Getting to Lesvos

By air
You can fly to Lesvos from Heathrow, Gatwick and Manchester airports.

Most holidaymakers will want to visit Lesvos during the main holiday season, in which case Thompson offer either package holidays or charter flight-only options (from Gatwick and Manchester) deals.

Greek airlines Olympic and Agean fly to Lesvos year round from Athens. Athens can be reached from the UK using Olympic (from Heathrow), Aegean (from Heathrow), British Airways (from Heathrow and Manchester), and easyJet (from Luton and Gatwick).

Prices vary depending on your route (direct charter or two flights via Athens) and time of year, but expect to pay between £170-350 per person for a return flight.

See here for 2010 flight information.

By sea
For those with the time, or already holidaying in Greece and fancy a few days or more on Lesvos (or another Greek island), there are regular ferries from the Greek mainland to most Greek islands.

Lesvos is served daily by a ferry which leaves Pireaus (Athens) in the evening and arrives in Mytilini early the following morning.

For further info see Lesvos.com.

About Lesvos

The Greek Agean island of Lesvos lies within spitting distance of the Turkish mainland which wraps itself around the north and east of the island. Ferries to Turkey operate from Mytilini.

It is the third largest Greek island (next to Crete and Evia). The mass tourism which has blighted much of the Mediterranean basin has bypassed Lesvos and it is only in the last ten or so years that tourism has taken off, but it remains at a low level, even at the main resorts (which are miniscule compared to the major Mediterranean resorts).

Lesvos is a beautiful, lush, green island with an amazing variety of scenery - green fields; olive grove covered hillsides; barren, volcanic mountainous areas; rich pine and sweet chestnut woods; beautiful beaches; and is dotted with traditional villages clinging to hillsides. The whole island abounds with birds, flowers and other widlife to rival anywhere in Europe. Its people are warm and welcoming and undoubtedly the friendliest in Greece.

Lesvos is famed for -
olive oil - the finest in the world - produced from over 11 millions olive trees
great Greek food - fresh fish and seafood - what more could you want?!
Sappho - c.630-570 BC - poet
Birdwatching - the feathered sort!
It's Petrified Forest
Hot springs
and
Lesbians - yes its true, Lesvos is a favourite resort for the gay female in the hotter summer months

Size: 630sq.m (1,630sk.km)
Population: 87,150
Capital: Mytilini

Cash machines (ATMs) in (list not exhaustive) -
Mytilini
Molivos
Petra
Kalloni
Skala Kallonis
Plomari
Eressos
Mantamados

Money can also be exchanged in the banks in the larger towns.

Petrol available in (not exhaustive) -
Mytilini
Molivos
Kalloni
Vatousa
Andissa
Eressos
Mantamados
Polichnitos
Skala Loutron

Lesvos pictures - birds, wildlife and scenery



                       


Lesvos flickr photo sharing site - set up by Mick Sway


21 April - 5 May 2012 Video 1 | Video 2
Jason Coppock's two videos featuring Lesvos wetlands (1 - 11 min) and the west (2 - 8 min). Scenes and birds (no narration, captions or timed running list). List of some species on each video listed.

Wingspan's (Bob Buckler) YouTube video of stills.
All birds captioned.


Vogels op Lesvos (Video of the Birds of Lesvos) by Studio Greft
Captions in Dutch and all birds inc scientific names of birds.

Raymond de Smet - a fabulous gallery of images from spring 2011 including some stunning in-flight shots

Doug Menzies photos from his July 2011 trip

Carlo Galliani's gallery of excellent photos from 2010.

Levels Birder on Lesvos. Jeff Hazell's excellent mini-website dedicated to his May 2010 trip inc. photo section.

Ronjax's YouTube video clips. Some cracking clips here.

Paul Cools excellent galleries from trips to Lesvos in 2006, 2007 and 2008.

Raffael Payer's Lesvos 2010 photos.

Wild Images by Will Bowell - Lesvos spring 2010.

Toadsnatcher's Lesvos Galley - some of my own older images from some of my early tripsPaul Mannings excellent Wildlife of Lesvos gallery featuring birds, orchids, other flowers, fauna and scenery.Simon Stirrup's photos from his spring 2009 trip.Tony Mill's Not Just Birds gallery from spring 2009.Kit Day's excellent Lesvos gallery (from spring 2008)Bill Baston's Lesvos galleries - photo galleries from Bill's trips in 2003, 2004 and 2005 (2008 to be added) plus other tripsBogbumper's Lesvos images - some cracking images which just get the juices flowing!More Bogbumper images
Ray Wilson's Bird Photography - an excellent Lesvos galleryRay Purser's Lesvos bird and wildlife gallery - some brilliant bird and wildlife imagesRay Purser's Lesvos flower gallery
Søren Kristoffersen - photos from Søren's 2008 trip.Daniel Pettersson's Lesvos photos.Real Birder - several Lesvos galleries listed here.Paul Cools 2007 Lesvos photos.Erik Klayheeg photos from his May 2003 trip.

