houses the important collection of Archaic-period sculpture. The two locations therefore focus on different things: finds from the Heraion in one, Archaic sculptures in the other.
Lesbos: Local Cuisine, Archaeology and Getting There
On Lesbos, visitors can sample stuffed zucchini blossoms, sougania—stuffed onions—scallops with pilaf, baked sfouggato, gkiouzlemedes—small cheese pies—and octopus fritters in traditional cafés. The Archaeological Collection of Eresos in Skala Eressos contains finds from the ancient city, originating from houses and tombs. They date from the Late Helladic period to the Early Christian period.
The New Archaeological Museum of Mytilene opened in 1999 and presents Hellenistic and Roman Lesbos through mosaic floors, frescoes and other finds from Roman villas, as well as sculptures. Lesbos is served by ferry routes from Piraeus and Kavala, as well as a flight from Athens. Ferries also connect the island with other islands in the northeastern Aegean and the Cyclades. Check the schedules before your trip.
Discover more destinations: Lesbos, Samos, Chios, Limnos, Ikaria, Western Macedonia, Peloponnese, Southern Aegean.
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