See also
trip reports section.

Lesvos trip reports



                        Those reports with brief details (author and contents) have been submitted to Lesvos Birding. Reports with just dates (no details) are links to other reports I have found on the web.

If you have a trip report on the web please send me the URL and I will link to it (email to: steve at toadsnatcher dot com). 
Click on the date for the report.

NOTE - if you have a trip report, just send me a Word doc or PDF and I will host alongside many others on my Scribd account. All reports previously hosted by the now defunct Travellingbirder.com have now been either updated to Scribd hosted reports or removed from this list.

22 July 2013
Dirk Ottenburghs (in Dutch)

May 2013
Leo Tukker

27 April - 4 May 2013
Colin Bushell, Ornitholidays

28 April - 5 May 2012
Bob Buckler's report from his Wingspan Bird Tours week

28 April - 5 May 2012
Kev23's BirdForum report from his spring week. Lots of photos.

21 April - 5 May 2012
Howard Vaughan's mega report (166 pages and 18Mb!) with many photos and full species list.

21 April - 5 May 2012 Video 1 | Video 2 | Video 3
Jason Coppock's three videos featuring Lesvos wetlands (1 - 11 min), the west (2 - 8 min) and 'the rest' (10 min). Scenes and birds (no narration, captions or timed running list). List of some species on each clip listed.

7 - 20 July 2011
Doug M's detailed dairy-style BirdForum report with link to pictures.


6 - 8 May 2011
Spyros Skareas (Greece Bird Tours) trip inc. photos.


5 - 9 May 2011
Mick Sway's latest offering from another spring on Lesvos

23 - 30 April 2011
Bob Buckler's report from his Wingspan Bird Tours week

Dave Fearn's (CactusD) BirdForum trip report includes lots of cracking photos from his 2-week trip.

James Packer's report including some excellent photos and a full species list with details of sightings of the scarcer species.

29 September - 5 October 2010
Report from Huub Don.

An excellent report by Birdforum's 'Macswede' from a mid-summer month with lots of excellent photos inc. the islands 7th Terek Sandpiper.

5 - 12 July 2010
Michel Rogg inc. species list.

Jeff Hazel's excellent mini-website, Levels Birder on Lesvos, dedicated to his May 2010 trip.

Lesvos Birding's Steve Dudley's private week.

Mick Sveikutis

Report with photos by Leo Tukker.

29 April - 6 May 2010
Bob Buckler's report from his Wingspan Bird Tours week

A fabulously detailed report by Howard & Andrea Vaughan and Pricille & Neil Preston inc. many photographs.

Steve Dudley trip report and species list for Oliva Rama Tours week.

Bob Buckler's report from his Wingspan Bird Tours week

22 - 29 April 2010
Lesvos Birding tour report and species list by Steve Dudley.

A report by Didier Bâlon et Alice Burban in French. Very usefully, the species list includes scientific and English names and sites are cross-referenced with A Birdwatching Guide to Lesvos.

17 September - 1 October 2009
Pat & Judy Hayes - full report with photos and species list.

Lesvos Birding's Steve Dudley's full report of his Speyside Wildlife holiday week inc. several photos and full species lists.


A blog-based report from Archie Archer includes some good summer records and a possible first for the island! Illustrates again that Lesvos can make a great summer family holiday destination.


Report from Leo Tukker with photos.

Mick & Tina Sveikutis inc. some photos and species list.

7 - 12 May 2009
Report form Mick Sway.

7 - 9 May 2009
A very enjoyable report from Ian Pitt's.


Mike Fox, Sean Murphy & Colin Murphy. Inc. species list.

Bob Buckler

Paul Aubrey

late April - mid-May
Christine Jung (in German)

Ian Kinley & Dave Thexton. Includes annotated species list and some photos.

Bob Buckler

Honeyguide Wildlife Holidays report (with Rob Lucking)

Limosa Holidays trip report.

18 - 24 Sept 2008
Steve Dudley (
Lesvos Birding) & Mark Newell spend an autumn week which includes a first record for Lesvos! Some photos.

8 - 15 May 2008
Penny Clarke's energetic and amusing trip report with lots of pics.


Pat & Judy Hayes

1 - 15 May 2008
Stephen Rush

Mick Sveikutis

Limosa Holidays report

1 - 8 May 2008
Steve & Liz Dudley (Lesvosbirding.com)
List of sites visted and species seen. Several photos. (More Lesvos pictures
here)

Another report from Lesvos regular Leo Tukker.

24 April - 1 May 2008
Limosa Holidays report.

24 April - 1 May 2008
Steve Dudley (
Lesvosbirding.com) & Speyside Wildlife
Detailed trip report and species lists (sorry no pictures see
here)

18 - 30 April 2008
A detailed report with photos from Andrew Cunningham

17 - 24 April 2008
Neil Bew's report for the NW Surrey RSPB Group's week they enjoyed with
Lesvos Birding


20 - 27 September 2007
Steve & Liz Dudley (
Lesvos Birding)
List of sites visted and species seen. Several photos. (More Lesvos pictures
here)

20 - 27 September 2007
Honeyguide Wildlife Holidays trip report

21 July - 4 August 2007
Robin Edwards report continues to prove that there is plenty of good birding to be had mid-summer.

15 July - 4 August 2007
David Griffiths and family's second summer on the island again illustrates that good summer birding on Lesvos is there to be had!

12 - 26 July 2007
Another mid-summer report from British birder Mike Pennington.

12 - 19 July 2007
Charlie Kitchin (Cambs)
Brief report and bird list. Charlie illustrates that July can still be rewarding for those combining birding and family summer hols.


Mark Halliday inc. some photos.

10 - 17 May 2007
Phil Shepherd

Limosa Holidays report.

26 April - 10 May 2007
Steve & Liz Dudley (
Lesvos Birding) & Speyside Wildlife
Detailed trip report with many pictures and species lists


Limosa Holidays report.

24 Aug - 1 Sept 2006
David Griffiths and family summer holiday - a rare report for summer months from the island


Limosa Holidays report.

27 April - 4 May 2006
Rebecca Nason

20 - 27 April 2006
Steve Dudley (
Lesvos Birding) & Speyside Wildlife
Detailed trip report and species lists

17 - 27 April 2006
Rob Lucking/Honeyguide

24 Sept - 1 Oct 2005
Steve Dudley (
Lesvos Birding) & Speyside Wildlife
Detailed trip report with many pictures and species lists


12 - 19 June 2005
An excellent report, with photos, from Swedish birder Steve Cherrug at a little visited time of year.

19 May - 2 June 2005
Alan & Rose Saunders

Pat & Judy Hayes

5 - 12 May 2005
David & Amanda Mason

28 April - 5 May 2005

Keith Grant & Rebecca Nason / The Travelling Naturalist

27 April - 9 May 2005
Dirk Raes

14 - 21 April 2005
Steve Dudley (
Lesvos Birding) & Speyside Wildlife
Detailed trip report and species lists (sorry no pictures see
here)

14 - 21 April 2005
Chris Durdin & Steve Henson / Honeyguide

27 May - 3 June 2004

Celtic Bird Tours

7 - 21 May 2004

Jos Wanten


6 - 20 May 2004

Terry Fenton


29 April - 6 May 2004

Keith Grant & Neil Arnold / The Travelling Naturalist


Steve Bird

22 - 29 April 2004
Steve Dudley (
Lesvos Birding) & Speyside Wildlife
Detailed trip report and species lists (sorry no pictures see
here)

14 - 21 April 2004

Rob Lucking, Rob Macklin & Kathy Macklin / Honeyguide

7 - 14 April 2004

Rob Lucking & Steve Henson / Honeyguide


28 August - 10 September 2003
Eoin Jennings

1 - 8 May 2003

John Muddeman & Neil Arnold / The Travelling Naturalist

1 - 8 May 2003

Bob biggs


27 April - 6 May 2003

Nicls Winqvist


25 April - 1 May 2003
Steve Dudley (
Lesvos Birding) & Speyside Wildlife
Detailed trip report and species lists (sorry no pictures see
here)

24 April - 1 May 2003

Keith Grant & Neil Arnold / The Travelling Naturalist


16 - 23 April 2003

Rob Lucking & Steve Henson / Honeyguide


6 - 13 January 2003
Peter Alfrey & Lee Dingain

2 - 9 May 2002
Rob Andrews, Mike Collard, Dave Ferguson & Jim Rose

Martin Pitt

29 April - 13 May 2002
Dirk Demey & Karen op de Beek

26 April - 2 May 2002

Peter Alfrey & Lee Dingain

25 April - 2 May 2002

Keith Grant / The Travelling Naturalist


25 April - 2 May 2002
Steve Dudley (
Lesvos Birding) & Speyside Wildlife
Detailed trip report (sorry no pictures see
here)

Richard Wesley

3 - 17 May 2001
Alan & Anne Miller

3 - 10 May 2001

Stpehanie Coghlan & Jamie McMillan / The Travelling Naturalist

22 April - 4 May 2001
Pat & Judy Hayes
James Eaton

4 - 11 May 2000
Rhion Pritchard

6 - 13 May 1999
Andy Senior, Guy Bottomley, Roy Bottomley & Paul Robinson